2020 Leoville Las Cases

The 2020 Léoville Las-Cases has an intense nose with blackberry, wild strawberry, cassis and just a touch of licorice. It coheres wonderfully in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied and beautifully knit together, with filigree tannins and a bright, tensile finish that fans out with real panache. Of course, it's primal and nascent, yet you can already tell the class. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

The 2020 Léoville Las Cases is a classic in the making, unwinding in the glass with aromas of cherries, cassis, loamy soil, violets and dark chocolate framed by a discreet touch of new oak. Full-bodied, broad and layered, it's rich and concentrated, with a deep core of fruit framed by sweet, powdery tannins and lively acids. Concluding with a long, resonant finish, it's built for the cellar.

Another 2020 that's going to demand patience, the 2020 Château Léoville Las Cases is a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blend that includes 11% Cabernet Franc and 8% Merlot that was raised in 80% new French oak. It's a regal, medium to full-bodied, concentrated, flawlessly balanced 2020 with a pure core of cassis and darker currant fruits, a layered, seamless mouthfeel that carries substantial tannins, perfectly integrated oak, and subtle floral, mineral, and leafy herb nuances. Playing in the concentrated yet focused and structured style of the vintage, it's going to need a decade to hit the early phases of its prime drinking window and will have 50-75 years of longevity.