1997 Château Léoville Las Cases "Grand Vin de Léoville"

This is a fully mature benchmark from Saint-Julien: the prestigious Château Léoville Las Cases 1997. Universally regarded as the leader of the "Super Seconds"—producing wines that regularly challenge First Growth quality—Léoville Las Cases is famed for its power, pencil-graphite minerality, and immense structural longevity. The 1997 vintage in Bordeaux produced softer, highly charming, forward-drinking expressions, and this bottle has evolved after nearly three decades into a glorious plateau of tertiary maturity. The nose opens with an inviting bouquet of cassis, black cherries, and dried red plums, gracefully integrated with hallmark Saint-Julien notes of cedarwood, pencil lead, cigar box tobacco, leather, and earthy forest floor. On the palate, it is medium-bodied, supple, and beautifully refined, featuring fine-grained, fully resolved tannins balanced by a fresh spine of acidity that glides into a long, savory, and elegant mineral finish.

Highlights

• Vintage: 1997

• Region/Appellation: Saint-Julien, Médoc, Bordeaux, France (Deuxième Grand Cru Classé / Second Growth)

• Producer: Château Léoville Las Cases

• Grape: Classic Bordeaux Blend (Predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, with Cabernet Franc and Merlot)

• Style: Fully Mature, Savory, Silky, and Refined Super Second Red Bordeaux

• Perfect for (food pairing): Fine cuts of slow-roasted rack of lamb with a garlic-herb crust, dry-aged prime ribeye or wagyu steak, roasted squab, pan-seared duck breast, or tender venison loin. Its complex tertiary notes of cedarwood, graphite, tobacco, and forest floor also make it a magnificent companion for pan-seared wild mushrooms, truffled risottos, savory earth-driven pastas, or a well-curated plate of mature hard cheeses such as an aged Comté or Gouda.