2006 Ch. Léoville-Las Cases, St Julien

This is absolutely awesome - in our view it is better than his 2005 at the same stage! It is an utterly complete wine: a big brooding aristocratic nose with black fruit, coffee and tobacco leads on to a palate of enormous depth and complexity. Cassis and crushed raspberries appear in enormous concentration amidst a firm structure and an immensely stylish and restrained backdrop. The finish is multilayered and seems to go forever. This is a stunning wine that is head and shoulders above virtually anything else in 2006.

Not surprisingly, Leoville Las Cases has produced another classic, potentially long-lived wine in 2006. Among the St.-Juliens, it, Ducru Beaucaillou, and Leoville Barton possess the potential for the greatest longevity. The opaque purple-hued 2006- only 40% of the crop made it into the final blend- exhibits a personality that mimics the superb 1996. Classic aromas of sweet black raspberries, kirsch, cassis, and subtle toasty oak are followed by a full-bodied, concentrated wine displaying moderately high tannin. This cuvee can often resemble a Pauillac wrapped in the St.-Julien appellation, and the 2006 is no exception. A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, it will require significant cellaring before consumption.
(Robert Parker - Wine Advocate - Feb 09)