Saint-Julien · second growth (2e grand cru classé) in 1855
Château Léoville Las Cases: available vintages, prices and pairings
The grand vin of Léoville Las Cases, old vintages included, vintage by vintage, with the format, the indicative price and what to expect from it today: ready to drink, or to keep. Tick what interests you, and the quote goes out with your selection.
Vintages on the price list
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The château
The largest of the three Léovilles, born in the 19th century from the division of a single estate. Its heart is the Grand Enclos, a walled vineyard that borders that of Château Latour, on the Pauillac boundary; the gateway with the stone lion is on the label. The Delon family has run it for several generations.
Mostly cabernet sauvignon, then merlot and cabernet franc. The wine is dense and slow to open: it is compared with the neighbouring first growths, and so is its price. Its second wine is called Le Petit Lion; Clos du Marquis, long presented as such, is a separate wine from other plots. The other châteaux of the appellation are on the page Saint-Julien wines.
The vineyard covers 55 hectares, planted at 8,600 vines per hectare: 70% cabernet sauvignon, 21% merlot, 9% cabernet franc. In the Grand Enclos, Quaternary gravels lie over a subsoil of sand and clayey gravel, with clay coming to the surface in places. The nearby Gironde protects against frost and brings ripening forward. In 1986, after fine weather right up to the harvest, the château recorded cabernet sauvignons of exceptional ripeness and concentration. 1997, very wet from May to the end of August, was rescued by a fine September. In 2004, a warm September and cool nights kept the grapes fresh.
What to serve it with
- A vintage more than twenty years old: woodcock, partridge, venison in a reduced sauce (wine with game).
- A vintage ten to twenty years old: saddle of lamb (wine with lamb), dry-aged rib of beef (wine with beef).
- With cheese: an old Comté or an extra-aged Mimolette (wine with cheese). No fresh goat's cheese or blue.
Which vintage for which occasion
A wine you keep for a date: a silver or golden wedding anniversary, a retirement, a birthday. The page birth-year vintage tells you whether the year you want still drinks well. For a collector, the original wooden case matters: it keeps the bottle's value. For a tighter budget in the same appellation, Léoville Barton.
What is the difference between the three Léovilles?
Las Cases, Poyferré and Barton come from a single estate, divided in the 19th century. All three are Saint-Julien second growths. Las Cases, the largest, is also the most expensive and the slowest to open; Léoville Barton has a reputation for being more classic and more affordable; Poyferré is often described as the fleshiest of the three.
Why does Léoville Las Cases cost more than other second growths?
The 1855 classification sets a rank, not a price. Since the 1980s, Las Cases has sold above the other second growths, close to the first growths, for the consistency of its vintages and collector demand. The table gives the price of each vintage.
When should you drink a Léoville Las Cases?
Allow twelve years before opening it and forty years of good form, a little more in a great year, a little less in a weak year or in half-bottle. The table applies this rule to each line; it is not a tasting note, and a badly stored bottle ages faster.
Are the prices shown the quote prices?
They are the indicative prices from the price list, incl. VAT, per bottle of the format, excluding delivery. The quote confirms the price, the availability of each vintage and the shipping; the delivery grid gives lead times. For a vintage not in the table, the quote request is still open.