The 2022 Leoville-Las Cases Bordeaux Blend is a highly acclaimed red wine produced by Leoville-Las Cases in the St Julien sub-region of Bordeaux, France. This vintage has received extraordinary reviews from various professional wine critics, reflecting its exceptional quality and potential for long-term aging.
Jeff Leve of TheWineCellarInsider.com praises the wine for its "full-body, intensity, levels of concentration, and sense of purity." He remarks on its complex aroma profile featuring "violets, cassis, blackberries, Cuban cigar wrapper, ash, smoke, licorice, and mint." Leve emphasizes the wine's depth and seamless finish, predicting it will evolve beautifully over the next 40-50 years. He notes the blend consists of 83.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10.5% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Merlot, with an ABV of 14.25% and pH of 3.80.
Jeb Dunnuck from jebdunnuck.com also awards this wine a perfect score, highlighting its "ripe, powerful aromatics of graphite, lead pencil shavings, cassis, and liquid rock-like minerality." He commends its "massively concentrated" yet balanced character, stating it will rank among the greats from Leoville-Las Cases, though it is not for those seeking instant gratification.
William Kelley of Robert Parker's Wine Advocate describes the wine as "a monument in the making," combining "unerring classicism with unusual sensuality and charm." He notes its "terrific concentration, beautiful purity of fruit, abundant but refined tannins, and a long, vibrant finish." Kelley warns that although the wine is surprisingly open for a young Las Cases, it may shut down after a few years in the bottle.
James Suckling of jamessuckling.com calls the wine "thought-provoking" and "endless," noting its "fantastic structure" and "fresh and vivid" texture. He describes an array of flavors including "crushed stone, cloves, Chinese spices, and orange peel."
Jane Anson of janeanson.com rates the wine at 97 points, appreciating its "depth and intensity" and the balance provided by "muscular tannins." She notes its "seductive mouthfeel" and mentions the wine's high alcohol content and pH of 3.80.
Neal Martin of Vinous offers high praise, describing the wine as "precocious, almost decadent" with "polished tannins" and "extremely pure" palate. He believes it surpasses the 2018-2020 vintages, calling it a "tour de force."
The reviewers consistently highlight this wine's depth, complexity, and potential for aging, making the 2022 Leoville-Las Cases a standout vintage.