Selection
Leoville Las Cases 1991
Château 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.
Lanbersac Puisseguin Saint Emilion 375Ml
Château Lanbersac (Puisseguin-St-Émilion) is a Merlot-based wine that consistently delivers ripe fruit and solid structure at a great value. It greets you with a forward nose of juicy blackberry and black plum, accompanied by hints of baking spice and cedar, and sometimes a touch of mocha or chocolate from oak. There’s an underlying earthy note as well, reflecting its limestone clay terroir.
On the palate, Lanbersac is well-structured and full of fruit. Plush blackberries and ripe cherry flavors fill the mouth, balanced by a rich texture and firm, chalky tannins that remind you this is a serious wine for aging. Indeed, Wine Enthusiast has noted it as a “well-structured wine with spice, ripe blackberry fruits and a rich texture… tannins still firm, giving a strong, dry core”. Despite that robust core, the wine doesn’t come off as overly tough – the fruit is generous enough to coat the structure. Hints of pepper, clove, and toasted oak add complexity on the mid-palate.
The finish is long and chewy, with dark fruit and a touch of dryness from the tannin (which will mellow with a couple more years). In sum, Château Lanbersac is muscular yet fruity – a satellite St-Émilion offering rich, sweet black fruit, ample spicy oak, and a backbone of firm tannin to ensure it can age and develop further complexity.