Chateau Leoville Las Cases 2000

JAMES SUCKLING: "A classic Las Cases with masses of mineral, floral and blueberry character. Full and chewy, with so much power. It’s just opening now."

WEINWISSER: "Extrem tiefes Granat-Violett. Geballtes, komplexes Bouquet, dunkle Röstnoten (aufgrund der extremen Reife der Cabernets?), Black Currant, Brombeeren, schwarze Oliven, Pumpernickel, Mahagonitouch, noch sehr, sehr jung, entsprechend reduktiv. Im Gaumen fest, kompakt, sehr fleischige und doch feine Tannine, schwarze Vanilleschote, Teer, fast ausschliesslich im schwarzbeerigen Bereich liegende Frucht, massive, beeindruckende Konzentration, auch eine Minute nach dem Schlucken noch fast die gesamte fantastische Cabernet-Aromatik am Gaumen. Ein genialer Las Cases, der von allen grossen Jahrgängen (1982, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1996) etwas hat."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Absolutely fantastic. This is one of the most exciting young reds I have tasted in a long, long time. It shows intense aromas of berries, currants and minerals, with hints of mint. Full-bodied and packed with fruit and tannins, its long finish is refined and silky. A benchmark for the vintage. Las Cases has always wanted to make first-growth quality in a top-notch vintage, and it certainly did in 2000. Best after 2012. 15,000 cases made."

JEB DUNNUCK: "The 2000 Leoville Las Cases is another brilliant wine and, like most 2000s, appears to just now be at the early stages of its drink window. Smoky black fruits, crushed rocks, lead pencil, and menthol notes all emerge from this brilliant, blockbuster beauty that still tastes like it's just 5-6 years old. Beautifully concentrated, ripe, sexy, and seamless, it has the classic elegance and regal quality of this domaine front and center. It has another 3-4 decades of longevity."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2000 Léoville Las Cases takes time to unwind in the decanter and glass, but when it begins to show all its cards, the display is spectacular. Mingling aromas of dark berries and red fruits with aromas of pencil shavings, loamy soil, cedar box, bitter chocolate, dried rose petals and licorice, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a layered, complete mid-palate that's rare in this vintage, powdery tannins and a long, resonant finish. An uncompromising classic, even as it closes in on its 22nd birthday, the 2000 Las Cases remains an infant in terms of evolution."

DECANTER: "77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, 9% Merlot. An authentic expression of Las Cases, with its powerful Pauillac-meets-St-Julien character. Tight black fruit dominates, then tobacco, graphite, undergrowth and cedar. The tertiary notes float and hover, then the layers come."

FALSTAFF: "Kräftiges Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, breitere Randaufhellung. Saftig, fruchtsüß und einladend, reife Pflaumenfrucht, feines Goudron, ein Hauch von Nougat. Stoffig, komplex, angenehme Extraktsüße, seidige Tannine, wunderbare Balance und Frische, bereits zugänglich, mineralischer Nachhall, große Klasse."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Concentrated, deep, full-bodied, regal, and complex, the wine retains its youthful edge, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. Slowly, but surely, the tannins are beginning to subside, and you also find more secondary nuances of tobacco leaf, tar, smoke, wet forest, and spice. The finish is long and expansive. 1 hour in the decanter adds a lot to the wine. Drink from 2025-2065."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Dark black cherry colour. Oaky and spicy up front. Peppery spice. A little bit of leafy freshness but bags of generous fruit. Slight dustiness. Rich, smooth and dry minerality over rich deep, sweet fruit. Firm chocolate-textured tannins. Bold but not brash. Still quite a bit of oak spice. Not giving itself yet. Powerful. Maybe could drink it sooner with food. Very dense and Cabernet-dominated (77%)."