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2003 Château Léoville-Las Cases

FRANCE / BORDEAUX / SAINT-JULIEN
  • 96 WA
  • 97 WS
  • 93 IWC
  • 80 JR
  • Variety
    Red Bordeaux Blend
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$165.00
SKU: 52977-2003

This item is available by the case only

Total:
$165.00

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  • International Wine Cellar | Rating: 93

    ($189-$215) Full ruby-red. Plum, tar, cedar and nutty oak on the nose; less exotic than most '03s. Then massive and full on the palate; almost too big for the mouth. As silky as this is, it also possesses very good acidity for the vintage. Finishes with huge but lush tannins and superb length. The IPT here is 74, compared to 70 in 2005, and the alcohol is a tad higher, at 13.2%. A perfect vintage of Las Cases for tasters who normally find this wine too rigorous, but this still promises to be long-lived.
    Author: Stephen Tanzer
    Issue: May/June 2006

  • Wine Advocate | Rating: 96

    An incredibly fresh, lively 2003 (the pH is only 3.6 and the alcohol is 13.1%), this wine offers a dense ruby/purple color along with full body and a remarkable nose of black currants, kirsch, lead pencil shavings and vanilla. Opulent, full-bodied and close to full maturity, it is a seamless classic that will age for 15-20 more years. Kudos to the Delon family for such a brilliant achievement in a tricky vintage.
    Author: Robert Parker

  • Wine Spectator | Rating: 97

    Incredible nose of crushed berry, licorice, violets and lightly toasted oak. Pure creme de cassis. Full-bodied, with big, velvety tannins and a long, long finish. Solid.
    Author: James Suckling

  • Jancis Robinson | Rating: 16

    Mid crimson. Some refreshment but a bit jagged. Not much charm. Determinedly dry. From the Barton stable? Or something less exalted? Slightly green note on the end. (Average group score: 15.6)
    Author: Jancis Robinson
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  • Self | Rating: 97

    Author: gd10102

  • Self | Rating: 92

    Author: TNT-355

  • Self | Rating: 96

    Author: BORDEAUXLICIOUS

  • Self | Rating: 97

    Author: G

  • Self | Rating:

    Drink Dates: 2013-2026
    Author: GW

  • Self | Rating: 97

    Revisited a bottle earlier than planned, and was amply rewarded. Decanted and rebottled, served 2 hours later. Beautiful alluring cassis and dark fruit aromas, deep palate and length. And then, in another 2 hours, a transformation -- cured leather and dried roses, and integration. Builds and builds. Profound and attention grabbing. I love this wine. 2003 is famous for the heat wave vintage in Bordeaux, with August temps averaging over 90 degrees for the month. Yet, this wine (70% Cabernet, 17% Merlot, 13% Cab Franc) hits only 13.3% alcohol, and does not come across as over ripe, flabby or out of balance. It started out predictably in the beautiful aromatic and dark fruit, grip and acidity very much in balance, with a core of cedar manner one would expect of a great cab. But it evolved and became something different and even more interesting in the space of a few hours. Napa cabs can hit the first marker, but at 14-15% can be a little softer, a little hotter, a little riper. And I would love to experience in a great CA Cab the evolution and transformation that great Bordeaux are able to achieve, even in a seemingly new-world heat-driven year.
    Author: Miguel L
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The Second Growth classified estate of Leoville Las Cases continues to produce wines of exceptional quality, rivaling those of the First Growth producers. The wines are full-bodied, concentrated and complex, and have tremendous aging potential. Typical blends consist of over 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, with lesser amounts of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, and a small amount of Petit Verdot. Bargain hunters should also keep an eye out for the estate's second label, Clos du Marquis.

See other similar producers:Chateau Leoville Barton,Clos Louie,Chateau Cantemerle
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Located in the southwest of France, Bordeaux is the single largest fine-wine-producing region in the world, with more than 15,000 growers spread over 57 appellations and more than 700 million bottles produced annually. The region boasts a two-thousand-year winemaking history and some of the wine world's most recognized and highly sought-after names. Red Bordeaux blends comprise eighty percent of production, but dry and sweet whites are also well-known. The region is divided into the Left and Right Banks (of the Dordogne River); Cabernet Sauvignon prevails in the former and Merlot in the latter.
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White Bordeaux blends are most commonly composed of Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc, and come in a range of dry and sweet styles. Sémillon contributes body while Sauvignon Blanc adds high acidity, a characteristic that is particularly important in the sweet wines of Bordeaux.

Sauternes is one of the world’s most prestigious regions for sweet wine production, made possible by Sémillon’s affinity for noble rot. Wines from world-renowned Château d’Yquem are fermented and matured in new oak for up to three years and can age for decades in bottle. These wines display complex aromas of melon, honey, apricot, citrus peel, mango, and butterscotch and develop added complexity and aromas with age.

The best dry wines from this blend come from producers such as Château Haut-Brion, Château Pape Clément, and Domaine de Chevalier in Pessac-Léognan and Graves. These wines are typically fermented and matured in new oak and display a full-bodied richness with concentrated nutty flavors overlaying the fruit.

Due to its freshness and flavor profile, dry white Bordeaux blends pair well with almost any white food, including all types of fish, poultry, veal, and pork. The sweet wines of Bordeaux pair well with foie gras, oysters, blue cheese, spicy food (particularly Asian cuisines), any dish with sweet notes, and of course, dessert.
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Collector Data For This Wine

  • 2947 bottles owned
  • 427 collectors
  • Average collector rating: 96
    (Out of 427 collectors)