Chateau Leoville Las Cases 2015

JEB DUNNUCK: "A legendary wine in the making from the Delon Family is the 2015 Leoville Las Cases and there are very few wines more impressive in the vintage. A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Merlot, this full-bodied, tight, super-concentrated, focused 2015 boasts an awesome bouquet of crème de cassis, graphite, charcoal, lead pencil, and minerality. Deep, layered, with perfect ripeness and building tannin, hide bottle for 6-7 years and enjoy this prodigious effort over the following 3-4 decades."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "This wine that comes mainly from a magnificent walled vineyard within sight of the Gironde estuary is structured and dense. Its tannins and firm character show its enormous aging potential. Powerful black fruits come from the 85% Cabernet Sauvignon in this rich, juicy wine. Drink from 2027."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Composed of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc and 6% Merlot, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Léoville Las Cases has a slightly closed nose, revealing notes of crème de cassis, baked blueberries and black forest cake with touches of licorice, violets and Indian spices plus a waft of dusty soil. The palate is medium to full-bodied, concentrated and built like a brick house, with firm, ripe, velvety tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and spicy."

JAMES SUCKLING: "Blackcurrant, blueberry and currant aromas with hints of black licorice and hot stones. Full-bodied with dense and integrated tannins and a long, long finish. It is all there and all about proportional harmony. Excellent focus and beauty. Drink in 2022."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Dark in color and fruit, this is powerful, concentrated, firm, elegant and really packs a punch. The deep black fruits are soft. They fill your palate with gushing fruit. Here you find a massive wall of tannin, but the tannins are so ripe and polished, you almost do not notice them. The finish is long, lingering and expansive. Give this at least a decade or more before popping a cork."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Filled with blackberry, black currant, fig and boysenberry preserve flavors, this starts off showy, but a back end of brambly grip, warm tar, and pastis-soaked apple wood emerges slowly before taking an authoritative lead on the finish. All the while, a cool charcoal note weaves in and around everything. Best from 2025 through 2045. 16,667 cases made."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung, Feine Nuancen von Nougat und Lakritze, frisches Brombeerkonfit und von zarter Edelholzwürze unterlegt, ein Hauch von Karamell im Hintergrund, facettenreiches Bukett. Saftig, elegant, wieder angenehme Kirschfrucht, feine, gut integrierte Tannine, mineralisch und anhaftend, wirkt bereits durchaus zugänglich, verfügt über stattliche Reifereserven."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Tasted blind. Dark crimson. Bonfire char on the top. Then very smooth, sweet and beguiling. Easy to appreciate. No heat. Early developer, though there is no shortage of tannin here!"