Château Léoville Las Cases 1986

Characteristics and tasting advice for Château Léoville Las Cases 1986

Tasting

Appearance

The deep color of Château Léoville Las Cases 1986 reveals an intense hue with purple highlights, reflecting the exceptional concentration of this vintage.

Nose

Complex and refined, the nose reveals aromas of black fruit, notably blackcurrant, alongside notes of cedar, graphite and tobacco. Mineral touches complete this sophisticated bouquet.

Palate

Powerful and dense, the palate displays an impressive tannic structure, characteristic of this legendary vintage. The whole stands out for its seemingly endless finish, underscoring this wine’s outstanding aging potential.

Food and wine pairings

This great Saint-Julien wine pairs perfectly with roasted or grilled red meats, feathered game and aged hard cheeses.

Serving and cellaring

Château Léoville Las Cases 1986 benefits from being decanted a few hours before serving to reveal its full aromatic complexity. Serve ideally between 16 and 18°C. This vintage, built for very long aging, can be enjoyed until around 2060.

A legendary Saint-Julien from the 1986 vintage

The estate

Created at the end of the 19th century, Château Léoville Las Cases is located in Saint-Julien-Beychevelle in Gironde. The vineyard covers 98 hectares, including the Grand Clos, a 50-hectare walled vineyard in the immediate vicinity of Pauillac. The grand vin comes from an enclosed plot of around 55 hectares, planted primarily with Cabernet Sauvignon, complemented by Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

The vineyard

The Grand Enclos vineyard, the historic terroir of Saint-Julien, lies on Quaternary gravels. The sandy-gravel and clay subsoil gives the wine its structure and remarkable aging capacity. This exceptional geological composition allows Cabernet Sauvignon to fully express its potential.

The vintage

The 1986 vintage is considered a legend in Bordeaux, particularly for the Médoc and Cabernet Sauvignon. The year’s climatic conditions produced grapes of exceptional concentration, giving rise to wines with an imposing tannic structure and outstanding aging potential.

Winemaking and aging

Château Léoville Las Cases 1986 benefited from careful winemaking followed by aging in French oak barrels. This traditional method preserved the expression of the terroir while bringing complexity and structure to the wine.

Grape varieties

Cabernet Sauvignon (majority), Merlot, Cabernet Franc