2000 Leoville Las Cases
By Chateau Leoville Las Cases
2000 Leoville Las Cases from Chateau Leoville Las Cases, St-Julien, Bordeaux
The turn of the millennium was greeted by the heralding of an extraordinary vintage in Bordeaux, and among the celebrated releases, the 2000 Leoville Las Cases is a paragon of the year's exceptional promise. This St-Julien titan, from the storied Chateau Leoville Las Cases, showcases the exquisite confluence of climatic serendipity and viticultural prowess.
Millennial Majesty: Investing in Vintage Grandeur
The region of St-Julien bestowed upon us a vintage that encapsulates both power and finesse, a duality often sought but seldom achieved with such aplomb. The 2000 vintage stood out not just for its structure but for an elegance that intertwines seamlessly with the wine's robust architecture. This is a result of a growing season that smiled upon the Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blend, presenting investors with a wine whose stature and complexity assure its reverence among connoisseurs and collectors alike.
A Vintage Defined by Poise and Longevity
In tasting, the 2000 Leoville Las Cases demonstrates an articulate expression of its terroir—deep cassis notes, hints of cedarwood, and a touch of graphite define its bouquet. On the palate, it unfolds with layered dark fruits and a finesse that gestures towards the potential for further maturation—a compelling trait for those invested in the future of their cellars. This wine sits pristinely balanced on a firm tannic backbone that promises substantial longevity—a cornerstone principle for fine wine investors seeking wines with developmental prospects.
As one navigates the landscape of fine wines from St-Julien, Bordeaux, it becomes clear that the 2000 Leoville Las Cases stands as one of those principal benchmarks every savvy investor should consider. Marrying immediate pleasure with long-term investment potential, it's a vintage that continues to unfurl its virtues with each passing year. To possess such a wine is to hold a piece of vinous history—a liquid testament to a year when nature bequeathed remarkable benevolence upon Bordeaux.
Market price (GBP)
£2,500.00
12x75cl
Highest score
100
POP score
125
Scores and tasting notes
This is a classic Las Cases, with masses of mineral, floral, and blueberry character. Full and chewy, with so much power. Please don’t touch this for another seven to nine years. Otherwise decant this for two hours.
James Suckling - jamessuckling.com, May 1st 2012
Along with the Medoc first growths, Leoville Barton, Chateau Montrose, Sociando Mallet, and a handful of other producers, Leoville Las Cases continues to make a wine meant for very long-term cellaring. When I did my earlier tastings of the 2000, my projected maturity dates were 2012-2040, but it is looking more like 2020-2050. This full-bodied blend of nearly 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.4% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc still has a youthful ruby/purple color, notes of graphite, kirsch liqueur, black currants, and lead pencil shavings, with good acidity, the tell-tale purity, layered ripeness and intensity, and a profound finish. However, with its high level of tannin and brooding backwardness, this superb effort needs to be forgotten for up to a decade.
Robert Parker Jr - Wine Advocate #189 June 2010
Tasted blind as a vintage comparison at the Valandraud vertical, the 2000 Leoville-Las-Cases is a quite fabulous, magisterial Saint Julien that is only just beginning to flex its muscles. It has a very intense and beautifully defined bouquet with mineral rich blackberry and bilberry scents, outstanding focus and harmony, and very well-integrated oak. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, impressive backbone and focus in situ. There is a touch of mint infusing the fruit here, superb tension with a touch of mulberry and Hoi Sin lingering on the finish that still feels backward and sinewy. What was remarkable was to observe the melioration in the glass, achieving wondrous energy and delineation with time, still improving after a couple of hours. Buy it, cellar it, drink it. Tasted December 2016.
Neal Martin - The Wine Advocate, 28 February 2017
Tasted at Roberson’s Las-Cases vertical. The millennial Las-Cases is very well defined on the nose, although there is still a lot of oak to be resolved. Ripe blackberry and a touch of sloe, tobacco and graphite, a puff of smoke with time. Very controlled and assured, perhaps a little more generous than I expected. The palate is medium-bodied with firm, typically obdurate tannins, very masculine with tobacco and a touch of white pepper towards the finish. Tasted February 2011.
Neal Martin - Wine Journal Jul 2011