Wafting from the glass with aromas of rich berries, plums, loamy soil, baking spices and pencil shavings, the 2012 Léoville Las Cases is medium to full-bodied, lively and layered, with impressive concentration for the vintage, supple tannins and a charming, enveloping profile. Seamless and beautifully integrated, at age 10, this quintessential classic is already surprisingly approachable, though of course it still has several decades of graceful evolution ahead of it.

Quality 915 | Brand 994 | Economics 927 | buzz brand, investment staple
Quality: Predicted life of 15 years, one of the longest drinking windows in its peer group for the 2012 vintage, which averages 9 years Brand: Strong restaurant presence, featuring on 42 of the world's top wine lists, including Tim Raue Economics: Above its peer group average price of £33 for the 2012 vintage Production: Lower production than its peer group average of 186,000 bottles

- www.wine-lister.com June 2017

This is very tight at this early stage, with a wall of smoldering charcoal holding the core of dark plum, blackberry paste and cassis in reserve. The sleek finish shows admirable length and a mouthwatering echo of iron. This harnesses the austerity of the vintage to its advantage, and should unwind slowly in the cellar. Best from 2018 through 2030. 10,000 cases made. – James Molesworth (WineSpectator.com, May 2015)

The bigger sister or brother of Le Petit Lion, depending on your point of view, the 2012 Leoville Las Cases has gorgeous minerality, plenty of blueberry and blackcurrant fruit that is super-pure, an opaque ruby/purple color, medium body and firm structured, slightly austere personality. This wine is built for the long-term. A blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Franc, it attained 13.5% alcohol, which is substantial for a 2012 Médoc. It has depth and richness, but also a boatload of tannin. Forget it for 8-10 years and drink over the following 15-20. 93+ points – Robert Parker (Wine Advocate #218, April 2015)

The 2012 Léoville–Las Cases has a very fragrant bouquet of raspberry, wild strawberry and cedar aromas, all lively and focused; touches of potpourri develop in the glass. The medium-bodied palate delivers supple tannins matched with a fine bead of acidity. This is one of the more elegant Las Cases wines in recent years, nicely poised, offering succulent red berry fruit mixed with spice and white pepper toward the cohesive finish. Excellent. This is a very fine Las Cases and certainly the youngest and most approachable. Tasted at the château.

So pure on the nose with aromas of blackcurrants, raspberries and licorice. Hints of stones. Full body, polished yet chewy tannins and a long and racy finish. Layered tannins. Citrusy undertones. Bright acidity. Better in 2019. – jamessuckling.com, Feb 2015

(74% cabernet sauvignon, 15% merlot and 11% cabernet franc; 3.6 pH; 5.4 g/l total acidity; 70 IPT; 13.5% alcohol; 80% new oak; 33 h/h): Dark ruby-red. Spice and vanillin nuances complicate red cherry, blackcurrant, cedar and graphite on the captivating, classic nose. Then suave and refined in the mouth, with clean flavors of blackcurrant, cedar and herbs. Finishes very long and pure, with insidious complexity and atypical levels of sweet creamy flesh for a 2012 Bordeaux from the Left Bank. I found this outstanding wine to be very LLC in style, not unlike a lighter version of the 2010. The grapes were picked on 12 different days between October 4 and 18. For my money, it's one of the two best wines from the Left Bank in 2012.

The 2012 Léoville-Las-Cases offers lovely up front voluptuousness, something I am almost shocked to write about one of the Left Bank's most notoriously slow agers. Sweet red cherry, dried flowers and pipe tobacco scents meld into a translucent, mid-weight Las Cases that should drink relatively early by this wine's standard. The silky finish only adds to the wine's considerable early appeal. The blend is 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Franc.

[74CS/15M/11CF] Really gravelly nose, impressive to smell; beautifully balanced, rich, elegant, with a very refined, subtly firm structure with currently velvety tannins of great beauty; so sweet fruited and fresh to taste, very long and close grained, prolonged across the palate, great evenness, and completeness, excellent sweet and gravelly length. In a firmer style yes, but without excess. The typical more Pauillac-style expression of St Julien. Fine Las Cases. 2024-36+ [M.Schuster, Bordeaux Mar/Apr 2013]

A very grown up wine. It’s all there; the wine is in balance, has grace and elegance, but for some reason it’s not making our heart beat faster. Has sweet fruit - black cherry and plum – and nice restraint. Suspect lovers of LLC will like it very much, even if we feel there may be better performers on this side of the river.

Tasted blind. Simple young crimson colour. Bone dry and just slightly stodgy. No attempt at artifice. A Barton wine? What you see is what you get. Needs lots of time. Drink: 2025-2040 – jancisrobinson.com, Jan 2016