| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > St Julien |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
One vintage that was missing from my extensive vertical earlier this year was the 2001 Léoville Las Cases, and when curiosity got the better of me, I opened a bottle from my own cellar. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of cassis, cigar wrapper, pencil shavings and classy new oak, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a layered core of vibrant fruit, ripe structuring tannins and a long, penetrating finish. Youthful and a little aloof, it's a classic Las Cases that is just at the very beginning of a long drinking window. It would be fascinating to compare the 2001 directly with the much-lauded 2000, as the two are very close in quality to my palate. 2025-2065
The 2001 Léoville Las Cases is a vintage I’ve encountered many times. Now at two decades old, it has a generous nose with those black plums still in situ, along with graphite and cedar; this bottle is a little more backward, probably due to the provenance. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, white pepper and sage and fine grip. Though it’s not as precise or chiseled as recent vintages, there is admirable complexity on the lightly peppered, tobacco- and rooibos-tinged finish. Excellent. 2021 - 2050
Pencil lead, leather, smoked cedar and reserved but carefully sculpted cassis and bilberry fruit - this is Léoville-Las Cases showing its classicism in a vintage that is the home of balanced, nuanced and elegant wines. It continues to open and gather depth over 15 minutes in the glass, suggesting there is plenty of potential ahead, but the tannins have now softened and integrated into the overall structure. Grip and freshness runs right through the palate, and a Cabernet-dominated savouriness makes you salivate through the finish. Plenty of power at 21 years old. Beautiful dark fruits, a successful reflection of a vintage that still has plenty to offer. 2021-2044
The 2001 Léoville Las Cases is a blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc. Medium to deep garnet colored with a touch of brick, it charges out of the glass sporting energetic notes of kirsch, blackberry preserves and blackcurrant pastilles with underlying scents of star anise, cumin seed, potpourri, oolong tea and tobacco leaf plus a waft of incense. The medium-bodied, exquisitely elegant palate explodes with a myriad of exotic spice, floral and dried berries notes, framed by soft tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and with impeccable poise and sophistication.
Jean-Hubert Delon thinks the 2001 Leoville Las Cases could turn out to be as good as his 2000. I’m not sure I agree, but it may come close. A blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19.5% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, the 2001 (which represents only 40% of the production) reveals notes of sweet vanillin intermixed with pure cassis, black cherries, and lead pencil shavings. Elegant and medium-bodied, it possesses a saturated purple color, high tannin, and a structured, backward feel in the mouth. This quintessentially elegant Las Cases needs another 5-7 years to hit its plateau of maturity. It will be one of the Medoc’s longest lived wines of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2030.
Served blind but obviously extremely high-quality claret drinking beautifully now. Deep crimson. Rich and mellow – none of the angularity of young Las Cases. Looks mature in every respect but certainly not old. Lovely sweet finish but very appetising. Drink 2018 – 2032
Coming from an underrated vintage in Bordeaux, the 2001 Château Léoville Las Cases is 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, and 12% Cabernet Franc that hit 13% natural alcohol with a pH of 3.7 and an IPT of 70. This was a milder, cooler year, and the 2001 offers a more complex, mature bouquet of cedary herbs, menthol, tobacco, lead pencils, and dried flowers, with a wonderful core of sweet red and black fruits. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has a wonderful mid-palate, sweet tannins, and a great finish. It's drinking at point today yet certainly has another 10-15 years of prime drinking.
The 2001 Léoville Las Cases replicates numerous previous bottles, attesting one of the great successes of the vintage. The palate is perhaps more like the 2003, surprisingly opulent with black plum, cedar, pencil shavings and later, just a little iodine. It is certainly very well defined. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins, a little more austere than the aromatics, more "serious" perhaps, with black fruit, tobacco and slightly meaty notes developing towards a very satisfying and long finish. Like most Léoville Las-Cases, it would benefit from a minimum of 20 years in the cellar, so do not be afraid to keep any bottles for another couple of years. Tasted at La Trompette in London. 2020 - 2045
Dark garnet core with a deep brick rim. The nose is very intense with an almost honeyed level of richness to it. Blackcurrant, pencil shavings and a touch of Dorset plum, fine definition and gaining more and more clarity in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, great fruit intensity here with superb, citrus-driven acidity. Blackberry, a touch of cranberry and cedar, very long and sensual towards the finish. The nose needs more bottle age to development refinement, but the palate is very classy. Tasted March 2011.
