The 2020 Leoville-Las Cases [Bordeaux Blend] is a highly acclaimed wine from the renowned Bordeaux region of France, specifically St Julien. This vintage is a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, and 8% Cabernet Franc, boasting an alcohol content of 13.5%. The wine is sealed with a traditional cork closure and is characterized by its deep garnet color.
James Suckling awarded this wine an outstanding score of 99 points, describing it as "incredibly classic in style with so much currant, lead pencil, crushed stone, and sweet tobacco. It’s full-bodied with minerally, stoney and powerful tannins." He emphasizes its longevity and depth, noting that it "goes on and on" and concludes with "violet, graphite and licorice at the end" (JamesSuckling.com, 5/18/2021).
Decanter also gave it high praise with a score of 97 points, highlighting its "perfumed touches on the nose" and "really confident energy." It is described as "vibrant and compelling" with "perfectly integrated" tannins and a "silky overall texture." Decanter notes the wine's precision and potential for evolution, calling it "a wonderful wine that makes you really think about how it’s going to evolve" (Decanter, 1/3/2023).
Jeff Leve from TheWineCellarInsider.com rated it 98 points, appreciating its "aromas of tobacco leaf, cigar box, cedar, herbs, black currants, coffee and spice." He describes the wine as "refined, fresh, polished and firm," with "ripe almost creamy in texture" tannins and a "long, regal and compelling" finish (5/20/2021).
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate also commended the wine with a score of 97 points, noting its "aromas of cherries, cassis, loamy soil, violets, and dark chocolate framed by a discreet touch of new oak." The review emphasizes its "deep core of fruit framed by sweet, powdery tannins and lively acids" (4/6/2023).
Jeb Dunnuck matched this sentiment, giving it 98 points and describing it as "regal, medium to full-bodied, concentrated, flawlessly balanced" with a "pure core of cassis and darker currant fruits" (3/29/2023).
Wine Enthusiast and Jane Anson also rated it highly, both giving it 98 and 97 points respectively. Wine Enthusiast praised its "dark tannins and pure, classic black currant flavors," while Anson highlighted its "richly textured" profile with "pencil lead, cassis, black cherry, cigar box, licorice and espresso" (Wine Enthusiast, JaneAnson.com).
Vinous, in a review by Antonio Galloni, awarded it 98+ points, calling it a "powerhouse" and "one of the wines of the vintage in 2020" (2/23/2023).
Overall, the 2020 Leoville-Las Cases is a robust, complex wine with significant aging potential, receiving high praise from multiple esteemed reviewers.