Le Petit Lion du Marquis de Las Cases

Château Léoville Las Cases, owner of one of the oldest and best terroirs of the AOC Saint-Julien in Bordeaux, has managed to maintain the prestige of its wines vintage after vintage. So much so that, with the aim of preserving the quality of the Grand Vin, in recent years some plots were uprooted and replanted and those have now been used to make a second wine, Le Petit Lion du Marquis de Las Cases. A relatively new production that, although vinified and aged with the same care as its older siblings, is intended to be more affordable and a bottle you can open sooner. With a label showing a lion protecting the entrance of the vineyard, “Grand Enclos” is showing that the winery’s younger wines can also achieve the status of a great Pauillac.

Le Petit Lion du Marquis de Las Cases comes from a blend of young Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot vines. These vines are planted in unique terroirs composed mainly of gravel on the edge of the Girondo River and are cultivated through respectful agriculture in the AOC Saint-Julien. When the grapes reach optimum ripeness, they are harvested and selected by hand. In the winery, following a traditional vinification process, the grapes are crushed and fermented in stainless steel, cement and wood tanks at a controlled temperature. The wine is then aged for 18 months in 225-litre French oak barrels before being bottled.

This work has had very successful results. Le Petit Lion du Marquis de Las Cases is a blend with the wonderful aromatic power and concentration typical of the Château Léoville Las Cases’ great wines but with the honesty that the youngest member of the family always brings.