Chateau Leoville Las Cases - Le Petit Lion 2021

Galloni: "The 2021 Le Petit Lion is a wine of real breath and textural intensity. Black cherry, plum, leather, spice, menthol, licorice and graphite all build in the glass. The Petit Lion has the potential to be one of the Sleepers of the vintage. It has all the class and breadth of ist bigger sibling, but in miniature. I loved it."

Suckling: "A red with deep and focused character of blackberry, blackcurrant and light ink. Lots of flowers, too, It’s medium-bodied with a solid core of fruit and a long finish. Clarity. 57% merlot, 40% cabernet sauvignon and 3% cabernet franc."

Weinwisser: "25 % neue Barriques. Im verspielten Bouquet, Schattenmorellensaft, zarte Rauchnote von der Barrique, heller Tabak und Veilchen. Am eleganten Gaumen mit seidiger Textur, mit sapidem Extrakt, engmaschigem Tanningerüst und kompaktem Körper. Im konzentrierten Finale schwarzbeerige Konturen, helles Graphit und fein mürbe Adstringenz."

Decanter: "Plush and vibrant, the fruit here is lively and zippy, it has real energy on the palate while having a bitterness and a salinity to the tannins that are grippy and mouthfilling. The whole palate is full of minty freshness giving this life and an aerial feel while the darker more savoury elements settle on the tongue and long finish. It's a little tight right now but shows refined and elegant winemaking. I like it's roguish charm with power and intention. Ageing in 40% new barrels. 3.54pH."

Falstaff: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Zarte Kräuterwürze, schwarze Beeren, dunkle Kirschen, zart nach Nougat. Straff, engmaschig, rotbeerig, reife Tannine, mineralisch und zugänglich, Brombeeren im Nachhall."

Neal Martin: "The 2021 Le Petit Lion represents one-third of the production from the Clos de Léoville. It is raised 40% new oak. It has a bright bouquet, a mixture of blackberry and blueberry fruit, fine delineation, quite floral and Margaux-like in style. The palate is medium-bodied with edgy, slightly chalky tannins on the entry, a fine salinity here that, for me, marks it out against the La Petite Marquise with quite a persistent tail on the finish. Just needs 2-3 years in bottle. Alcohol level is 13.27% here."