Leoville Las Cases 1996 750ml

Château Léoville Las Cases, the great Saint-Julien second growth whose Grand Enclos borders Château Latour, made one of its finest wines of the 1990s in 1996. Wine Advocate awarded it 98 points on a 2016 retasting, describing a beautifully defined bouquet of black cherries, cedar, mint and oyster shell that gains intensity in the glass. The blend is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc and 14% Merlot, reflecting a vintage when Médoc Cabernet excelled. Long known for its austere youth, the wine has now evolved into a seamless, classically proportioned claret. Fully mature yet still vigorous, it will drink well over the next 10 to 15 years.