2018 Château Léoville-Las Cases

Layered with dry tannins and concentrated texture, this major wine offers an impressive structure and promises considerable aging. Black-currant fruits are still tied to the tannins. The wine exudes richness and a classic profile. To say this wine will age is an understatement. Do not touch before 2028 at the earliest. Roger Voss

Stylistically different, but not far off from the level of quality found in the perfect 2016, this is a future legendary vintage of Leoville Las Cases. As you begin to nose the wine you find a boatload of crème de cassis, Cuban cigars, smoke, forest leaf, tobacco, blackberry, coffee bean, flowers and earthy aromas. Full-bodied, rich and dense, the wine meshes power with soft, supple, round, rich layers of fruit that feel just great as they coat your palate. Long and intense, comparing this with the 2016 and 2019 over the decades is going to be a lot of fun. The wine was made from a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Franc,14.5 ABV.

An elegant, complex nose of blackberries, blueberries and herbal and spice notes with dark-chocolate and earthy undertones. Violets, flowers and graphite, too. It’s full-bodied with firm, layered tannins and a crushed-stone undertone throughout the fresh, velvety and layered palate. Very complex, muscular and formed. The finish is endless. Lowest percentage of press wine ever in this. So deep. Try after 2027.