2007 Leoville Las Cases

Among the more tannic and backward wines of the vintage, the 2007 is another outstanding effort from this estate. Already somewhat closed, it is a candidate for one of the longest lived wines of the vintage. Beautifully pure black currant and black cherry fruit interwoven with notions of cedar and wood are found in this medium to full-bodied, structured, masculine-styled St.-Julien. The attack reveals sweetness and softness, but then the wine shuts down. It will benefit from 2-3 years of cellaring, and should keep for 15 or more. Wine Advocate.April, 2010

Tasted at BI Wine & Spirits' 10-Years-On tasting, I tasted two bottles of the 2007 Leoville-Las Cases since the first bottle was not faulty, but did not feel right to me. I requested a second bottle, and it was completely different. The 2007 has a very backward bouquet with blackberry, bilberry, tobacco and marine-like aromas that blossom in the glass given adequate aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannin, layers of blackberry and boysenberry fruit, sea salt, black pepper and plenty of tobacco towards the long and sustained finish. I would be inclined to give this a year or two in bottle, unlike most of the other Saint Julien wines this vintage, because there is a class act here. Tasted February 2017 Jun 2017, www.robertparker.com