WTN: A lovely Léoville-Lascases 93

Château Léoville-Lascases 2ème grand cru classé Saint-Julien 1993


The last bottle opened a couple or so years ago was disappointing; classy and long but austere to a fault with a green finish. Encouraged by Otto’s recent note on the good performance of, I think, Gruaud-Larose and Sociando-Mallet 1993, I decided to take another look at one of these bottles to accompany a succulent contrefilet.

This time the wine had opened up and come into balance. The nose was classical Médoc with subtle fruit combined cigar box and pencil shavings. The palate was very linear and harmonious with a discreet attack broadening in the mouth to a climax at the end of the palate followed by a gentle decrescendo; aromas were similar to those on the nose. The wine had put on flesh but had retained its class and just enough of its green notes and austerity to remind me that this was claret and not an imitation of Napa valley. A lovely bottle; 17.5/20.

If this and Otto’s experience of 1993 are typical, it would be worthwhile hunting down other 93s for drinking in the next two to three years. I seem to like “off” vintages; a few days earlier I similarly enjoyed a Gruaud-Larose 99; perhaps less class but more charm than this Lascases.

The last bottle opened a couple or so years ago was disappointing; classy and long but austere to a fault with a green finish.

I thought that was a typical note for all young LCC?

This time the wine had opened up and come into balance. The nose was classical Médoc with subtle fruit combined cigar box and pencil shavings. The palate was very linear and harmonious with a discreet attack broadening in the mouth to a climax at the end of the palate followed by a gentle decrescendo; aromas were similar to those on the nose. The wine had put on flesh but had retained its class and just enough of its green notes and austerity to remind me that this was claret and not an imitation of Napa valley. A lovely bottle; 17.5/20.

If this and Otto’s experience of 1993 are typical, it would be worthwhile hunting down other 93s for drinking in the next two to three years. I seem to like “off” vintages; a few days earlier I similarly enjoyed a Gruaud-Larose 99; perhaps less class but more charm than this Lascases.

Off-vintages are often more to my taste also than the lauded vintages. I find that the so called "great" vintages too often (exceptions abound, of course) simply lack freshness, savouryness and Bordeaux-like character.

Thanks for the note. I'm also on the lookout for more '93s.