TN 1985 Leoville Las Cases

[Jamie Manley]

As they said about the late great Italian tenor, Giuseppe Di Stefano, "Ultimi dei grande" - last of the great ones! Is this the last of the great 1985 Bordeaux? Perhaps, but what a curtain call! What a wonderful vintage and what a wonderful Las Cases. The aromatics filled the room upon cork extraction and never relinquished. I have always adored the perfume of 1985, and along with Lynch Bages, this Las Cases is right at the top. Wafting aromas of tobacco, wet soil, cassis, iodine, and very delineated pencil fill the nose. The palate really boasts rich fruit with cherry and cassis, followed by gun steel, flint, tobacco, earth, slate, and intense pencil. Velvet in the mouth with layers that peel away while unraveling the great complexity of this Las Cases. At peak for some time now, this wine posseses the fruit, tannin, and acidity to give pleasure for quite a few more years. Bravo! 95 + Pts

[M Albert Bouffard]

Enjoyed your note Jamie! Sounds delicious.

[Jeff Leve]

1985 Leoville Las Cases is my favorite vintage of Leoville Las Cases for drinking today. 1986 and 1990 are better, but they are not as accessible for current drinking. It's one of the better wines from the Medoc in 1985 as well. Your note is making me thirsty!

[Jamie Manley]

Thanks Marc and Jeff.

Jeff, any thoughts on 1995 Las Cases? I know the 86 and 90 are better, but I can get the 95 for $100 cheaper per bottle and from known provenance.

[Jeff Leve]

Jamie... For me, 1995 Leoville Las Cases is a better wine than 1985 Leoville Las Cases. As I am not a fan of the 1995 Bordeaux vintage, I was surprised by home much I liked 1995 Leoville Las Cases. I have a recent tasting note from last July you can read. Leoville Las Cases

[laurent gibet]

Léoville Las Cases great verticale in 32 vintages (2001/1945 - report by Miguel Sennoun) ...
http://www.invinoveritastoulouse.fr/...aine&Itemid=58

BTW :
Las Cases 1995 : 95/100
Las Cases 1985 : 92,5/100

I also had a great Las Cases 1990 a few years ago (97/100). But all the Las Cases 1990 tasted were not as specularly good.

[Jeff Leve]

Laurent... Nice tasting! I've had some of the older Leoville ls Cases vintages. We seem to agree on all the vintages from 1982 forward, but I gave much lower scores to the all the older years, 1978, 1966, 1961 and even the 1945.

[laurent gibet]

Jeff,

The context, as always ...
No great wines, only great bottles (in great contexts).

[Jamie Manley]

Jeff and Laurent, thank you for the feedback and links. I was actually looking to buy some 1986, not more 85. But I think that I may go with the 95. Known provenance and $100 per bottle cheaper. Thanks again!

[Jeff Leve]

Jeff,

The context, as always ...
No great wines, only great bottles (in great contexts).

You are 100% right on that one Laurent! But in part, I also think it has to do with what some tasters seek in a wine. That is a good part of what this hobby so compelling.

I may go with the 95. Known provenance and $100 per bottle cheaper. Thanks again!

We're all glad to help. With that in mind, I'd probably make the same choice as well. However, if the 1990 Leoville Las Cases is available for a fair price, that is the wine to buy. For me, it's a stunning wine that's First Growth in quality.

Laurent, if you had to pick one vintage of Leoville Las Cases with some age, what would it be?

[laurent gibet]

1990, 1988.
1982 in which I would expect the great wine I did not have.
1959 too (and I would compare it with the excellent Bel Air Marquis d'Aligre.