One of the leading estates in Bordeaux, Château Léoville-Las Cases is one of the largest and oldest Classed Growths in the Médoc. Along with Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, it is widely considered one of the best estates in Saint-Julien.
The Léoville property’s history stretches back to the 17th century, but the vast estate was divided into three parts in the 19th century, following the death of the Marquis de Las Cases. The largest third went to his son Jean-Pierre and this is now Léoville-Las Cases. Another third went to the Marquis’s daughter Jeanne, which is now Château Léoville Poyferré, while the last third was auctioned off to Hugh Barton and became Château Léoville Barton.
From 1900, the estate was run by Théophile Skawinski, a well-known viticulturist who also ran Château Pontet-Canet. He passed the estate to his son-in-law André Delon and the estate has stayed in the Delon family ever since. They became majority owners in 1930, buying out the remaining shareholders in 1994, and the estate is now entirely owned by the Delon family. Pierre Graffeuille is the current General Manager of the family’s various estates, including Château Potensac in the Médoc and Château Nénin in Pomerol.
Léoville-Las Cases is located at the northern tip of the Saint-Julien appellation, with the Grand Vin’s vineyards (the Clos) bordering those of Château Latour and running alongside the boundary of Pauillac. The soils here, in the heart of the original Léoville estate, are gravel over gravelly clay and sand subsoils, offering excellent drainage. The site’s proximity to the river shields it from frosts and encourages early ripening.
The vineyards (55 hectares in total) are planted mainly to Cabernet Sauvignon (61%), with 21% Merlot and 16% Cabernet Franc. The vines here are relatively old, with an average age of 52 years. Farming is almost entirely organic, with no herbicides or pesticides.
Le Petit Lion is the second wine (first made in 2007) made with fruit from the younger parcels normally destined for the Grand Vin, designed for earlier-drinking and having a larger portion of Merlot in the blend. First made in 1902, Clos du Marquis and its junior, La Petite Marquise (introduced in 2015), are sourced from 45 hectares of separate vines on sandier gravels at 20 meters above sea-level. The fruit here ripens later, and there’s more Merlot in the vineyards (32%, with 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Cabernet Franc). Lighter in style than the Grand Vin, Clos du Marquis is more accessible in its youth.
It’s unsurprising given the vineyards’ location that the Grand Vin is often compared to a Pauillac, and as having comparable power and ageability to Latour. It is typically deep, rich and structured, often requiring considerable cellaring before showing its true potential. Typically 75 to 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine is made very traditionally. Fermentation is in a combination of stainless steel, wood and cement, with the wine transferred to barrel after the malolactic fermentation. It spends 18 to 20 months in barrel, normally with around 80 to 90% new wood in the mix.
