Description
My tasting notes for this wine begin with the following words "wow, wow, wow!" I had been looking forward to retasting this 1996 since I had it in spring, 1997, and I was not disappointed by its evolution. The wine possesses an opaque purple color, and an attention-getting, staggering, sweet nose that offers the essence of black currant fruit, kirsch, and minerals as well as the essence of Leoville-Las-Cases's personality. It is fabulously concentrated, with the sur-maturite (over-ripeness) of Cabernet Sauvignon, one of the wine's most undeniable hallmarks. When measured, the tannin level is extremely high, but you would never know that when tasting this wine because of the massive amount of extract, purity, and virtually perfect equilibrium. Despite its rare combination of unbridled power and complexity, this wine has beaucoup de finesse, as well as a finish that lasts close to 45 seconds. A candidate for a perfect rating, it is a modern day legend in the making. Will it surpass the 1986 and 1982? Time will tell. Only 40% of the total harvest was used in the 1996, with the final blend containing a slightly higher percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon than usual. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2030. 98+/100 Robert Parker December 2003
Served double blind, my first introduction to the wine was the strong perfume that was filled with crushed stone, tobacco, cassis, smoke, earth and blackberry. Powerful, intense, full bodied, tannic and deep, this Bordeaux wine combined concentration and finesse for a wine of First Growth quality. While the wine had ample stuffing and structure to age for generations, the tannins were so ripe and round, this was already approachable. Classy and stylish, with a long, pure, cassis filled finish, this is now my favorite vintage of Leoville Las Cases. 97/100 The Wine Cellar Insider June 2011
CT 93.9 (from 201 reviews)
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