1999
Leoville Las Cases 1999 Saint Julien
$589.99Château Léoville Las Cases is often considered an “honorary First Growth” for its uncompromising quality, structure, and longevity. It is a towering example of Left Bank claret, showcasing brooding power matched to exquisite elegance. The nose is deep and sophisticated: cassis and black cherry fruit mingle with graphite, pencil lead, and cigar-box cedar, plus hints of smoke, tobacco leaf, and truffle in matured examples.
On the palate, Las Cases is full-bodied and densely packed – it unfurls layers of ripe blackcurrant, blueberry, and dark plum, all tightly woven into a fabric of fine yet very present tannins. The wine’s structure is formidable (especially in great vintages like 1982 or 1996), delivering a “powerful yet refined” palate with tightly knit texture and a long mineral finish. There is a strong terroir character of mineral/iron and a certain Pauillac-like regality (unsurprising, as its vineyards border Latour). Despite the concentration, Las Cases always retains a sense of balance and polish – acidity and fruit in harmony – so that after decades, it reveals extraordinary nuance.
The finish is legendary: long, resonant, and complex, with persistent notes of cool black fruits, flinty minerality, and lingering spice/tobacco. In summary, Léoville Las Cases epitomizes St-Julien’s breed at the highest level – immensely rich and structured in its youth, evolving into a wine of remarkable depth, finesse, and gravitas that rivals the Médoc’s very best.
Petrus 1999 Pomerol
$11,999.99Château Pétrus is an icon of opulence and complexity, showcasing the heights Merlot can achieve. The style of Pétrus is utterly unique – in great years it offers one of Bordeaux’s most aromatically complex bouquets, “filled with spice, mocha, cinnamon, dark chocolate, ripe plums, black cherries, truffle and fresh flowers,” all at once.
On the palate, Pétrus is legendary for its texture: a nearly otherworldly richness and viscosity that still manages to feel silky and weightless. The flavor concentration is immense – layer upon layer of black plum, blackberry compote, and fig coated by notes of espresso, sweet baking spices, and earthy truffle. Despite its power and density, the wine maintains impeccable balance; its tannins are abundant yet among the softest and most velvety in Bordeaux. The finish can last for minutes, with waves of chocolate-covered black fruits, exotic spice, and mineral nuances.
Pétrus demands lengthy cellaring to fully blossom (decades, not years), but even in youth its luxurious mouthfeel and depth of flavor are breathtaking. In sum, Pétrus is sumptuously rich, profoundly aromatic, and texturally perfect – a wine of pure Merlot fruit intensity and unparalleled elegance, truly unlike any other.
