Château Léoville-Las Cases

シャトー・レオヴィル・ラス・カーズ

The original Super Second — Saint-Julien Grand Enclos borders Château Latour, rivaling First Growths in quality and price

Château Léoville Las Cases is a Deuxième Grand Cru Classé (Second Growth) in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification, situated in Saint-Julien on the Médoc Left Bank. Widely acclaimed as the foremost Super Second of Bordeaux, it consistently rivals the First Growths in both quality and price. The estate traces its origins to 1604 as part of the vast Domaine de Léoville. Following the French Revolution, the property was divided; Pierre Jean de Las Cases inherited the largest portion — roughly three-fifths — including the historic heart of the domain. The Delon family gradually acquired majority control in the 19th century through their ancestor Théophile Skawinski. Michel Delon led a celebrated quality renaissance from 1976 until his death in 2000, when his son Jean-Hubert Delon became sole owner. The Delon family also own Château Potensac (Médoc) and Château Nénan (Pomerol). The 97-hectare estate is anchored by the 55-hectare Grand Clos, a walled enclave farmed almost entirely organically with no herbicides or pesticides. Its vineyards border those of Château Latour in Pauillac — separated only by the Juillac tributary — endowing them with Pauillac-like power and scale. The vineyard is planted to 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot. The Grand Vin blend is typically around 80–84% Cabernet Sauvignon. Annual production is approximately 180,000–200,000 bottles. The second wine, Le Petit Lion du Marquis de Las Cases (introduced 2007), offers earlier accessibility. Scores consistently reach 95–100 points from major critics: the 2000 vintage received 100 points from Wine Spectator; the 2005 was awarded 100 points by Jeb Dunnuck. The greatest vintages (1982, 1986, 1990, 1996, 2000, 2005, 2016, 2018) can evolve for 50+ years.