Classification | |
Type | Rouge |
Marque | Chateau Leoville Las Cases |
Millésime | 2001 |
Pays | France |
Région | Bordeaux, St. Julien |
Raisin | Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Bordeaux Blend |
Volume | |
État | Extrait de son coffret en bois d'origine |
Étiquette | Parfait |
Consommable | -2050 |
Stock | 5 |
État | Parfait |
Étiquette | Légèrement Sale |
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.
This is very floral and perfumed with lots of violets, roses and berries. Full-bodied, with ultrafine tannins and a racy finish. Superfresh and long. Focused and clean.
Rene Gabriel rates this wine 18/20 points.
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.
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.