Château Léoville Las Cases: History, environment, grape-growing, and wines

Having completed our study of the Pauillac region, the Orlando Tasting Group now turns its attention to the St. Julien sub-appellation and the Léoville wines.

History

The three current Léoville estates had a common beginning back in 1638 when Jean de Moytie founded a vineyard on a Medoc gravel ridge and named it Mont Moytie. This estate, along with Margaux and Latour, was the earliest wine producer in the region and remained a unit until the period 1826 to 1844 when it was split into three separate entities. The chart below details the history of the estate up until its dismemberment.

From the 1840s on, the Las Cases branch of the Léoville tree was managed by a succession of family members. Somewhere along the way 20 shares were authorized to account for the total ownership of the enterprise. In 1900 one of those shares was issued to Theophile Skawinski, the estate’s general manger. Skawinski was the great great-grandfather of the current owner and, over the years, the family has set itself the task of acquiring every share that it did not already own. That goal was accomplished in 1994 when the Delon family became the sole owners of the estate.

Léoville Las Cases introduced a new wine — Clos du Marquis — from a different terroir in 1902. In the first two decades of the 21st century the enterprise introduced true second wines for each of its primary labels: Le Petit Lion for Las Cases and La Petit Marquis for Clos du Marquis.

Léoville Las Cases Grape-Growing Environment

Saint Julien, being south of Pauillac, is slightly warmer but still subject to similar climate-modification effects (see chart below). The soil is similarly gravelly but has less clay and limestone.

Leoville Las Cases sources the grapes for its wines from two separate terroirs: A walled vineyard (Grand Clos) for the primary wine and a vineyard 500 yards to the west for the Clos du Marquis.

The Grand Clos extends over two small hills and is the heart of the Las Cases vineyard. It lies in the north of St Julien, bordering on Pauillac, and is separated from Chateau Latour by a small stream. The deep gravel soils rest on clay and sand sub-soils. The aspect is SE. 

The vineyard is divided into seven main blocks and, further, into 125 parcels. Cabernet Sauvignon is planted on the hills while Merlot is planted at the bottom of the slopes. 

The vineyard is farmed organically with sustainability the driving force behind vineyard practices:

• Cover crops between rows to prevent soil erosion and boost soil health 
• Limits on chemical use. Natural products are used to control pests
• Efficient irrigation systems.

Vineyard management practices include::

• Dense planting scheme — forces vines to compete, resulting in lower yields and higher quality
• Pruning and canopy management by hand; allows for precise control
• Each plot harvested at optimal ripeness

Winemaking at Leoville Las Cases

Philosophy

The Chateau seeks to produce wines:

• Representative of their terroirs
• To be consumed during meals 
• With great aging potential
• That improve with age.

Process

The Leoville Las Cases winemaking process is labor-intensive and meticulous and is mostly unchanged from the 19th century. The requirements/steps are as follows:

• Harvesting of high-quality grapes
• These grapes are carefully selected and sorted (including optical sorting (a relatively new innovation)) to ensure that only the best grapes make it into the wine 
• Fermentation vessels include wood, concrete, and stainless steel vats of varying sizes. Eight oak vats are reserved for confiscation of the Grand Vin whike cement tanks are used for all other wines.
• Movement of wines within the cellar is via gravity flow
• Malolactic fermentation occurs in tanks
• Blending is conducted post-MLF but prior to oak aging in order to ensure no oak influence in the construction of the blends
• Wines are allowed to mature post fermentation so that they can develop their complex flavors and aromas. Recently the wine has been aged for 18 months in 90% new French oak
• Beginning in 1987, reverse osmosis technology has been employed during the winemaking process to help extract excess water from the mist. This is, of course, controversial among purists. 

Wines of Léoville Las Cases

Grand Vin de Léoville

This wine has been described by Berry Bros & Ruud as “… arguably the most exotically perfumed wine in the Medoc and this can be partially attributed to the must being fermented at lower-than-average temperatures, which leads to its youthful, aromatic richness being retained. On the palate it is powerful and concentrated and marvelously well-balanced.”

The wine is structured, firm, austere, and powerful with top vintages taking 15 - 20 years to lose its tannic structure. The wine displays intense ripe fruit flavors of black currant, cassis, and wild blackberries with subtle floral aromas and finely grained tannins. Depending on the vintage, it can present a more upright Pauillac profile or a more tender St Julien profile.

The wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Between 9000 and 15,000 cases are produced annually.

Le Petit Lion du Marquis de Las Cases

This is a true second wine made from younger vines. The blend is approximately 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc. The wine shows dominant black fruit flavors, graphite, minerality, tobacco, and grainy tannins.

The wine is designed to be more accessible.

Clos du Marquis

This wine was first produced in 1902 with grapes secured from the top terroirs of St Julien that was a part of the Léoville historic vineyard. This wine offers a fine expression of the St Julien character: structure, complexity, harmony, distinction, and aging potential.

Annual production of between 4,000 and 8,000 bottles per year.

La Petite Marquise

Young vines from the Clos du Marquis terroirs. 56% Merlot, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon.

I next address our tasting of the wines from this estate.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

A vertical tasting of selected vintages (1961 - 2005) of Château Lynch-Bages wines

Our survey of Pauilliac wines has seen the Orlando Tasting Group explore the wines of Château Pichon Baron and Château Comtesse de Lalande. This post details our tasting of the wines of Chateau Lynch-Bages. The tasting took place at Vineyard Wine Company on March 8th and the participating attendees are pictured below.

The wines included in the tasting were divided into flights as follows:

Flight 1 -- White Bourdeaux

2005 Blanc de Lynch-Bages

Flight 2 -- Red Bordeaux: 2000s

2005 Château Lynch-Bages

2003 Château Lynch-Bages

2000 Château Lynch-Bages

Flight 3 -- Red Bordeaux: 1990s               

1996 Château Lynch-Bages

1995 Château Lynch-Bages

1990 Château Lynch-Bages

Flight 4 -- Red Bordeaux: 1980s                

1989 Château Lynch-Bages

1986 Château Lynch-Bages

1983 Château Lynch-Bages

1982 Château Lynch-Bages

Flight 5 -- Red Bordeaux: 1970s and 1960s    

1978 Château Lynch-Bages

1961 Château Lynch-Bages

Sean Hall's tasting notes are used exclusively in this post to report on the tasting. The tasting proceeded as follows:

Flight 1: White Bordeaux
2005 Blanc de Lynch-Bages
Our study of the Lynch-Bages vineyard shows the estate launching a white wine in 1990 with grapes sourced from 6 ha planted to Sauvignon Blanc (53%), Semillon (32%), and Muscadelle (15%). The wine is fermented in barrels and then aged for 12 months in 90% new French oak barrels.

According to Sean, Granny Smith apples along with something candied on the nose. Vanilla. Lemons and stewed apples on the palate.

Flight 2: The 2000s
2005 Château Lynch-Bages
A warm summer with near-drought conditions. Harvest remained largely free of rainfall.

The wine blend was 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Aged 15 months in 80% new French oak.

Pencil shavings, cigar box, blackberry, and cherry on the nose. Tight and tannic on the palate but showing potential. Needs time. A little acidic. Blackberry, dark cherry, and cassis. This will be great , peaking sometime in the next 5 to 15 years.

2000 Château Lynch-Bages
The weather leading up to the harvest had been perfect and from mid-July to mid-September there was virtually no rain. The fine weather continued through to the end of the Cabernet Sauvignon harvest in mid-October with only one day of rain to refresh the vines and momentarily worry the vignerons.

The wine blend was 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot
aged 15 months in 70% new French oak.

Violets, pencil lead, cigar box, and a smokiness on the nose. Young on the palate but with silky tannins. An appealing dark cherry flavor. Needs more time. Wine of the Flight.

Flight 3: The 1990s

1996 Château Lynch-Bages

The 1996 vintage for Bordeaux was extremely good. A mild winter and moved to a warm spring with March bringing significant heat. May was cool heating up again in June before taking another dip in early July. Late July, early August saw temperatures pick up again before cooler temperatures set in towards the end of the month. A heavy rainstorm also struck, drenching most of the Right Bank and Margaux but leaving much of the Left Bank unscathed ... A warm, dry September helped ripen the grapes, particularly benefitting Medoc. (Wine Searcher)

79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. French oak barrels for 15 months (70% new wood)

Slight green bell pepper and smoke on the nose. Dark cherries, blackberries, coffee, and chocolate on the palate along with silky tannins. Very good.

1995 Château Lynch-Bages

The year 1995 was a great success for the Bordeaux vineyard. The climate was contrasted, marked by rains from January to March and then by very good weather from April to September. The vines grew steadily throughout the season. The hot and dry summer tipped the balance in favor of a great vintage (catch.com).

76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. French oak barrels for 15 months (70% new wood).

Slight nail polish on the nose. Smooth on the palate. Blackberries and dark cherry. Tannins resolved.

1990 Château Lynch-Bages

1990 Bordeaux wine remains one of the top vintages of the 20th century. All great Bordeaux vintages spring from hot years and the 1990 Bordeaux vintage was no exception. In fact, it was the second hottest year of the century. Only 1947 was warmer. 1990 also offered vintners more sunlight as well. The year was only surpassed by 1949 for the amount of sun the grapes received. Interestingly, 1990 set another second place record. It was the second wettest year on record for a hot vintage. Only 1989 surpassed it for rainfall (Wine Cellar Insider).

73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. 15 months in 60% new French oak barriques.

Black cherry, cedar, cigar box, cassis, violets, and roses on the nose. Silky smooth on the palate enhancing flavors of rich cherries, cassis, and chocolate. Delicious. Wine of the flight.

Flight 4: The 1980s

1989 Château Lynch-Bages
Fantastic vintage year for Europe. Bordeaux had no faults with reds. Abundant harvest of excellent quality.

Aged for 15 months in 66% new oak.

Stewed dark cherry, cassis, and cigar box on the nose. Sour cherries and dark berries on the palate. Good. Similar to the 1990.

1986 Château Lynch-Bages
1986 Bordeaux wine was shaped by a difficult vintage created from heat and drought from start to finish of the growing season. The bud break occurred late, but flowering was normal. The summer was hot, sunny and very dry. By September, the vines were experiencing stress from drought conditions... The rain that fell in mid September changed that... The 1986 Bordeaux harvest got started September 23. For the next 23 days, Bordeaux enjoyed three weeks of hot, sun drenched and windy conditions that was perfect for the vines and the pickers. The few growers in the Left Bank with the willingness to wait to harvest, allowing the Cabernet Sauvignon to achieve more ripeness, made the best wines (Wine Cellar Insider)

Smoky. Cedar box along with pencil shavings on the nose. As was the case for the '89, Dark sour cherries on the palate. More tannic though. The fruit is fading some. Least favorite wine of the flight.

1983 Château Lynch-Bages
Overall, the 1983 Bordeaux vintage produced some rich, generous wines with the best showcasing a full, opulent character but many lacked the structure for long-term aging. In general, the vast majority of wines are likely to be long past their best but some of the very top examples from both the Right and Left Banks may still be drinking well now, although that window is closing and careful research is still advisable. (Wine Searcher).

Sean liked this wine. Cherries, cassis, herbs, and cedar on the nose. Smooth, with resolved tannins. Cherries and blackberries. Very nice.

1982 Château Lynch-Bages

The 1982 vintage for Bordeaux was and still is considered one of the great vintages.
The growing season was idyllic with both budburst and flowering occurring under perfect conditions. The balmy, dry weather continued throughout the summer with July seeing some particularly hot days while August brought cooler ones just before a glorious Indian summer took place in September elevating the vintage. The heat spike late in the day served to ripen Merlot perfectly and a touch of rain led to the perfect conditions for Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The resulting harvest was not only of sublime quality but was also hugely generous (Wine Searcher).

70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot. 18 months in French barriques, 75% new.

Cherries on the nose. Fantastic on the palate. Rich and deep. The fruit is still there with dark cherry and chocolate notes. Smooth tannins. Absolutely delicious. Wine of the flight.

                                                                                             

Flight 5: 1970s and 60s

1978 Château Lynch-Bages
The 1978 Bordeaux growing season did not start off well with its wet, cool, spring. Things improved slowly, with the end of the growing season taking place under good, warm, sun filled conditions.
1978 Bordeaux wine earned the sobriquet of the miracle vintage from the famous wine writer and personality Harry Waugh. The vintage was awarded its title because throughout the entire growing season, winemakers all over Bordeaux were expecting the worse.  Yet, thanks to a perfect September, the vintage produced several fine examples of 1978 Bordeaux wine. (Wine Cellar Insider).

Dusty cherries, cherry cola, and cedar box on the nose. On the palate fruit there but falling off. More cherries and black berries.

1961 Château Lynch-Bages

A legendary Bordeaux vintage. Big, concentrated and tannic in their youth, numerous great wines were produced in the Medoc, the Right Bank and Pessac Leognan. If well stored, many of these wines are still offering great pleasure today (Wine Cellar Insider).

Smells of old, muted sour black cherries. Violets, herbs, and fennel accompanying. Very soft sour cherry on the palate. For the age is still amazingly "there." Surprised at how much fruit is still there, given the age. Blackberries, cherries, cassis, and an herbaceousness on the palate. Interesting and a thrill to try. I see why '61 is so prestigious. Have to call it the wine of the flight seeing how much I said about it.

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And it was not only Sean that had a lot to say about the 1961. A majority of the group voted this wine the best of the night overall. It was phenomenal. It was the oldest wine that we have tasted in this series to date and, in my estimation, it has been the best.

Overall, this was an awesome tasting. The wines were supreme. As  a matter of fact, each wine seemed to be better than the one that preceded it and that is borne out by the fact that the wine of every flight was the last one tasted. I have long been a fan of the wines of Château Lynch-Bages and this tasting did nothing to disabuse me of that sentiment.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Château Lynch-Bages: History, environment, grape-growing, and wines

According to famed wine purveyor Berry Bros & Rudd, Château Lynch-Bages "is one of the best-known Medoc estates and has always had a particularly strong following on this side of the English Channel." The chateau's primary wine "can be surprisingly soft and approachable when young. However, when fully mature, it develops a succulent richness and a heavenly bouquet of minty blackcurrants and cigar boxes."

Accolades such as this, combined with the positive experiences of some group members, contributed to us selecting this wine as the third and final Pauillac entrant tasted in this series.

History

The Lynch-Bages winery is tightly linked to the Cazes name but the chateau's history stretches back way beyond its initial encounter with that nomenclature. I have divided the history of the estate into pre-Cazes and Cazes eras with the former encompassing north of 300 years. 

Environment

The below chart situates Lynch-Bages within the Pauillac region and in context to fellow producers.

With the exceptions of the first growths to the north (Lafite and Mouton) and south (Latour), the second growths to the south (Baron and Comtesse), and the fourth growth Duhart-Milon, all other producers in the Commune are (like Lynch-Bages) fifth growths.

The right side of the chart provides information on selected aspects of the wine-growing environment.

Grape-Growing and Wines

The variety mix for the estate's flagship wine is 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot. Vines planted by André in 1973/74 gave Lynch-Bages and advantage in the 1980s because they were flourishing at a time when the rest of Bordeaux was just beginning to replant. 

These vines continue to yield benefits to the estate today as they serve as the basis for the Chateau's strategy of using massal selection for vine propagation. As the estate sees it, the mix of older vines is the result of decades of adaptations to the specific terroir.

The Chateau's farming and vineyard management practices are detailed in the chart following.

The estate began production of a white wine in 1990 and embarked on a massive renovation and modernization project in 2017. At the conclusion of this program, Lynch-Bages had shifted to a gravity-flow architecture for winemaking and had amassed enough vessels to allow implementation of parcel-by-parcel vinification.

With this deeper understanding of Chateau Lynch-Bages and its environment, we are now positioned to undertake an informed tasting of its wines.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

An overview of Bordeaux's Medoc

Our Orlando Tasting Group has recently held vertical tasting events focused on the Pauillac wines of Pichon Baron and Comtesse de Lalande and are about to embark on the tasting of a third -- Château Lynch-Bages. Before we do, however, I would like to take a step back and explore the larger context within which these chateaux operate.

Pauillac - the home appellation of these three estates -- exists within a larger geographical construct called the Medoc (illustrated below) which owes its winemaking prowess to (i) a temperate climate (characterized by humid springs, hot summers, sunny autumns, and relatively mild winters) and (ii) its gravelly soils. 

The region's growing conditions are favorably impacted by the climate modifiers detailed in the chart below.

The Medoc is divided into two sub-appellations: Medoc, to the north, and Haut-Medoc, with the former covering 4700 ha and the latter 4300. The Medoc sub-appellation, called Bas Medoc in earlier times, has heavy, moisture-retaining soils which are much more suited to Merlot  than the Cabernet Sauvignon which dominates in its neighbor to the south. 

Within the Haut-Medoc appellation there are four communal appellations renowned for producing some of the finest wines in the world. We will focus on this appellation and its communes in the remainder of this post.

The chart below provides an overview of the Haut-Medoc landscape and illustrates how its constituent parts function as an integrated draining mechanism.

Many areas in the Haut-Medoc have large deposits of gravel which were washed down from the Pyrenees thousands of years ago. This gravel provides excellent drainage and ideal conditions for Cabernet Sauvignon which does not like "wet feet." These gravelly soils retain warmth and, in so doing, aid in the ripening of the grapes. The characteristics of the soils at the commune level are detailed in the chart below.

With the treatment of this broader context complete, we can now resume our tasting of the commune wines.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme