1976 Château Léoville-Las Cases

One of the more successful wines of the vintage, this wine was drinkable when released in 1979. The wine still possesses an attractive ruby/garnet color, and a spicy, roasted nose of jammy fruit, minerals, and spice. The flavors have become slightly disjointed, with the alcohol, acidity, and tannin beginning to peek through the wine's fruit. Although the 1976 is still healthy, it will not improve and should be consumed. The wine may merit a higher score out of larger format bottles, such as a magnum. Wine Advocate.October, 1995

Tasted blind in Bordeaux, I noticed that Robert Parker described the 1976 Leoville Las-Cases as "one of the more successful wines of the vintage," and I concur. Certainly here it had the edge over the 1976 Ducru Beaucaillou. The bouquet is fragrant with cedar and black truffle-like scents, quite Pauillac in style and high-toned. There is a sweet core of fruit that betrays the vintage here, quite youthful and saline, a pleasant prickle of spice on the tongue that renders this an atypically "playful" Leoville Las-Cases. I noticed a little dryness towards the finish, but otherwise this is a perfectly respectable Saint Julien for the vintage. Tasted April 2016. Jul 2016, www.robertparker.com