2010 Le Petit Lion du Marquis de Las Cases
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Tasting notes
The 2010 Le Petit Lion has a tight, laconic nose with brambly red fruit scents intermixed with cedar and wild mint. The palate is marked by pliant tannins, though it seems like a fully mature Deuxième Vin with leather and sage toward the finish. Given its maturity, this has held up well, though I would drink it sooner rather than later. Tasted at Jeroboam's Bordeaux tasting.
Critic scores
Jeannie Cho Lee MW
Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
More reviews and scores
Vibrant but a bit sharp on the nose. Lots of acidity. Juicy and fresh. But too tart to be a real winner. (JR)
The second wine at Las Cases is now called Le Petit Lion. The 2010 is a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and the rest equal parts Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. An elegant, light to medium-bodied wine with hints of strawberry and black cherries, this is a pleasant, straightforward style to drink over the next 7-10 years. What I like about tasting at Las Cases is that Jean-Hubert Delon opens one bottle in my presence, and has another already decanted four hours in advance to compare. It is nearly unanimous on each visit that the decanted wine shows better, which probably gives you some insight into the aging potential of Las Cases. It is certainly one of Bordeaux’s longest-lived wines, and seems to have more and more of a character resembling Lafite Rothschild more than its nearby neighbor, Chateau Latour.
Very healthy dark crimson. Broad and fragrant. Seems quite friendly on the nose immediately after the Potensac! Quite polished. Las Cases Lite, and all the more approachable for it. Though just a little lacking density and potential. (JR)
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.