2015 BWE WINE OF THE YEAR: 2012 CHATEAU LEOVILLE LAS CASES

[JimHow]

It was on the first of five days of tours of the great properties of Bordeaux.
We were all a bit sluggish: It was late in the day, nearing the end of a grueling Monday schedule in the northern Medoc.
We had broken up into two groups, shifting between Latour, Gruaud Larose, and Leoville Las Cases.
The visit to LLC was one of those pleasant little nuggets of the trip.
Nothing real flashy, or fancy, or new age. Our host spoke only French.
It was staid. Classic. Classy.
We were at one of the truly great properties of Bordeaux.
I've often spoken of that "bend in the road." That point along D2 where the stone wall divides the vines of Latour and LLC, with the Pichons and Leoville Barton nearby, where the southern border of Pauillac meets the northern border of St. Julien.
The place on planet Earth where the temperatures, and micro-climate, and average rainfall, and soil, and terroir all combine magically to produce the most favorable conditions for the growing of wine grapes. And we were right there!
It was a thrill to taste the 2012 Leoville Las Cases. It was such an epitomization of the greatness of the left bank. The balance of strength and elegance. So youthful but yet so smooth, ethereal.
I took a couple sips and I remembered what it was like the first time I had the 1990 Margaux -- a very different wine, of course, but similar in the way that it exuded class, depth, layers upon layers without hitting you over the head.
It was a magical moment for me on the trip.
And our host was a great sport as well.
It is long overdue, as well, to just celebrate the consistent success of this great estate. I've had less of them in recent years but it seems that Leoville Las Cases has stayed true to itself, while avoiding the worst aspects of modernization.
Ian and Maureen were standing next to me when I took those first sips of the 2012 Leoville Las Cases, they reviewed the wine a couple days later (at the 4:50 mark), when we visited La Lagune:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3kZaUnaPF8

A note on the 2012 vintage. It is by no means a blockbuster vintage. But it seems to have a lot of what a lot of us tend to look for here at BWE: Balance, restraint, class. It was great to drink these wines during our historic May 2015 visit to Paris and Bordeaux.

And so: In my capacity as the beloved, kind, and benevolent dictator of Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts, I hereby decree that the 2015 Wine of the Year is:

2012 Chateau Leoville Las Cases

It will now, at long last, join the great pantheon of past recipients of the award of BWE Wine of the Year:

2000: 1996 Sociando-Mallet
2001: 1989 Lynch-Bages
2002: 1995 d'Yquem
2003: 1999 Haut Brion Blanc
2004: 2000 Pichon Baron and 2000 du Tertre
2005: 2000 Margaux
2006: 2003 Pontet-Canet
2007: 2002 Leoville Poyferre
2008: 2005 Burgundy vintage (protest vote)
2009: 1989 Lafite Rothschild
2010: 2005 Cantemerle
2011: 2008 Leoville Poyferre
2012: 2009 Giscours
2013: 2004 Smith Haut Lafitte
2014: 2010 Chasse Spleen
2015: 2012 Leoville Las Cases

So it is written. So it shall be done!

BD

[Nicklasss]

A very good choice indeed. I thought all the 2012 were excellent (Potensac, Nénin, Petit Lion, Clos du Marquis and LLC). I Would have liked a more formal tour, but I guess that just to be "in" was already great.

Nic

[Comte Flaneur]

A very <<wise>> decision if I may say so.

A wine, like our Benevolent Dictator that exudes gravitas and savoir faire. As he notes a worthy winner, which has the qualities we look for at BWE in abundance.

It was a shame the other half of the group was not there to try it. Watching Jim’s face light up when he tasted this wine is one of my most abiding memories of the tour.

A choice which demonstrates perspicacity and sagacity.

[Comte Flaneur]

Gosh it is quiet in here. I thought we had broken that after the BWE 2015 tour.

Anyone else care to comment on the wine of the year award? Surely it deserves more comment?

I guess the experience was confined to only half the tourists.

But here's a tip: go out a buy a bottle and see what all the fuss is about.

[dstgolf]

Jim/ Comte et al,

This is a travesty. Maybe it was a good wine shared by half of the group from BWE 2015 but in the spirit of wine of the year this is truly a stretch for the BD right up there with Burgundy 2005! How many people are running out to pick up a bottle of the 2012 LLC based on this decree? Few to none I suggest. 2012 du Tertre, 2010 Cantemerle (98 pts upgrade by the BD), any of the copious vintages of Pontet Canet ( even the 62 ) we all enjoyed, or the 09/10 Pichon Baron resonate with me more so than the 12 LLC. Hell 34 Petrus rang more bells than LLC for me and a wine that I can say most outside the crew from BWE 2015 will never be able to talk about! Sour grapes that I didn't have the opportunity to taste the 12 LLC maybe but in the spirit of wine of the year there should be more than 8-9 people who have actually tried the wine to make it wine of the year. I haven't had any more input about the wine from anyone other than Comte,Nic and yourself. The other half of the group had a spectacular visit to Gruaud Larose and the charming winemaker was such a treat I put up a protest vote for the 96 GL that was tasted by the second half!!. Sorry the other half didn't have the pleasure of the LLC but c'est la vie we loved the tour at GL but the wine stole the show!

PS I hope you realize this is in jest and just disappointed we all couldn't enjoy the wine of the year. Feel cheated.

Happy New Year!

[AKR]

Seems like a good choice as they have a reputation for being good vintage in, vintage out.

I've always felt that they artificially throttle back their supply though, holding on for that magical day when they get upgraded to 1st growth status, and their cellar stocks quadruple in value overnight.

[AlohaArtakaHoundsong]

The Libourne called. Your Rive Droit visa has been revoked and you've been declared PNG.

[Roel]

To expensive to just try one bottle. Will sip a 1994 instead. Not bad at all. LLC always is a winner.

[Claret]

To expensive to just try one bottle. Will sip a 1994 instead. Not bad at all. LLC always is a winner.

I have some untasted 94's and would appreciate a note when you try it.

[tim]

I bought a couple bottles of the 12 LLC based on the ravings of Ian, but as I was also in the group that went to the fantastic Gruaud Larose visit I did not get a chance to taste it. However, I will not protest as I am not dictator I will also note that as we have not had an LLC as a WOTY, it is a nice addition.

A few of us will be embarking on an interesting LLC tasting next week, with hopefully a report or two to follow.