| Region of Production: | Saint-Julien AOP |
| Winery Location: | Saint-Julien |
| Year Established: | 1638 |
| Classification: | second growth, Médoc 1855 |
Vineyard Holdings
97 ha
- 65% Cabernet Sauvignon
- 24% Merlot
- 10% Cabernet Franc
- 1% Petit Verdot
Top Wines Produced & Inaugural Vintages
- Château Léoville-Las-Cases
- Clos du Marquis: This wine originated as a single-vineyard bottling from the Petit Clos, but over time it has grown to include other plots not appropriate for the grand vin. The estate does not consider it a “second wine,” but essentially it is. Inaugural vintage 1902
- Le Petit Lion du Marquis de Las-Cases: A true second wine, this bottling consists of a greater percentage of Merlot sourced from younger vine plots. Inaugural vintage 2007
Average Total Production
- 550,000 bottles (1/3 of production is typically the grand vin)
Summary
Likely the top property in Saint-Julien, this “Super Second” was once part of the grand Léoville estate, property of Alexander de Gasq in the 18th century. (Gasq also owned Château de Gasq, now known as Château Palmer.) Upon his death in the 1770s, the Marquis de Las-Cases inherited the lion’s share of his vineyards but fled the country in 1794, swept out by the revolution. With his absence the dismantling of the Léoville property began: Hugh Barton purchased one-quarter of the estate (now Château Léoville-Barton) in 1826, and another quarter passed to the Baron de Poyferré in 1840. Château Léoville-Las-Cases thus represents the core of the original estate—the 50-ha, walled Grand Clos directly south of Château Latour on Saint-Julien’s northern boundary.
The Las-Cases family maintained ownership of their namesake château until 1900, when financial difficulties forced a sale to a consortium. As members of the consortium, the Delon family gradually increased their holdings throughout the 20th century, and today Jean-Hubert Delon is sole owner of the château.
Style & Vinification Techniques
Château Léoville-Las-Cases is a Pauillac-like style of Saint-Julien, and it veers toward concentration and richness rather than elegance. Cabernet Sauvignon usually accounts for at least 75% of the grand vin, and the top wine is aged in 75% new oak. The estate pioneered green harvesting in the late 1980s and is not afraid to employ modern technologies like reverse osmosis in its hunt for power, ripeness, and depth—and a desire to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the five first growths.
Producer Website: Château Léoville-Las-Cases