1989 Leoville Las Cases
By Chateau Leoville Las Cases
1989 Leoville Las Cases from Chateau Leoville Las Cases, St-Julien, Bordeaux
In the symphony of exceptional vintages, none strikes a chord of gravitas quite like the 1989 Leoville Las Cases from the enduring bastion of Bordeaux excellence, Chateau Leoville Las Cases. This vintage promises a journey through the historical terroir of St-Julien that remains eternally etched in one's memory.
Epochal Alchemy: The Fabric of 1989
As we revisit the storied year of 1989, it is evident that the elements conspired in benevolent harmony to craft an offering of profound character and longevity. The growing season granted by providence was one of both generosity and precision, laying the groundwork for what was to bloom into a monumental vintage. It is a portrayal not only of excellence but also of particular eloquence specific to 1989.
Climatic Serendipity Forges Investment Worthiness
The vintage year itself was marked by quintessential conditions; a mild winter gave way to an auspiciously warm spring, allowing for early flowering. Summer's end welcomed gentle rains which ushered in perfect harvest days. As a result, the 1989 Leoville Las Cases articulates this meteorological masterpiece fluidly, with an opulence and structured complexity that speaks volumes to its storied provenance.
The neoclassical structure of the wine is adorned with a formidable array of dark fruit notes, including blackcurrants and plums, deftly accompanied by an undercurrent of earthy truffle and cedar. Age has gracefully sculpted its profile, permitting tertiary whispers of leather and tobacco to emerge through the polished tannins and harmonious acidity.
An investment in this undeniably classic vintage is to hold an artefact from Bordeaux's annals, one that embodies the confluence of artesian skill and climatic fortune that defines Chateau Leoville Las Cases' masterworks. Investors will take stock not only in a robust liquid asset but also in bottled history—one that continues to unfold its narrative with each passing year.
Concluding Ode to Timeless Elegance
For those seeking a pinnacle example from Bordeaux's left bank, the 1989 Leoville Las Cases unequivocally affirms its investable stature. It stands as one amongst the pantheon of greats—an articulate expression of time and place that captures the essence of St-Julien's indelible terroir. A treasured addition to any discerning connoisseur's portfolio, this is a wine that transcends mere enjoyment, it is a voyage into viticultural lore.
Current market price
$3,980.00
12x75cl
Highest score
90
POP score
239
Scores and tasting notes
Tasted at Roberson's Las-Cases vertical. This is a little disappointing on the nose, rather muffled compared to other vintages and certainly lacking the vigour and vivacity of the 1990. There are subtle touches of mulberry, sloe, graphite and saddle leather. The palate is medium-bodied with good balance, certainly at its plateau with leather, graphite and smoke. The finish has a touch of spice and again, a slight saline element at the back of the mouth. It is certainly well crafted but just lacking the joie-de-vivre or the profundity of its peers. Tasted February 2011.
Neal Martin - Wine Journal Jul 2011
Dark ruby (a far less saturated color than the 1990, for example), this wine offers up a somewhat internationally styled nose of new oak and ripe black currant fruit, with a hint of mineral and graphite. The wine is a medium weight, relatively elegant style of wine without nearly the power, density, and layers of concentration that the 1990 possesses. Like so many 1989s, there is a feeling that the selection was not as strict as it could have been, or that the harvest occurred perhaps a few days earlier than it should have to achieve full phenolic ripeness. This wine will continue to improve for at least another 15 or more years, and while it is an outstanding wine , it is hardly a profound example of Leoville Las Cases. Anticipated maturity: Now-2016. Last tasted, 12/01.
Robert Parker Jr - The Wine Advocate, 31 December 2002