In anticipation of The Wine Advocate’s two year retrospective Bordeaux tasting in the next few weeks, we are delighted to offer a parcel of Leoville Las Cases 2014, which at £1,150 per full case of 12 is comfortably lower than the rest of the market. This rescoring event historically drives demand for the leading wines, with collectors and speculators eager to secure cases as they become physical. We have identified Leoville Las Cases as an extremely attractive proposition, which Martin considers ‘equal to some of the First Growths’. He backs this up with one of the highest scores of the vintage, 94-96 points. We are in complete agreement; this striking Las Cases was certainly one of our wines of a lovely vintage.
The 2014 vintage gave us very good quality, but moreover really exceptional prices. The 2014s have been rising significantly in price over the last 12 months as the market readjusts, but most wines are still extremely undervalued compared to other vintages. Leoville Las Cases 2014 is particularly well priced, as demonstrated in the table below. Even without a very positive rescore this looks extremely attractive – if Martin does rescore it at the upper end of his barrel score (96) or even higher then we will see a very big price jump overnight. It’s a strong hold either way.
| Leoville Las Cases | WA Score | Price (12×75) |
| 2015 | 95-97 | £1,475 |
| 2014 | 94-96 | £1,150 |
| 2010 | 96+ | £1,800 |
| 2009 | 98+ | £2,150 |
| 2005 | 97+ | £2,050 |
| 2003 | 96 | £1,600 |
| 2000 | 98+ | £2,500 |
| 1996 | 98 | £2,500 |
| 1990 | 96 | £2,850 |
| 1986 | 98 | £3,750 |
Leoville Las Cases is arguably the greatest amongst the Second Growth wines of Bordeaux and the leading wine in the village of St Julien. Unique for the Medoc, the vineyards of Las Cases are mainly laid out in one block. The walled Grand Clos that borders Chateau Latour at the north of the St Julien appellation makes up half of the Las Cases Estate and the gate of the Grand Clos vineyard is featured on the wine’s label. In the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, there were no Premier Cru wines from the St Julien appellation. Chateau Leoville Las Cases has been its strongest contender for many decades to be reclassified.
The market is very sensitive to rescores, no more so then the two and ten year retrospective Bordeaux tastings, which generally fall just before the new EP campaign begins. As such, the market will start reacting now so it’s important to get in before prices rise further as trading increases.
Leoville Las Cases 2014, 12×75, £1150 IB – 94-96 Points, Neal Martin, The Wine Advocate
The Château Léoville-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.
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