Château Léoville Las Cases 1990

Characteristics and tasting advice for Château Léoville Las Cases 1990

Tasting

Appearance

The wine shows a deep ruby-red color with intense purple highlights.

Nose

The nose reveals remarkable complexity, with aromas of blackcurrant and ripe dark fruits, accompanied by mineral notes of pencil lead and graphite. With aeration, fragrances of cedar, tobacco and vanilla emerge, enhanced by touches of chocolate and mint.

Palate

On the palate, this wine charms with its powerful yet elegant structure. The attack is vibrant and peppery, followed by a generous mid-palate with flavors of blackcurrant and dark red fruits. The tannins, remarkably well-integrated, provide a velvety, creamy texture. The finish, of exceptional length, lingers with persistent mineral and fruity notes.

Food and wine pairing

Château Léoville Las Cases 1990 pairs perfectly with grilled or braised red meats, roasted game, as well as mushroom-based dishes. It also matches firm-fleshed fish such as grilled tuna, and aged hard cheeses.

Serving and cellaring

It is recommended to serve Château Léoville Las Cases 1990 at a temperature of 15.5°C. Decanting for 3 to 6 hours helps optimize the wine’s aromatic expression. This vintage can be enjoyed now and will continue to develop until around 2055.

A full-bodied yet delicate Saint-Julien Second Growth

The estate

Created between 1826 and 1840 during the division of the vast Léoville estate, Château Léoville Las Cases has established itself as a benchmark of Bordeaux, in the Saint-Julien AOC (Second Growth). Currently owned by Jean-Hubert Delon (Domaines Delon), it has been managed by the same family since the end of the 19th century. Its vineyard covers 98 hectares, with at its heart the Grand Clos, 50 hectares enclosed by walls, and a vineyard dominated by cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc.

The vineyard

The vineyard of Château Léoville Las Cases benefits from an exceptional location within the Saint-Julien appellation. The Grand Clos, an emblematic 50-hectare parcel surrounded by walls, rests on sandy-clay gravel soils offering ideal conditions for the flourishing of Bordeaux grape varieties, enabling the production of wines of great finesse and remarkable aging potential.

The vintage

The 1990 vintage ranks among the most legendary in Bordeaux. This year was marked by the second-hottest season of the 20th century, after 1947. A mild winter and a cool spring encouraged early budbreak. July and August proved particularly hot and dry, with a record-breaking August. A providential rainfall on September 15 allowed the grapes to reach optimal ripeness. Harvesting began on September 12, among the earliest of the decade, giving rise to generous, concentrated wines.

Winemaking and aging

Château Léoville Las Cases 1990 benefited from meticulous parcel-by-parcel vinification followed by aging in French oak barrels. This traditional approach helped preserve the expression of the terroir while bringing complexity and structure to the wine.

Grape varieties

Cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc