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The 2008 Léoville Las Cases has a backward, broody, earthy bouquet with intense tobacco and graphite aromas, more like a Pauillac than a Saint Julien, no surprise given that it lies on the border. The palate is very impressive: layers of tobacco-tinged black fruit, sea salt and graphite. This is very precise and harmonious with a persistent and multi-layered finish that leaves you mightily impressed. (Tasted at BI Wine & Spirit’s annual 10-Year On tasting.)Vinous Media | 96 VM(Château Leoville Las Cases) The 2008 Leoville Las Cases is the finest wine that I have yet tasted from this great vintage and is destined to one day be ranked up at the very pinnacle of Michel Delon’s accomplishments during his tenure at the superb estate. I have recently tasted the 1982, 1986 and 1989 Leoville Las Cases, and there is little doubt in my mind that the 2008 will eventually eclipse those top flight vintages here, so this is a wine that fans of this estate should make every effort to secure before it disappears from the market. Wines like the 1982 and 1986 here share a sense of density that seems to come across as a slight flaw in hindsight, once one compares them to the seamless structure and effortless power of this young 2008 Las Cases. The bouquet is absolutely profound, as it soars from the glass in a classic blend of black cherries, cassis, tobacco leaf, a magically complex base of soil, French roast, a touch of violet and an utterly suave base of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and stunningly transparent down to the soil, with a sappy core of fruit, flawless focus and balance, ripe, firm tannins, really lovely acidity and stunning grip on the very long, reserved and monumental finish. This is 13.4 percent alcohol- all natural- and it shows off the finest sense of focus, balance and signature of soil in a young vintage of Leoville Las Cases that I can ever recall. In fact, I have never tasted a vintage of Las Cases- young or old- that so beautifully embraced its terroir and translated it into the finished wine as the 2008. Stunning juice. (Drink between 2022-2100)John Gilman | 96+ JGAnother underrated vintage for this estate, the 2008 Léoville Las Cases is a vibrant, youthfully primary wine that’s aging at a slower pace than the 2009. Unfurling to reveal aromas of dark berries and cherries mingled with subtle hints of pencil shavings and nicely integrated new oak, it’s medium to full-bodied, taut and layered, with tangy acids, ripe tannins and a long, penetrating finish. Displaying compelling purity and energy, it’s a serious Las Cases that will richly reward the patient but which is still some way away from its drinking window.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPOne of the most classic, regal wines in the vintage, the 2008 Léoville Las Cases is made from 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Merlot. Possessing an incredible Cabernet character in its graphite, crushed rocks, green tobacco, and crème de cassis-like fruit, this beauty is medium to full-bodied, has integrated acidity, a deep, layered texture, and a distinct minerality and salinity on the finish. It’s just now at the early stages of its drink window, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it become one of the longest-lived wines in the vintage. It should hit prime time in another 4-5 years and keep for 30 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDSuper racy and balanced. Masses of licorice and currants, intense aromas. Full and very silky with an intensity of fruit. Reminds me of the 1996. Best after 2015.James Suckling | 95 JSWith its superb tannins, the wine has a great solid core of structure. Over it is an edifice of direct black berry fruits, elegant texture and intense acidity. Impressive, a wine for aging.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThis is loaded for the vintage, with layer upon layer of crushed blackberry, fig paste and mulled black currant offset by smoldering tobacco, charcoal and anise notes. The finish is all iron and roasted earth for now, with the density to be among the longest-lived wines of the vintage. Best from 2013 through 2023. 14,583 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSFirm, rich tannins quietly declare their confidence - this is not yet at its real drinking window as the structure will require another five years to soften. The emphasis is clearly on the primary Cabernet, with an attack that focusses on cassis and the finish on menthol. This is Médoc personified, showing graphite notes, forest floor and tobacco, barely revving out of the gate. Drinking Window 2022 - 2038Decanter | 94 DEC

Treated now as a separate wine, rather than a second wine, with its own vineyard, Clos du Marquis has developed a dense, concentrated style. It is firm, chewy, the tannins in suspension in the rich fruit. Good aging potential. Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEI love the berry and currants and cassis here with minerals. Full and very velvety and rich with beautiful fruit. Long and juicy with lovely fruit. Give it three to four years of bottle age.James Suckling | 92 JS(Clos du Marquis) For several vintages now, Clos du Marquis has been effectively its own wine, as it hails from a specific section of vines each year within the Leoville Las Cases vineyards and is treated as a completely separate entity by Messieurs Delon and Rolland and their team at the estate. The 2008 Clos du Marquis is indeed very special and provides ample evidence of just how fine the 2008 vintage is in Bordeaux. The bouquet is flat out stunning, as it soars from the glass in a vibrant mélange of sappy black cherries, cassis, Cuban cigars, a wonderfully complex base of soil tones, espresso and a judicious framing of new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, very pure on the attack and very sappy at the core, with impeccable focus and balance, seamless, ripe tannins and beautiful length and grip on the absolutely balanced finish. This is a beautiful bottle of wine that I am probably underrating just a touch, but one needs to figure out how to give a bit of a spread between the Clos du Marquis and the surreal Leoville Las Cases in 2008- without breaking out the 110 point scale! (Drink between 2019-2050)John Gilman | 92+ JGThe 2008 Clos du Marquis has an expressive bouquet with blackberry, briary and pencil shaving aromas that gains intensity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with just a light seam of greenness, although it merely adds freshness and asserts its classicism. I find this fresh and balanced, sporting just the right amount of dryness on the cassis-driven finish that balanced with the fruit, lending it a “breezy” and unassuming character that suits it down to the ground. Enjoy this over the next decade. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 10-Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 90 VMRipe and refined, with pure, driven plum, raspberry and black cherry fruit and sleek structure. Flickers of charcoal, roasted cedar and tobacco hang in the background. Should age nicely. Drink now through 2017. 14,165 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WSSourced from different vines to Petit Lion, in an entirely different section of the vineyard, this is a little softer in expression, even with just one year difference. The vintage itself had a late budburst after a wet and rainy start, followed by a dry July, wet August and a late harvest. It meant that the Cabernet had a little trouble but the Merlot was good and ripe, because they waited to pick it. This is extremely enjoyable to drink today, with a clear line of sight to the main estate signature. It has dense black cherry and blackberries, a silky texture, and enjoyable balance between menthol freshness and still-firm tannins. 50% new oak. Drinking Window 2019 - 2028Decanter | 90 DEC