1982 Chateau Leoville Las Cases 
Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France
 
WB Rating: 93

 
Alcohol by volume: 12.0%
Price at time of purchase: $0.00 (Library wine)
 
Type: Cabernet / Bordeaux
Principal varietal(s): Bordeaux blend

This bottle actually started off slightly musty, but the mustiness disappeared in 15 minutes or so to reveal a monster brooding under the surface. Opaque purple color, as if just out of the cask. The wine opened over an hour or so to expose a youthful, still reticent, complex nose of black currant, blackberry gelato, mint, and smoke. Very full mouth feel with a lot of residual tannin -- though the tannin in this instance was definitely less dominant than when the wine was tasted three or four years ago. This Leoville has obviously not reached its peak, and in this tasting seemed to expand dramatically the longer it was open. - HK, GK 2005-05-01

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User Comments:
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[HK and GK  2013-02-03] Tasted earlier this month (December, 2012) and performed magnificently. This bottle was relatively evolved and soft, and was judged less regal than a 1982 Lynch Bages tasted next to it, but still astoundingly good for age 30.  User Rating: 91.
 
[HK and GK  2011-01-29] Tasting of 1/29/2011 ... A bit funky when first opened, but this dissipated in short order. For the first time, the '82 was showing its full age, the structure softer and less virile than in the past. But the wine itself was still magnificent: wonderfully expressive, displaying a perfumed nose of dark currants and cedar, a full, seamless mouthfeel, lovely balance, clean and lengthy finish. Still fresh and vibrant, this held its own in a tasting against a phenomenally good '86 Ch. Margaux.  User Rating: 92.
 
[HK and GK  2010-01-03] Tasting of 1/3/2010 ... Sensational Bordeaux - the best the 1982 Las Cases has shown in any of our tastings over a number of years. Excellent balance and weight to this wine, along with a truly noble feel. First-growth nose of cassis, ripe berries, violets, mint, with no sign of the standard old-age cedar notes. Tremendous length and breadth yet medium weight with no heaviness.  User Rating: 93.
 
[HK and GK  2008-01-05] Tasting of 1/5/08 ... Great purity and length in this wine, which is still totally youthful in color. Classic Bordeaux nose of dark currants, cedar, smoke, spice. But as before, it is still somewhat reticent and unyielding. There's probably a tiger waiting to be unleashed here, but it hasn't happened yet in any of our tastings. Rating: 92.  User Rating: 92.