2019 Le Petit Lion du Marquis de las Cases

2019 Le Petit Lion du Marquis de Las Cases is the highly regarded second wine of the legendary Château Léoville Las Cases in Saint-Julien, Bordeaux. Blending old-vine Merlot with younger Cabernet Sauvignon from both Clos du Marquis and the famed L’Enclos parcels, it offers a superb glimpse into the estate’s grand vin style at a more approachable level. Since its debut in 2007, Le Petit Lion has quickly become one of the most sought-after second wines of the Médoc, known for its precision, depth and classic Left Bank character.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, the 2019 Le Petit Lion shows a deep, vibrant ruby-purple hue, hinting at both concentration and youthful energy. The nose opens with intense blackcurrant and ripe blueberry, layered with notes of wild herbs, black olive tapenade, graphite, cedar and a touch of violet. On the palate, this is a full-bodied and firmly structured Saint-Julien, with focused dark fruit at the core—cassis, blackberry and plum—wrapped in fresh acidity and finely chiselled tannins. Savoury nuances of tobacco leaf, pencil shavings and dried Mediterranean herbs emerge with air, giving real complexity for a second wine. The finish is long, precise and mouth-coating, suggesting excellent cellaring potential. While already enjoyable with a good decant, this 2019 will continue to develop beautifully over the next 8–15 years, gaining silkier texture and more tertiary notes with time.

Production
The fruit for Le Petit Lion 2019 comes from vines rooted in two distinct but complementary Saint-Julien terroirs: the black, sandy soils rich in organic matter of the Clos du Marquis area, and the clay-gravel soils of L’Enclos, the historic heart of Léoville Las Cases. These well-drained, gravelly parcels over clay and subsoils of gravel and pebbles are ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, giving both ripeness and structure. The grapes are harvested by hand at optimal maturity, sorted rigorously in the cellar, and vinified in temperature-controlled vats, parcel by parcel, to preserve each plot’s character. Traditional Bordeaux methods are used, with carefully managed maceration and extraction, followed by maturation in French oak barrels (a proportion of which are new) to refine the tannins, add subtle spice and integrate the components before final blending.

Food & Serving
Le Petit Lion 2019 is a natural partner for classic, flavourful dishes such as roast lamb with rosemary, grilled or pan-seared ribeye steak, duck breast, beef short ribs, or game birds. It also pairs beautifully with mushroom-based dishes, truffle-infused recipes, and aged hard cheeses like Comté or Manchego. Serve at 16–18°C (60–64°F) for optimal expression. In its youth, decant for 1–2 hours to soften the tannins and open the bouquet; as the wine gains bottle age, a shorter decant of around 30 minutes will generally be sufficient.

Producer
Château Léoville Las Cases is one of the most revered estates in Bordeaux, classified as a Deuxième Cru (Second Growth) in the historic 1855 classification and often considered on par with the region’s top First Growths. Located in the appellation of Saint-Julien, on the northern edge bordering Pauillac, the estate’s famed L’Enclos vineyard sits on some of the most privileged gravel terroir in the Médoc, facing the Gironde estuary. With a long history stretching back to the 17th century, Léoville Las Cases has built a reputation for producing wines of remarkable depth, longevity and finesse. The creation of Le Petit Lion in 2007 reflects the estate’s commitment to precision and quality at every level, offering wine lovers an earlier-drinking yet thoroughly serious expression of this benchmark château.

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