Léoville Las Cases 1988

This wine continues to show brilliantly and is certainly a more successful effort than the more renowned and expensive 1989. The color is a dark, murky garnet/purple. The wine shows notes of underbrush, fruitcake, cedar, black cherries, and currants. The wine still shows some moderate tannins in the mouth, but the fruit is sweet, the wine is expansive, and the overall impression is a very symmetrical, medium to full-bodied, rather classic Medoc.

I have drunk two bottles of the 1988 Léoville Las Cases this year, and both showed brilliantly, offering up deep aromas of cassis, cigar wrapper and sweet soil tones, followed by a medium to full-bodied, seamless and velvety palate that has shed its youthful austerity to offer real charm and plenitude. Lively and penetrating, it surpasses the 1989 in quality. Drink 2020-2040.

The 1988 Léoville Las Cases is composed of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Pale to medium garnet-brick in color, it wafts slowly, gracefully out of the glass with perfumed notions of dried cherries, rose oil, sandalwood and cigar box over a core of preserved plums, figs and fruitcake with a touch of dusty soil. The medium-bodied palate has a soft, satiny texture and tons of freshness supporting the fragrant earth and floral notes, leading to a long mineral and exotic spices-laced finish. This is so good to drink right now, but no rush. It has the structure and stuffing to exist at this plateau for at least good 10-15 years further, before it slowly begins to fade.

Great to see how Las Cases has survived from one of the good-but-not-great vintages of the 1980s. This was opened just before tasting, and needs time to uncurl. Opens up to show earthy, brambled notes of blackberry, tomato leaf, undergrowth, raspberry, saffron and crushed mint leaf. So much complexity and layers of flavor, perfectly read to drink. Harvest October 3 to 16, 50% new oak. Michel Delon owner.