Country: France

Region: Bordeaux - Saint-Julien

Vintage: 2018

Cépage: Cabernet Sauvignon (80%); Cabernet Franc (11%); Merlot (9%)

Size: 750 ml

Rating(s): 99 (RP); 100 (JD); 99 (JS)

" Pure magic and one of the finest expressions of this estate I could imagine, as well as a perfect wine, the 2018 Château Léoville Las Cases spent 19 months in (I believe) all new French oak. Its dense purple color is followed by a profound wine loaded with notions of crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, melon, crushed stone, tobacco, and violets. Full-bodied, concentrated, and massive on the palate, yet also incredibly well delineated and precise, it has a wonderful mix of seemingly ripe, sunny fruit from a warm year yet the minerality, purity, and precision of a cooler year. This wine is going to be just about immortal; however, do your best to hide bottles for a solid 10-15 years."

Lisa Perrotti-Brown (RP) - 01/19