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.
1961 Leoville Las Cases
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Anything but Port, this includes all non-Port fortified wines even if they call themselves Port. There is a search facility for this part of the forum.
Anything but Port, this includes all non-Port fortified wines even if they call themselves Port. There is a search facility for this part of the forum.
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Alex Bridgeman
- Fonseca 1966
- Posts: 15922
- Joined: 12:41 Mon 25 Jun 2007
- Location: Berkshire, UK
1961 Leoville Las Cases
Top Ports in 2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
2025: Quevedo 1972 Colheita, b.2024. Just as good as Niepoort 1900!
2025: Quevedo 1972 Colheita, b.2024. Just as good as Niepoort 1900!
Re: 1961 Leoville Las Cases
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.
And that it's either so expensive or so hit and miss (at least in my limited experience)AHB wrote:It's just a pity that good claret takes so long to turn into this sort of experience.
Last edited by RAYC on 14:28 Sun 09 Oct 2011, edited 1 time in total.
Rob C.
Re: 1961 Leoville Las Cases
Richard Mayson commented on this wine in his Blog
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
Ernest H. Cockburn
Re: 1961 Leoville Las Cases
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.