2015 Le Petit Lion Du Marquis De Las Cases Saint-Julien
2015 Le Petit Lion Du Marquis De Las Cases Saint-Julien The 2015 Le Petit Lion is a blend of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 60% Merlot cropped at 39 hl/ha and matured in 30% new oak. It consists of younger vines from Leoville Las Cases, plus some of the old Merlot vines (which is why there is only 6% in the Grand Vin). It has quite a broody bouquet at first, though it opens up over the course of five to ten minutes, offering blackberry, bilberry, tar and graphite aromas, erring a little towards Pauillac in style. The palate is medium-bodied with quite firm tannin in the mouth, a keen thread of acidity, noticeable graphite notes again towards the finish that reinforces that Pauillac-like semblance. This is a commendable deuxième vin, one bolstered by that old Merlot vine this year.
Chateau Leoville-Las Cases
One of the oldest Medoc estates, Domaine de Léoville belonged to some of the wealthiest and most influential noble French families before it was acquired by the Las Cases family. The estate was split up between 1826 and 1840 as a result of the French Revolution. (Expropriation of emigrants’ property and constitution of egalitarian redistribution). Château Léoville Las Cases was created, thanks to a kind of birthright, from 3/5 of the original estate and the heart of the domain.
The Grand Vin’s current terroir has therefore been at the historic heart of the original terroir since the 17th century. Pierre Jean, Adolphe and Gabriel de Las Cases were successive heirs to the property until 1900, when Théophile Skawinski purchased a share in the estate and became its manager. Léoville Las Cases has now been managed by the same family since the late 19th century and is today represented by Jean-Hubert Delon, sole owner of the Château and proprietor of Château Potensac in the Medoc and Château Nénin in Pomerol.