Chateau Leoville Las Cases 1988

WINE SPECTATOR: "Wow. Really youthful on the nose, with currant, blackberry and hints of vanilla bean. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and lots of mint and fruit. Goes on for a long time. Surprisingly youthful. Give it a couple of years. So focused and beautiful.--'88/'98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Best after 2010."

JEB DUNNUCK: "From a late, difficult vintage (harvest didn’t come in until October), the 1988 Léoville Las Cases is nevertheless a beautiful wine that’s drinking fabulous well today. Ripe currants, green tobacco, cedarwood, and loads of spice all emerge from this medium-bodied, fresh, elegant, yet oh, so charming Saint-Julien. It’s not getting any better, but still has plenty of life. Drink it any time over the coming 7-8 years."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "This wine continues to show brilliantly, and is certainly a more successful effort than the more renowned and expensive 1989. The color is a dark, murky garnet/purple. The wine shows notes of underbrush, fruitcake, cedar, black cherries, and currants. The wine still shows some moderate tannins in the mouth, but the fruit is sweet, the wine is expansive, and the overall impression is a very symmetrical, medium to full-bodied, rather classic Medoc. Anticipated maturity: Now-2020."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Just mellowing ruby. Served immediately after a Pichon Lalande 1996 and seemed slightly lighter bodied and definitely had more acidity. But for a Las Cases from a slow-maturing vintage, this is surprisingly ready to drink. Lots of minerals and a dry St-Julien finish with fully dissipated tannins. "

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Ready to drink, for people that enjoy a certain firmness and austerity and acidic touch to the juicy cassis, tobacco and cedar filled, Left Bank wine."