Chateau Leoville Las Cases 1997

Chateau Leoville Las Cases 1997 is a classified-growth Saint-Julien Bordeaux red blend bottled at 12.5% ABV in a standard 750ml format. Robert Parker awarded it 90 points and called it "a star of the vintage," while Wine Spectator matched that score and praised its "extremely silky, polished tannins."

Quick Facts: ABV: 12.5%  |  Origin: Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France  |  Vintage: 1997  |  Estate: Château Léoville-Las Cases

Production & Heritage

Château Léoville-Las Cases is one of the most prestigious estates in Saint-Julien, classified as a Second Growth (Deuxième Grand Cru Classé) in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification. The estate blend draws from a vineyard composition of approximately 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot, with all fruit harvested by hand. Fermentation takes place in a distinctive combination of wooden, cement, and stainless steel vats — a relatively unusual setup in Bordeaux that gives the winemaking team precise control over each lot. Notably, beginning in 1987 the estate pioneered the use of a reverse osmosis machine to concentrate grape must in difficult vintages — a legal but controversial technique that helped the 1997 achieve concentration uncommon for the year.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose opens with refined cedar and black currant, building toward sweet cherry and floral violet notes. A measured dosage of new oak adds vanilla and a subtle spice framework beneath the fruit.

Taste: On the palate, the wine enters with ripe berry and cassis flavors that expand through a medium-bodied mid-palate. Blackberry and earthy undertones of leather emerge as the wine develops, supported by generous glycerin and exceptional purity. The tannins are notably polished and silky for a wine of this structure.

Finish: The finish is long and layered, marked by cool mint and mineral notes that linger well beyond the final sip. A thread of cedar carries through, keeping the wine fresh and composed as it fades.

How to Drink Léoville-Las Cases 1997

As a mature Bordeaux approaching three decades of age, this wine is best served slightly below room temperature — around 16–18°C (61–64°F) — and benefits from 30 to 60 minutes of decanting to allow its complex aromatics to fully open. Drinking it neat in a large-bowled Bordeaux glass will maximize the cedar and black currant bouquet. Given its age and elegance, cocktail applications are not recommended; this wine belongs on a table, not behind a bar.

Best For

• Gifting a serious Bordeaux collector or wine enthusiast
• Celebrating a milestone event tied to the year 1997 — a birth year, anniversary, or personal benchmark
• Anchoring a comparative tasting of 1997 Left Bank Bordeaux
• Pairing with a special-occasion dinner featuring red meat or aged cheese

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Léoville-Las Cases 1997 taste like? It delivers a core of ripe black currant and cassis interwoven with cedar, vanilla, and earthy leather, all carried by silky tannins and a long, minty-mineral finish. Wine Spectator described it as "clearly outstanding" with full body and gorgeous polish.

How does Léoville-Las Cases 1997 compare to Château Lafite Rothschild? Robert Parker himself noted that Léoville-Las Cases increasingly resembles Lafite Rothschild in character more than its closer neighbor Château Latour, sharing an emphasis on elegance, cedar, and finesse rather than sheer power. However, as a Second Growth, Léoville-Las Cases typically commands a significantly lower price than First Growth Lafite.

Is Léoville-Las Cases 1997 good for sipping on its own? Absolutely — this is a mature, fully resolved Bordeaux that rewards contemplative drinking neat, ideally after a brief decant to reinvigorate its aromatics.

Where is Léoville-Las Cases made? The estate is located in the Saint-Julien appellation on the Left Bank of the Bordeaux wine region in southwestern France, with vineyards bordering those of First Growth Château Latour in neighboring Pauillac.

What foods pair well with Léoville-Las Cases 1997? Roasted rack of lamb complements its cedar and cassis notes; grilled côte de boeuf matches the wine's structure; duck confit echoes its earthy undertones; aged Comté or Gruyère highlights the mineral finish; and mushroom risotto bridges its leather and forest-floor complexity.

What sizes does Léoville-Las Cases 1997 come in? The standard format is a 750ml bottle, though some vintages of Léoville-Las Cases were also released in half-bottles (375ml), magnums (1.5L), and larger formats depending on market availability.

Is Léoville-Las Cases 1997 worth the price? Léoville-Las Cases positions as one of the so-called "Super Seconds" — estates whose quality regularly approaches First Growth level at a fraction of the cost. The 1997 vintage is generally regarded as lighter than the estate's benchmark years, but dual 90-point scores from Parker and Wine Spectator confirm it over-delivered for the vintage, making it a relatively accessible entry point into aged classified-growth Bordeaux.

Why Léoville-Las Cases 1997?

The 1997 Bordeaux vintage was widely considered challenging, with rain during harvest that diluted many wines across the Left Bank. What makes this bottling remarkable is the estate's willingness to deploy its reverse osmosis technology — adopted a full decade earlier — to concentrate the must and preserve intensity that most neighbors simply could not achieve. Parker singled it out as "a star of the vintage," and both major critics awarded it 90 points, placing it among the top performers of the year from any appellation. For collectors seeking mature Saint-Julien from a legendary estate at a more approachable price than marquee vintages, this 1997 represents a compelling and increasingly rare opportunity.