Château Léoville Las Cases St Julien 1855 2ème Cru 2020

Richly textured from the first moment, pencil lead, cassis, black cherry, cigar box, liqourice and espresso, just waves of utterly gorgeous flavours. I highly recommend that if you can find a way to taste a young Las Cases, it is worth your time, because the bare bones of what it will become are there, and remain visible for a few years before the entire thing clamps shut for a decade or more, prising open only one chink at a time. There are edges of violet and smoked caramel here, revealing a generous Las Cases compared to many vintages, but it will close down like the rest do, surely as night follows day. 50% new oak. The alcohol level is 1% less than 2018 and 0.5% less than in 2019, 3.65ph, 34hl/ha yield.