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Léoville Las Cases 2001

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > St Julien
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyCabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc/Merlot

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Château Léoville-Las Cases

Label

Tasting Notes

The 2001 Léoville Las Cases is a vintage I’ve encountered many times. Now at two decades old, it has a generous nose with those black plums still in situ, along with graphite and cedar; this bottle is a little more backward, probably due to the provenance. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, white pepper and sage and fine grip. Though it’s not as precise or chiseled as recent vintages, there is admirable complexity on the lightly peppered, tobacco- and rooibos-tinged finish. Excellent. 2021 - 2050

94
Neal Martin, vinous.com, September 2021

Jean-Hubert Delon thinks the 2001 Leoville Las Cases could turn out to be as good as his 2000. I’m not sure I agree, but it may come close. A blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19.5% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, the 2001 (which represents only 40% of the production) reveals notes of sweet vanillin intermixed with pure cassis, black cherries, and lead pencil shavings. Elegant and medium-bodied, it possesses a saturated purple color, high tannin, and a structured, backward feel in the mouth. This quintessentially elegant Las Cases needs another 5-7 years to hit its plateau of maturity. It will be one of the Medoc’s longest lived wines of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2030.

93
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (153), June 2004
95/100
James Suckling, Wine Spectator, March 2002

The 2001 Léoville Las Cases is a blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc. Medium to deep garnet colored with a touch of brick, it charges out of the glass sporting energetic notes of kirsch, blackberry preserves and blackcurrant pastilles with underlying scents of star anise, cumin seed, potpourri, oolong tea and tobacco leaf plus a waft of incense. The medium-bodied, exquisitely elegant palate explodes with a myriad of exotic spice, floral and dried berries notes, framed by soft tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and with impeccable poise and sophistication.

94
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (March 2021), March 2021

Coming from an underrated vintage in Bordeaux, the 2001 Château Léoville Las Cases is 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, and 12% Cabernet Franc that hit 13% natural alcohol with a pH of 3.7 and an IPT of 70. This was a milder, cooler year, and the 2001 offers a more complex, mature bouquet of cedary herbs, menthol, tobacco, lead pencils, and dried flowers, with a wonderful core of sweet red and black fruits. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has a wonderful mid-palate, sweet tannins, and a great finish. It's drinking at point today yet certainly has another 10-15 years of prime drinking.

94
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com, March 2021
Read more tasting notes...
92/94+
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (146), April 2003
91/93+
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (140), April 2002

The 2001 Léoville Las Cases replicates numerous previous bottles, attesting one of the great successes of the vintage. The palate is perhaps more like the 2003, surprisingly opulent with black plum, cedar, pencil shavings and later, just a little iodine. It is certainly very well defined. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins, a little more austere than the aromatics, more "serious" perhaps, with black fruit, tobacco and slightly meaty notes developing towards a very satisfying and long finish. Like most Léoville Las-Cases, it would benefit from a minimum of 20 years in the cellar, so do not be afraid to keep any bottles for another couple of years. Tasted at La Trompette in London. 2020 - 2045

94
Neal Martin, vinous.com, July 2018

Dark garnet core with a deep brick rim. The nose is very intense with an almost honeyed level of richness to it. Blackcurrant, pencil shavings and a touch of Dorset plum, fine definition and gaining more and more clarity in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, great fruit intensity here with superb, citrus-driven acidity. Blackberry, a touch of cranberry and cedar, very long and sensual towards the finish. The nose needs more bottle age to development refinement, but the palate is very classy. Tasted March 2011.

94
Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, May 2011
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.