Leoville Las Cases 2004

St Julien, Second Growth

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Tasting Notes
Performing better from bottle than it did from cask, this blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, and 11% Cabernet Franc has put on weight over the last year. It exhibits the classic style of both Las Cases and St.-Julien in its deep black currant notes interwoven with sweet cherries, wet stones, and toasty vanillin. Made in a structured, medium to full-bodied style with superb concentration, beautiful purity, and admirable symmetry, this beauty is one of the strongest efforts of the vintage. Score: 93 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2012-2028 01 June 2007
Proprietor Jean-Hubert Delon believes the 2004 Leoville Las-Cases, a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, represents a lighter version of the 1996 and 1986 Las Cases. While an outstanding effort, it does not possess the breadth or depth of flavor found in the two aforementioned vintages. A classic bouquet of black cherries, cassis, crushed rocks, flowers, vanilla, and background oak emerges from this dense ruby/purple-tinged 2004. Medium-bodied with moderately high tannin and crisp acidity in the strong finish, it should be at its finest between 2010-2020. Score: 90 - 92 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2010-2020 01 June 2006
Jean-Hubert Delon has produced an elegant, tannic 2004 that may lack the prodigious depth and texture of Las Cases’s finest vintages, but remains quintessentially pure as well as very St.-Julien. Only 34% of the production made it into the final blend (76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc). Rigid and tight, with a deep ruby/purple-tinged color, and a sweet nose of black cherries, currants, minerals, and subtle background oak, this medium-bodied 2004 is built along the lines of the 1999. As always, it is a wine of considerable distinction, subtlety, grace, and class. The harvest at Las Cases was relatively late, with all the fruit brought in between October 4 - 17. Score: 91 - 93 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 30 April 2005
Deep red-ruby. Expressive aromas of currant, plum, mocha, tobacco and minerals, with a slight dusty character. Supple but a bit youthfully inky, with a dusty quality to the moderately sweet fruit. This is a bit dry compared to the young 2006, and one has the impression that the oak tannins are less successfully integrated with the wine's fruit. This concentrated, persistent wine really needs seven or eight years of cellaring. (90+ points) Score: 90 Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar 01 May 2007
Intense aromas of currant, blackberry and light vanilla. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a long, caressing finish. Layered, with everything in the right proportion for the vintage. Excellent. Reminds me of the 1996. Best after 2012. 20,000 cases made. Score: 95 James Suckling, Wine Spectator Maturity: 2012+ 31 March 2007
[51 hl/ha; M 13%, CF 11%, M 76%; 60% new oak; 34% of the crop] Dark crimson. Lively topnotes of a confident wine with a seriously long term future ahead of it. Very concentrated but some almost sweet, treacly fruit on the front palate and then very fine tannins. Lots built in there but well integrated. Dry tannins but very fine. Not exaggerated. A good difference in drinking dates between this and the second wine Clos du Marquis but not of style. Very bright fruit. Real life. Good for the year. Needs lots of time. (17.5+ Points) Score: 17 - 18 Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2017-2030 18 August 2005
Like Clos du Marquis, the nose is very backward and broody, though eventually aromas of blackberry leaf and citrus fruits emerge. Then becoming more minerally. Full-bodied, very tannic and robust with precocious ripe black fruits. Quite linear, very tight. Huge grip. It just lacks some joie-de-vivre, some brightness of fruit. As always, strangely unlovable, but undoubtedly impressive. Tasted April 2005. Score: 94 - 96 Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 01 April 2005

Tasting Notes

Performing better from bottle than it did from cask, this blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, and 11% Cabernet Franc has put on weight over the last year. It exhibits the classic style of both Las Cases and St.-Julien in its deep black currant notes interwoven with sweet cherries, wet stones, and toasty vanillin. Made in a structured, medium to full-bodied style with superb concentration, beautiful purity, and admirable symmetry, this beauty is one of the strongest efforts of the vintage.

Score: 93

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2012-2028 01 June 2007

Proprietor Jean-Hubert Delon believes the 2004 Leoville Las-Cases, a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, represents a lighter version of the 1996 and 1986 Las Cases. While an outstanding effort, it does not possess the breadth or depth of flavor found in the two aforementioned vintages. A classic bouquet of black cherries, cassis, crushed rocks, flowers, vanilla, and background oak emerges from this dense ruby/purple-tinged 2004. Medium-bodied with moderately high tannin and crisp acidity in the strong finish, it should be at its finest between 2010-2020.

Score: 90 - 92

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2010-2020 01 June 2006

Jean-Hubert Delon has produced an elegant, tannic 2004 that may lack the prodigious depth and texture of Las Cases’s finest vintages, but remains quintessentially pure as well as very St.-Julien. Only 34% of the production made it into the final blend (76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc). Rigid and tight, with a deep ruby/purple-tinged color, and a sweet nose of black cherries, currants, minerals, and subtle background oak, this medium-bodied 2004 is built along the lines of the 1999. As always, it is a wine of considerable distinction, subtlety, grace, and class. The harvest at Las Cases was relatively late, with all the fruit brought in between October 4 - 17.

Score: 91 - 93

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 30 April 2005

Deep red-ruby. Expressive aromas of currant, plum, mocha, tobacco and minerals, with a slight dusty character. Supple but a bit youthfully inky, with a dusty quality to the moderately sweet fruit. This is a bit dry compared to the young 2006, and one has the impression that the oak tannins are less successfully integrated with the wine's fruit. This concentrated, persistent wine really needs seven or eight years of cellaring. (90+ points)

Score: 90

Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar 01 May 2007

Intense aromas of currant, blackberry and light vanilla. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a long, caressing finish. Layered, with everything in the right proportion for the vintage. Excellent. Reminds me of the 1996. Best after 2012. 20,000 cases made.

Score: 95

James Suckling, Wine Spectator Maturity: 2012+ 31 March 2007

[51 hl/ha; M 13%, CF 11%, M 76%; 60% new oak; 34% of the crop] Dark crimson. Lively topnotes of a confident wine with a seriously long term future ahead of it. Very concentrated but some almost sweet, treacly fruit on the front palate and then very fine tannins. Lots built in there but well integrated. Dry tannins but very fine. Not exaggerated. A good difference in drinking dates between this and the second wine Clos du Marquis but not of style. Very bright fruit. Real life. Good for the year. Needs lots of time. (17.5+ Points)

Score: 17 - 18

Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2017-2030 18 August 2005

Like Clos du Marquis, the nose is very backward and broody, though eventually aromas of blackberry leaf and citrus fruits emerge. Then becoming more minerally. Full-bodied, very tannic and robust with precocious ripe black fruits. Quite linear, very tight. Huge grip. It just lacks some joie-de-vivre, some brightness of fruit. As always, strangely unlovable, but undoubtedly impressive. Tasted April 2005.

Score: 94 - 96

Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 01 April 2005

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