1986 Château Léoville Las Cases Petit Verdot

Community Tasting Notes (2) Avg Score: 93 points

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View Keith Levenberg's profile
  • Report Issue

  4/27/2017 - Keith Levenberg wrote:

  Leoville Las Cases with Pierre Graffeuille (Ripple): Well here is something you don't see every day. The estate has been bottling single-variety components of the LLC grand vin for years now to see how they age. Pierre said they are preparing to release a set of gift boxes with the four major varieties so you can play around with making your own blend, along with the corresponding vintage's grand vin. I am pretty sure this is the only time I've ever had 100% petit verdot and it is definitely the only time I've ever had it with enough bottle age to be mature. It is, as you would expect, totally different from the regular 1986. It smells sweet and grapey, like blueberry jam. On the palate the fruit complexion is pitch black and the texture is slick like a black leather jacket. Whatever tannins are here are basically glossed over. With time to sit in the glass you're able to penetrate through the fruit and there is a perfumed woodiness, like sandalwood scents, and it gets redder in tone with more cherry pit fruit. If this is playing any part in the orchestra of the '86 grand vin, it's the tuba. No surprise this is just a blending grape, but it's a fun novelty.

  3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View dcwino's profile
  • Report Issue

  4/26/2017 - dcwino wrote: 93 Points

  Léoville Las Cases dinner with Pierre Graffeuille (Ripple Restaurant in DC): Expressive nose displaying blackberry jam, ink, mint, cedar, pepper as in syrah, and mineral. Very good concentration, silky, sensual, bright acidity, excellent mineral presence, nicely integrated tannins and a long inky finish. It is surprisingly rich and youthful. However a bit one dimensional and lacking nuance and harmony of the 86 LLC. Really fascinating.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

Professional reviews have copyrights and you can view them here for your personal use only as private content. To view pro reviews you must either subscribe to a pre-integrated publication or manually enter reviews below. Learn more.