Bardot Brasserie Léoville Las Cases Vertical Dinner

It had been nearly a decade since our last Léoville Las Cases vertical tasting, so this particular evening was long overdue. Coinciding with our 34th wedding anniversary, we planned a dinner for five at Bardot Brasserie, a favorite in our home town of Las Vegas. Part of the Michael Mina stable, it is a beautifully appointed eatery located within the Aria Resort and Casino. In conjunction with General Manager Gerti Gjika, Restaurant Manager Raymond Cho and Chef Joshua Smith, a fantastic menu was designed to satisfy our craving for elegant dining while at the same time not upstaging the wines. All wines were expertly handled by Sommelier Frank Kovalcheck. The evening couldn't have been better!

Our wedding in 1985 was celebrated with Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque, and each anniversary thereafter has been celebrated with the renowned "flower bottle." The evening accordingly began with this Champagne as an apéritif, enjoyed while overlooking the Las Vegas Strip.

• 2011 Perrier-Jouët Champagne Belle Epoque 92 Points

  France, Champagne

  Perrier-Jouët's 2011 Belle Epoque is a light yellow blend of 50% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir and 5% Pinot Meunier. With a brisk tiny bead, it delivers aromas of green apples, white peaches, almonds, citrus and jasmine blossom. Medium-bodied and vibrantly acidic, it retains a lively mouth texture as it delivers flavors mirroring the nose. The middle palate is nicely dense and the crisp finish is medium-to-long. While certainly delicious, this will definitely gain complexity with some time in the cellar. As such, it may merit a higher score in the future. Drink 2021-2031.

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The culinary fun began at home with foie gras torchon, accompanied by the legendary 2001 Château Climens. This was a decadent match!

• 2001 Château Climens 99 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac

  Tasted from a well-cellared 750 cc bottle, this translucent, rust-colored wine delivers just about everything that can be offered from Barsac. Intensely aromatic immediately after opening, it flaunts a complex profile of peaches, apricots, tropical fruits, vanilla, marzipan, honeysuckle, exotic spices and candied ginger. Full-bodied, syrupy, well-botrytized and quite sweet, it serves up flavors in line with the aromas, with the sweetness being beautifully balanced by generous acidity. Dense and rich on the mid-palate, it goes on to finish with impressive length. I suspect that this will showcase a gorgeous plateau that will last for decades. Drink now-2051.

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Our first course at Bardot Brasserie was a delectable plate of fresh and smoked salmon tartare, served with chive marscapone and everything brioche. Although our bottle of Beaufort Champagne was flawed, there was still the Marc Colin white Burgundy which paired superbly with the salmon.

• 1985 André Beaufort Champagne Brut Millésimé Flawed

  France, Champagne

  After this many years, there are no good wines, only good bottles. Unfortunately the cork on this bottle had likely been compromised, resulting in a flat amber liquid that tasted like a Fino Sherry.

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• 2014 Marc Colin et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet Les Encégnières 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet

  This straw-colored wine shows some initial reductive notes, but quickly unlocks a nice aromatic profile of citrus, wet stones, honeysuckle, jasmine and ginger. Medium-bodied, freshly acidic, judiciously oaked and with nicely integrated alcohol, it delivers flavors mirroring the nose and has good mid-palate density. Closing with a crisp, medium-to-long finish, this is a delicious Chardonnay that should be at its best over the next five years. Drink now-2024.

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These two dishes were presented simultaneously. The charcuterie board included pork rillettes, country pâté, saucisson and proscuitto di parma, while the steak tartare plate was USDA prime filet ground to order with egg yolk, sauce vert and gaufrette potato chips. Paired with the two youngest Léovilles, this was a great combination.

• 2000 Château Léoville Las Cases 99 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  From a bottle purchased upon release and pristinely cellared, this 19-year-old wine (a blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc and 9% Merlot) remains a youthful opaque ruby in color. Oozing with black currants, Bing cherries, pencil shavings, exotic spices, dark chocolate, hazelnuts and tobacco, it is fresh, full-bodied and seamlessly alcoholic (13%). Fleshy and layered, it wraps its flavors with big sweet tannins and a judicious amount of oak. Dense on the mid-palate and very long on the back end, this vintage of Léoville Las Cases continues to flirt with perfection (which may be achieved with additional time in the cellar). Drink 2025-2055.

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• 2015 Château Léoville Las Cases 97 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  This opaque ruby wine is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc and 6% Merlot. Laden with black and blue fruit, it adds notes of graphite, pipe tobacco, ganache, licorice and lavender. Full-bodied, freshly acidic and with well-integrated alcohol (listed as 13.5%), it is dense on the middle palate and retains a glossy mouth texture despite its abundant fine-grained tannins. Finishing with impressive length, this is clearly a classic vintage for Léoville. Another decade in the cellar will be required for this gem to fully strut its stuff. Drink 2029-2055.

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This course consisted of charcoal grilled lamb rack, roasted garlic tahini creamed spinach, pomegranate molasses and green falafel. Visually stunning, it was equally delicious and paired beautifully with the three accompanying wines.

• 1985 Château Léoville Las Cases 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  This deep garnet wine (a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot) defines seduction. Flaunting a gorgeous core of red fruit, it adds notes of cocoa, allspice, orange zest, tobacco and violets on both the nose and palate. Medium-bodied, freshly acidic, seamlessly alcoholic and with soft residual tannins, it retains good density throughout the middle while at the same time retaining its soft textures. The silky smooth finish lingers on and on. While likely on plateau, there is plenty of fruit here to last for many more years. I previously underestimated the longevity of this wine. Well-cellared bottles should easily make it through the next decade. Drink now-2030.

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• 1988 Château Léoville Las Cases 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  This deep red/garnet wine is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Classically structured, it is a full-bodied offering that delivers a package of dark plums, anise, tobacco, smoked meat, leather and dried herbs. Freshly acidic and with nicely integrated alcohol, it wraps its flavors with supple tannins and stays solid on the mid-palate. Finishing long and smooth, this well-cellared bottle is quite impressive. Comparably cellared specimens should show well for several more years. Drink now-2030.

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• 1989 Clos du Marquis 88 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  An interesting add-on to a Léoville Las Cases vertical tasting, the '89 Clos du Marquis (an adjacent property likewise owned by Domaines Delon) is a deep garnet wine with a brick rim. A blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc, it retains a light core of red plum fruit, but is otherwise dominated by aromas and flavors of earth, cigar box and dried herbs. Medium-bodied and with low acidity, its tannins are now fully melted. Solid in the middle and medium in length on the finish, this wine has just enough residual fruit to make its consumption a pleasant experience. This may not be the case in another two or three years. Drink now.

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Seared to perfection, this tender, juicy, flavorful filet was a match made in heaven when paired with the '89 and '90 Léoville offerings.

• 1989 Château Léoville Las Cases 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  The '89 Léoville Las Cases is an opaque red/garnet blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Still very rich and intense, it delivers a package of black fruits, anise, violets, tobacco, cocoa and cedar. Full-bodied, low in acidity, seamlessly alcoholic and with medium-weight, silky-textured tannins, it has excellent mid-palate presence and finishes with good length. This elegant Bordeaux is drinking beautifully at this point. Well-cellared bottles should remain on plateau for another 15+ years. Drink now-2035.

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• 1990 Château Léoville Las Cases 98 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  From a bottle purchased upon release and cellared in pristine fashion, the '90 Léoville Las Cases is something to behold. A blend of 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot, it retains a remarkably youthful opaque ruby/red appearance. Effusive of cassis, tarry black cherries, licorice, tobacco, smoke and minerals on both the nose and palate, it is a full-bodied wine with low-to-medium acidity, nicely integrated alcohol, harmonious oak and plentiful velvety-textured tannins. Rich and dense on the mid-palate and lengthy on the back end, there is no denying the classic quality of this Léoville vintage. It appears to be very early in its drinking window. Well-cellared bottles should easily last for two or more decades. Drink now-2040.

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This course provided a great way to re-visit all of the wines that had been poured during the evening, as by this time each diner had at least seven glasses in front of him or her. The chilled mousse of Hudson Valley foie gras with ruby Port gelée was exquisite, as were the assorted Rodolphe le Meunier cheeses.

The perfect way to end an evening. Nobody executes these desserts with the precision of Bardot Brasserie's Raymond Cho!

In summary, this was a wine tasting and anniversary celebration that will not soon be forgotten. Many thanks to the entire staff at Bardot Brasserie for elevating the evening to something beyond special.