2018 Leoville Las Cases - Clos du Marquis
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Tasting notes
Tasted blind. Correct, well-balanced, classic claret on the nose and palate for fairly immediate drinking. Dry but correct. (JR)
Critic scores
James Suckling
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
The 2018 Clos du Marquis is consistent with my tasting note from barrel. It has a perfumed, camphor-tinged bouquet featuring plenty of brambly red fruit, and maybe just a hint of dark chocolate loitering in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins and quite saline in the mouth with fine depth. It is not the most complex Clos du Marquis that I have tasted, but I appreciate the persistent black pepper aftertaste, which is quite Pauillac in style. Very fine.
A blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Clos Du Marquis offers a brilliant nose of ripe black cherries, smoked tobacco, cedar pencil, and violet-laced aromas. These carry to a full-bodied, rich, concentrated 2018 with plenty of background oak, a juicy spine of acidity, rock star levels of concentration and mid-palate depth, and ripe, silky tannins. Given its tannins and acidity, it's not for those seeking instant gratification, and a solid decade of cellaring is going to be warranted.
About the producer
One of the leading estates in Bordeaux, Ch. Léoville Las Cases is one of the largest and oldest Classed Growths in the Médoc. Along with Ch. Ducru-Beaucaillou, it is widely considered one of the best estates in Saint-Julien.