Léoville Las Cases Saint-Julien 2001 Bottle size: 750ml

‘The 2001 Léoville Las Cases is simply stunning. I was fully prepared to decant it given that Las Cases is almost always a brute in its youth. And make no mistake about it, a twenty year-old Las Cases is still a youngster. Quite frankly, I am not at all prepared for the sheer intensity and richness that emanates from the glass. No decanting needed. The 2001 is simply magnificent upon opening. A rush of generous inky blackberry jam, spice, graphite and leather conveys superb textural intensity. Time in the glass helps the aromatics come alive. Shockingly rich and voluptuous, the 2001 is also wonderfully open today. Uncharacteristically so for Las Cases, in fact. But who’s complaining? Certainly not me.

Even so, the 2001 is ultimately a mid-weight Las Cases, with plenty of opulent fruit, but not quite the tannic heft that is such a signature of this reference-point St. Julien. Readers lucky enough to own the 2001 are in for a real treat. This is an especially fine bottle, perhaps the finest I have come across. Aside from all the technical analyses and descriptors, what really matters most is that the 2001 is a wine that delivers immense drinking pleasure. I absolutely loved it. 2021-2051’ – Antonio Galloni, Vinous, 96/100

‘A wine of great intensity and purity (what's new?), this blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19.5% Merlot, and 11.5% Cabernet Franc boasts a thick purple color in addition to an extraordinary classic Las Cases bouquet of graphite, licorice, and sweet black cherries intermixed with currant and a hint of vanilla. The 2001 is a bit firmer, with higher acidity analytically than the 2000, and the tannin seemingly more in evidence. Nevertheless, this is a relatively large-scaled, dense, backward, concentrated offering that should prove to be one of the candidates for wine of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2030.’ – Robert M. Parker, Jr., Wine Advocate, 92-94/100