Leoville Las Cases 2004 > 1982, with Michael Schuster

Bordeaux Index, London
Tasted Thursday, October 25, 2012 by Papies with 827 views

Introduction

Michael Schuster( www.michaelschusterwine.com) a wine persona that needs no lengthy introduction, selected 10 of the best vintages of LLC from 1982 till 2004.
All wines were decanted for like 1.5 hours and in most cases it was very much needed.

Flight 1 (3 Notes)

2004 Château Léoville Las Cases 92 Points

France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

Dark Red in colour, dense core. Dark fruits on the nose,light oak, floral, sweet core and surprisingly open nose. Quite forward and on the fruit with lots of ripe fruit, fresh acidity, good tannin. It could use some more age to be honest. Just a touch light on the mid palate and mild on the finish. Medium weight wine yet harmoneous and enjoyable. 92 and can be approached young.

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2001 Château Léoville Las Cases 92 Points

France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

Quite a dark coloured wine. Light and elegant on the nose, light oaky notes, cherries, dark fruits more classic cabernet nose. On the palate it is on the mascular side, firmer, with good density and balance, light sweet fruit and quite a bit firm tannin. light herby notes. On the young side but still a pretty good wine. Wait 5 years. 92 for the moment, this can easily develop into a good 95 if it evolves like we think it will.

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1998 Château Léoville Las Cases 93 Points

France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

Much like the 99 we had earlier this week this has a pretty and open nose to start. Floral, cedar, light earthy notes . Very elegant wine quite accessible and enjoyable at the moment.Mid weight , good claret , gentle in a way and very pure. A touch dry. Pretty good for a 98 and we really liked it. 93

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Flight 2 (3 Notes)

1982 Château Léoville Las Cases 93 Points

France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

The dissapointment of the night and in general it feels like it is going downhill and druing out. (MS agreed that he hasnt had a great bottle of 82 LLC ina long time)
Light secondary notes on the nose, still quite a bit of fruit, pretty open, cedary and floral. Wonderful nose which what is the jighlight of this wine. On the palate it feels alive and with good tannin still but its a bit light on the mid palate and sort of drops off a cliff on the finish. Generally it feels like a wine which is on the way down and nowhere close to its pricetag. Drink now. 93

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1985 Château Léoville Las Cases 98 Points

France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

Once again this wine mesmerised us and was easily the WOTN among the vertical of LLC. The nose on this wine! Open and pours out of the glass, an elegant mixture of floral, herbacious ( the cabernet franc!) , cedar and earth. Well round, very much alive and vibrant with good silky tannin. Long finish with lots of fruit. A great LLC full of elegance and balance and probably at its best at the moment. We can go on and on here but to put it simply a solid 98!

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1990 Château Léoville Las Cases 96 Points

France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

A glorious wine. Some browning on the rim but other than that glossy and youthful in colour. Nose starts of on the light fruit dominated, ripe sweet fruit a touch of right bank. It soon develops its herby cabernet notes though. Fleshy wine, good balance and richness, depth and opulent and complex. Burgundian in a way, quite round and on the fruit. Decent tannin and with a nice finish. Accessible now but this feels it will only improve with more time and easily has another 10-15 years.

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Flight 3 (2 Notes)

1995 Château Léoville Las Cases 91 Points

France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

Dark dense in colour. Fleshy fruit on the nose, plump, dark fruit, caramel notes uncharacteristic of LLC. Quite a bit of tannin to the point that it is a difficult wine, austere, tough and rough. A chrarmless wine and on the dissapointing side. 90-91, we suggest like us one waits and hopes.

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1996 Château Léoville Las Cases 95 Points

France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

Another great showing, the second in a week. Dark in colour, youthfull. Full on St Julin nose, cedar, dark fruit, spice, floral. Full on firm tannin on the palate, fleshy, dense wine with lots of complexity and elegance. On the young side and needs easily another 5years to hits its full stride but very nice to encounter it again, in its gentle harmoneous masculinity. 95+ once again

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Flight 4 (2 Notes)

2000 Château Léoville Las Cases 95 Points

France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

Dark red wine, with purple notes on the rim much like an en primeur wine. Full on young red& dark fruit notes on the nose, light smoly notes. Dramatic, mascular and big, grippy tannin, with lots of ripe, fleshy fruit on the mid palate. Very polished in a way and much like the 1996 it has a nice gentle masculinity.Harmoneous and complete and although a mere 95 at the moment the sky is the limit in this wine as to where it goes from here.

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1986 Château Léoville Las Cases 94 Points

France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

Quite youthfull in colour. Jammy fruit, barnyard notes on the nose, earthy, forestfloor feel. On the palate it is a heavy wine, with fleshy, ripe fuit, rustic and with a lot of exctraction. Lacks the typical harmony of LLC but still a story of strength and right bank concentration. Quite a bit of life ahead of it although not sure it improoves much from here. 93-94

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