Château Léoville Las Cases 2016
Personalized Advice
100% Secure Payment
Guaranteed provenance
A red wine from Saint-Julien with an impressive tannic structure
A Second Classified Growth of 1855 produced in the appellation of Saint-Julien, the Château Léoville Las Cases benefits from a vineyard with a total area of 98 hectares. Around 40 years old on average, the vines are planted on a terroir composed mainly of Quaternary gravel soils on gravel-sandy and clayey-gravelly subsoils. The 2016 vintage blends 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Franc.
This vintage was produced under amazing climatic conditions. First, heavy rains from January to March replenished the water reserves of the soil. Then, the mild weather of March brought an early budburst. The month of April caused delays in vine development due to the cold and rain. The weather varied greatly from mid-June on, with the arrival of warm and extremely dry weather. The first fortnight of August saw a rapid and even veraison. The growth of the grapes, initially slowed by the lack of water, began again after the showers of mid-September. The beautiful ripeness of the fruit and the excellent climatic conditions allowed the harvest to proceed in a calm manner between September 30th and October 19th.
At tasting, the Château Léoville Las Cases 2016 is magnificently well-rounded. The Cabernet Sauvignon imparts power and elegance, the Cabernet Franc is refined and complex, and the Merlot is opulent and juicy. The wine presents active and smooth tannins, which balance harmoniously with a splendid length on the palate.
Very deep purple-black colored, the 2016 Léoville Las Cases (composed of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Franc) is quite closed to begin, yet with patient coaxing it unfurls beautifully to reveal suggestions of ripe blackcurrants, black raspberries, warm redcurrants and wild blueberries, followed by touches of unsmoked cigars, tilled red soil, cast iron pan, fallen leaves and lavender plus wonderfully fragrant wafts of lilacs and baking spices. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with tightly knit, very subtle layers of minerals, floral notions and black and red berries, all framed by exquisitely ripe, silt-like tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing with epic length and depth. Simply captivating even in its youth, give it at least a decade in the cellar and then enjoy it over the next 50+ years.