Chateau Leoville Las Cases 1986

Chateau Leoville Las Cases is one of Saint Julien's most iconic estates, renowned for producing wines of extraordinary precision, structure, and longevity. Aromas of blackcurrant, cassis, blackberry, graphite, cedar, cigar box, and violet unfold into a powerful palate with refined tannins, remarkable concentration, and an exceptionally long, elegant finish.

Food Pairing: Pair with beef Wellington, roast lamb, venison, duck breast, truffle dishes, or aged Comte for an exceptional Bordeaux dining experience.

98 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 1986 Château Léoville Las Cases is still remarkably youthful after more than 30 years, with only a thin brick-colored rim hinting at its age. The bouquet is magnificent—extraordinarily pure and precisely defined, with captivating black fruit intertwined with cedar and graphite, the latter lending an almost Pauillac-like character. The palate is exactly as I have found it over the previous dozen or so bottles: structured, precise, intense, aristocratic and commanding. It is less forbidding than it was a decade ago, suggesting it has just entered its long drinking plateau. Perfectly judged acidity brings freshness and tension, beautifully balancing the layers of spicy black fruit that unfold with cedar and graphite toward the finish. It leaves the impression of immense energy, yet with decades still ahead of it. Knowing this estate, perhaps another three decades beyond that. I agree with the late Michel Delon: the 1986 Léoville Las Cases is the summit of the 1980s.

97 Points - Decanter

For the past two decades, I have been perplexed by this wine. During that time it hardly seemed to move. It occasionally hinted at its immense promise but generally remained tightly closed. The color is the first clue—it still looks like a five-year-old wine. The nose is phenomenally concentrated, offering little beyond intensely primary black fruit and a touch of cedar. The palate is wonderfully smooth and extraordinarily dense. This is an absolute tour de force, though it has yet to deliver the full hedonistic pleasure it undoubtedly promises. There is no doubt that all the elements are present for a legendary wine. I only hope I am still around to witness it fully blossom when that day finally comes.

95 Points - Wine Spectator

Firm and focused, with beautifully articulated currant, raspberry and nutmeg aromas and flavors. Very supple for such a lean-textured Bordeaux.