1961 Leoville Las Cases

[AHB]

Opened in July 2011 to celebrate a 50th birthday.

Deep red in colour, with a solid centre - perhaps 80% opaque. Classic mature claret nose, full of cedar wood and pencil shavings. Beautiful palate, fruity but dry and with the remnants of the tannins. Long aftertaste and finish. Absolutely fabulous wine. 95/100.

It's just a pity that good claret takes so long to turn into this sort of experience.

[RAYC]

You could tell as soon as the cork was pulled that this was going to be spectacular - textbook ripe rustic nose, with cedar and leather notes distinguishable. Remarkable colour for a 50-yr old. Quite savoury early palate before some fruit emerges and long but brittle graphite finish. Beautifully poised claret. I loved this.

It's just a pity that good claret takes so long to turn into this sort of experience.

And that it's either so expensive or so hit and miss (at least in my limited experience)

[DRT]

Richard Mayson commented on this wine in his Blog

[Michael H]

The 1961 Bordeaux vintage is very peculiar in that there was a severe problem in the flowering period that resulted in 1/3 the usual number of grapes being produced by the vines. Ask yourself what would be the result of an otherwise good vintage with disciplined, controlled production of grapes . . . if you throw in the curve ball that in this vintage you are going to further discipline your production to force all the vigor of the vines to be focused in 1/3 the number of grapes? This describes 1961 to some extent. Perhaps a well known aspect of the vintage, but I thought I would point it out.