- Colour Red
- Producer Château Léoville Las Cases
- Region St Julien
- Grape Cab. Sauvignon/ Merlot/ Cab. Franc/ Petit Verdot
- Drinking 2023 - 2055
- Case size 12x75cl
- Available Now
2005 - Ch Léoville Las Cases 2ème Cru St Julien - 12x75cl
- Colour Red
- Producer Château Léoville Las Cases
- Region St Julien
- Grape Cab. Sauvignon/ Merlot/ Cab. Franc/ Petit Verdot
- Drinking 2023 - 2055
- Case size 12x75cl
- Available Now
Select pricing type
Need help? Call +44 (0)20 7793 7900 or email wine@goedhuis.com.
-
Goedhuis, March 2018
The most closed of the three Léovilles. This comes as little surprise; Las Cases is known for needing many years to come around. The good news is, if you have any in your cellar, that it will, and when it does, it should sing. The cranberry fruit with a bramble swirl sits tightly on the palate at the moment. It has a beautiful freshness running down its seams, but for now, the tannins and fruit are still too tightly wound to offer much pleasure. Save for later.
-
Goedhuis, April 2006, Score: 94-98+
If ever another wine gets promoted to First Growth category, Leoville Les Cases will undoubtedly be the one. Owned by the Delon family, this château comprises 97 hectares of vineyard land. However, unlike most of its Médoc neighbours, it only uses the vineyards classified in the original 1855 classification, an area called "Le Grand Enclos", to make its grand vin.Followers of this famous property will not be disappointed by its results in 2005. Perhaps the second most backward wine tasted (the first unanimously being Latour), the wine is densely coloured and opaque. A serious wine with an everlasting finish which Wine Spectator predicts will receive 100 points once released. Drink 2017-2035+.
-
Neal Martin, December 2019, Score: 97
The 2005 Léoville–Las Cases is a wine that needs more time. The nose remains broody compared to the 2007, but is an absolute joy, featuring brambly red fruit, tobacco, smoke, morels and light estuarine scents. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins that have become more supple over the last couple of years. There is wonderful depth and gentle grip, superb balance and a sense of symmetry on the finish that is quite brilliant. I suspect this will turn out to be one of the château’s greatest achievements of recent years. 2022-2060
-
Antonio Galloni, November 2015, Score: 98
A wine for the ages, the 2005 Léoville Las Cases is slow to come out of the gate, but its beauty and pedigree are evident. The 2005 Las Cases is one of the only wines in this tasting that still needs time in bottle, something that won't come as a surprise to fans of this St. Julien estate. The 2005 offers plenty of the typical Las Cases power, but it is also remarkably nuanced and translucent for a wine of its sheer size. When all is said and done, it is in my top three or four wines of the night.
-
Robert Parker, June 2015, Score: 97+
This is a prodigious effort. A blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Merlot and Cabernet Franc (only 37% of the crop qualified for Las Cases), this dense ruby/purple wine has a stunningly pure bouquet of dark fruit, wet rocks, graphite, and subtle background toast/vanillin. Full-bodied, masculine, and very deep and concentrated, this titanic effort is at least 8-10 years away from its plateau of maturity. The Delon family have produced another legend. Anticipated maturity: 2023-2050+.
-
Robert Parker, April 2008, Score: 98
Another titanic effort from the Delon family, the 2005 Leoville Las Cases is probably the greatest wine made at this estate since Jean-Hubert Delon's father produced the 1986 and 1996. Only 37% ofthe production made it into the 2005, a blend of primarily Cabernet Sauvignon with less than 13% Merlot and Cabernet Franc. An inky/ruby/purple color is accompanied by reticent aromatics that, with considerable coaxing, offer up subtle notes of toasty vanillin intermixed with lead pencil shavings, wet rocks, and enormously ripe, intense black cherry and creme de cassis. The wine hits the palate with a full-bodied, layered mouthfeel as well as enormous extract, concentration, and purity. This ageless, monumental claret requires a minimum of 15-20 years to approach maturity, and should last for a half century. It is about as classic a Leoville Las Cases as one will find. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2060
-
Robert Parker, April 2007, Score: 94-96
The 2005 Leoville Las Cases is revealing more power, weight, and richness than it did last year. Made from 37% of the total production, it is a blend of 87.6% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot and Cabernet Franc. A dense ruby/purple hue is accompanied by abundant amounts of sweet black cherry and blackcurrant fruit, pain grille, graphite, and crushed rock-like characteristics. The high tannin levels and freshness noted a year ago remain intact, but the wine has filled out in the middle, revealing greater richness as well as fuller body. It appears set for an incredibly long life. From its birth, Jean-Hubert Delon has compared the 2005 to the 1996 and 1986 produced by his father, and that has become even more evident as it has aged in barrel. This classic St.-Julien should be at its peak between 2018-2050+.
-
Robert Parker, April 2006, Score: 92-94
For Jean-Hubert Delon, Leoville Las-Cases 2005 is reminiscent of the 1996 and 1986. Only 37% of the production made it into the final blend of 87.6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7.6% Merlot, and 4.8% Cabernet Franc. The 13.1% alcohol content is actually lower than the 2002's, because of the high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon. The vibrant, fresh 2005 reveals high tannin along with a beautiful deep ruby/purple color, and classic notes of cassis and cherries intermixed with minerals and a judicious touch of toasty oak. This concentrated, classically built, structured claret is meant for the long haul, but it will not provide much pleasure over the next decade. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2030+.
-
Jancis Robinson, April 2006, Score: 18.5
Very very deep crimson. Very very stereotype 'masculine' and savoury to Clos du Marquis' more feminine and silky charms on the nose and then wonderful energy and bright fruit yet lovely texture - much less tough than usual. Vibrant and full throttle without being jagged and uncompromising. Fine and dense and really, really St-Julien. Extremely opulent without being at all sweet. The clay gives the intensity but the soils are very complex. As at Latour, the tannins are very silky and round yet the fruit is amazingly intense. There's a real stylistic relationship between Latour and Las Cases this year. Drink 2017-35.
-
Wine Spectator, April 2006, Score: 95-100
Sensational aromas of currants, berries, minerals and flowers. Full-bodied, with big, chewy tannins. Starts off slowly, then builds on the palate and goes on and on. Could be even better than 2000, and I gave that 100. This wine makes my head spin. Amazing. Layered and long. This is so 100-points.
Producer
Château Léoville Las Cases
If ever another wine gets promoted to first growth category, Léoville Les Cases will undoubtedly bethe one. Owned by the Delon family, this château is comprised of 97 hectares of vineyards. However,unlike most of its Médoc neighbours, it only uses the vineyards classified in the original 1855 classification, an area called "Le Grand Enclos", to make its grand vin.
Region
St Julien
St Julien is like the middle child of the Médoc - not as assertive as Pauillac or as coquettish as Margaux. It lies firmly between the two more outspoken communes and as a result produces a blend of them both. St Julien's wines have often been sought out by aficionados for their balance and consistency, particularly in the UK. Yet due to its middle child nature, it can occasionally be overlooked globally and as a result underrated by those markets outside the UK. Despite the fact that it has no first growths, it has several second growths including Léoville Las Cases, Léoville Barton, Léoville Poyferré and Ducru Beaucaillou as well as the celebrated châteaux such as Talbot and Beychevelle.
