75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot

Neal Martin: 94-96, James Suckling: 98

Neal Martin: The Chateau Leoville-Las-Cases 2014 is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc and 10% Merlot cropped at 33 hectoliter per hectare matured in 85% new oak. There is 6.8% vin de presse this year. Picked between 30 September and 13 October over 12 days, it has an intense, graphite-scented bouquet, one of the most Pauillac-like that I have encountered, extremely precise and perhaps less flamboyant than recent vintages. This is very controlled. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, succinctly pitched acidity and an almost pixelated finish that lingers long and tenderly. I love the elegance here, this is an outstanding wine from Jean-Hubert Delon and his team and dare I say, equal to some of the First Growths.