2001 Château Léoville Las Cases, St Julien, Bordeaux

One vintage missing from my extensive vertical earlier this year was the 2001 Léoville Las Cases, and when curiosity got the better of me, I opened a bottle from my cellar. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of cassis, cigar wrapper, pencil shavings and classy new oak, it’s medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a layered core of vibrant fruit, ripe structuring tannins and a long, penetrating finish. Youthful and aloof, it’s a classic Las Cases that is just at the beginning of a long drinking window. It would be fascinating to compare the 2001 directly with the much-lauded 2000, as the two are very close in quality to my palate.

Drink 2025 - 2065

William Kelley, Wine Advocate (December 2023)