Château Léoville Las Cases St Julien 1855 2ème Cru 1989

An estate with the natural power and freshness in its soils of Las Cases is always worth looking at in hot vintages like 1989. This is showing fleshy black fruits, spice, cigar box and rich seams of black truffle, fully mature, almost more so than the 1970 if you can believe that. Gentle tannins, mouthwatering, a wine that sits within the finessed personality of St Julien more than many Las Cases. 50% new oak, harvest September 5 to 25. Michel Delon owner, 3rd generation of the family to do so, renowned for his exceptional cellar, and who liked to exchange cases of his own wine with Burgundian winemakers such as Domaine des Comtes Lafon in Meursault. This bottle not showing quite as well as the one I had last year (in fact we opened two bottles to find the best one), but it’s worth the gamble if you can track one down.