Leoville Las Cases Clos du Marquis 1999

Leoville Las Cases Clos du Marquis 1999

A year ago this week we were touring St Julien Bordeaux where we visited Chateau Leoville Las Cases which was one of the highlights of our trip there. So it was fitting that for a casual grilled steak dinner with baked potatoes and sweet corn, I pulled from the cellar this Clos du Marquis label from the Domaines Delon estate.

As I wrote at the time in our chronicle of the trip, Clos du Marquis is a label from Domaine Leoville St Julien, a perfect expression of the Saint-Julien features based on structure, harmony, distinction, complexity and ageing potential.

Clos du Marquis was created at the beginning of the 20th century when the vineyard was planted,  inspired by the Petit Clos adjacent to the Château de Léoville, residence of the Marquis de Las Cases.

Clos du Marquis is a historic brand by the Domaines Delon, a separate vineyard that is across the road from Leoville Las Cases, whose first vintage was released in 1902. The creation of this brand was to allow a clear identification of two completely distinct terroirs of the two estate vineyards.

We hold many vintages of the Clos du Marquis and in error always thought it was a second label of Las Cases rather than a distinctive label in its own right. Upon our return home, we opened a 1989 vintage of Clos du Marquis in tribute to visit there and it was excellent.  

Clos du Marquis is located on some of the finest vineyards with their distinctive terroirs of the Saint Julien appellation, near the Las Cases property and the nearby surrounding prestigious Classified Growths such as Léoville Poyferré and Léoville Barton, and Pichon Lalande across the appellation boundary in Pauillac.

The Clos du Marquis vineyard is a separate cuvée – and not a 'Second Wine', with grapes grown in the Petit Clos (Clos meaning an enclosed garden or field) which is surrounded on all sides by other Second Growths. The Petit Clos vineyard is to the south of the Leoville Las Cases Grand Clos vines and covers 12 acres. It is planted with 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc.

Its name comes from a small walled parcel of land, in French a “clos,” located near the residence of the Marquis de Las-Cases. Clos du Marquis was produced and sold by Chateau Leoville-Las-Cases starting in the late 19th century, which makes it one of the very earliest of the so-called second wines now produced by many Bordeaux estates. The wines are generally made from the fruit of younger vines which are not considered mature enough to produce fruit for the estates’ signature wines. However, they often represent an excellent value and Robert M. Parker Jr. has written that Clos du Marquis in the last 20 years “has been close to the quality of a third or fourth growth.”

Over time it became a wine in its own right and since 1989 has been produced from separate parcels which lie outside Léoville Las Cases' main vineyards. The Clos du Marquis comes from the great terroirs of the Saint-Julien appellation that were not part of the former Léoville estate. These terroirs are located further west and surrounded by prestigious Crus Classés (Classified Growths) including Second Growths from the Saint- Julien and Pauillac appellations: Léoville Poyferré, Léoville Barton and Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. The Clos du Marquis thus displays typical Saint-Julien characteristics: structure, complexity, balance, distinction and great ageing potential. Clos du Marquis has the ability to challenge many other châteaux of the Medoc. Indeed, it is the equal of most 3rd, 4th and 5th Growths and has been an outstanding performer for many years.

Leoville Las Cases Clos du Marquis St Julien Bordeaux 1999

The 1999 vintage will undoubtedly be a bridesmaid, overshadowed by the much heralded 2000 vintage. Like the 1998 Napa to the much heralded '97, it provides pleasurable drinking at a fraction of the cost of the grand vin for great QPR. As all boats rise with the tide, in great vintages, even the second wines provide superior drinking on par with the grand vins. The 1999 vintage fell short of greatness, when, as so frequently happens in Bordeaux, September rains dashed hopes of a spectacular end to the millennium. Nevertheless 1999 was a respectable vintage, generally ahead of 1991, 1992 and 1993, in some instances surpassing 1994 and 1997 (Right Bank) and 1998 (Left Bank).

Reviewer notes: "A classic Bordeaux with a huge personality. Full color development shows. In the nose showing some smoked wood supported by lovely ripe fruit. Hints of spices, chocolate and some leather tip to detect. The scent is very sophisticated. In the mouth a beautiful entrance. Lots of flavor: fruit, spices, nicely integrated wood, great elegance but still some tannin and this gives the wine firm structure. The wine has a good grip and concentration in the mouth. Although wine is now mature, it can still ripen a while. A classic Bordeaux with a stamp."

This label was awarded:

90 points - James Suckling, Wine Spectator,

89 points - James Suckling, Wine Spectator - March 31, 2002,

86 points - Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #140 - April 2002,

88-90 points - Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #134- April 2001,

90 points - Neal Martin, Wine Journal - July 2011,

90-91 points - Neal Martin, Wine Journal - July 2002, and

88 points - Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar - May/June 2006.

This is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot.

Bright garnet colored, medium-full bodied, bright forward pronounced blackberry and tangy black currant fruits are accented by notes of tea, tobacco, hints of cassis and cedar on the firm, structured but approachable lingering tannins on the finish. At 21 years, showing no signs of diminution whatsoever, likely at the apex of its drinkability.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=11896

A visit to Léoville du Marquis de Las Cases

A visit to Château Léoville du Marquis de Las Cases, St Julien-Beychevelle, Bordeaux

One of the highlights of our trip to the Medoc was a visit to the legendary 'super second' Léoville du Marquis de Las Cases. This is one of the premier labels of Bordeaux and a special part of our collection with holdings or consumed bottles that date back to the 1964 vintage.

We hold a vertical collection of more than a dozen vintages that has consisted of releases from each of our kids' birth years, the vintages of 1981, 1982, 1985, 1990, and numerous other vintages in between or since, several in large format bottles.

We were very selective in contacting but a very few producers to visit during our trip to Bordeaux. As is customary, as we have learned from many trips to wine regions, we focused on but one appellation or growing region for the trip.

Château Léoville Las Cases were very responsive to our request for a visit during our trip to the St Julien Appellation. We celebrated upon receipt of our invitation by opening a bottle of the 1985 vintage Léoville Las Cases.
 This kicked off our spectacular week visiting our favorite St Julien Appellation producers. In addition to Léoville du Marquis de Las Cases, we also visited Second Growth producers Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou, Gruaud Larose and Léoville-Poyferré, as well as Fourth Growths Château Beychevelle  and Château Branaire-Ducru.

Indeed, we served Léoville Las Cases from large format Jeroboams from our daughter Erin's birthyear vintage at her wedding. We served this alongside Grand Vin Latour from the same vintage, the First Growth Chateau whose vineyards are immediately adjacent to those of Clos Léoville Las Cases.

We're holding a case plus several bottles of son Alec's 1990 birth year release that we'll most assuredly celebrate with him, family and friends as part of his wedding festivities in the coming year. We opened one upon our return to see how it is aging and it was spectacular. We several more opon our return at auction to supplement our holdings. 

Las Cases is one of the oldest and most noble Medoc estates dating back to Domaine de Léoville in the 17th century when it was owned by some of the wealthiest and most influential noble French families before it was acquired by the Las Cases family. The estate was split up between 1826 and 1840 as a result of the French Revolution creating Château Léoville Las Cases due to the ancestral birthright, from 3/5 of the original estate and the heart of the domain.

The Grand Vin’s current terroir vineyards were controlled by Pierre Jean, Adolphe and Gabriel de Las Cases who were successive heirs to the property until 1900 when Théophile Skawinski purchased a share in the estate and became its manager.

Léoville Las Cases has now been managed by the same family since the late 19th century and is today represented by Jean-Hubert Delon, sole owner and proprietor of the Château. Additionally, he owns Bordeaux estates Château Potensac in the Medoc and Château Nénin in Pomerol.

The Grand Vin is the product of exceptional terroirs from the former Léoville estate. The estate vineyards are located mainly in the Clos Léoville Las Cases along the D2 route running along and overlooking the Gironde River. They lie at the northern edge of the appellation just outside the village of Saint-Julien Beyechevelle village as you descend the hill heading north toward the appellation and village of Pauillac. There they meet and are adjacent to the legendary First Growth Chateau Gran Vin Latour estate and Pichon Longueville Comtess de Lalande, and Pichon Baron just across the road, in the Pauillac appellation. The vineyards extend over nearly 135 acres comprised of Bordeaux sanctioned varietals Cabernet Sauvignon (66%), Merlot (24%) and Cabernet Franc (10%) with an an average age of 52 year old vines.

The Clos represents a terroir of very great complexity composed of Quaternary gravel ("graves") over gravelly sand and gravelly clay subsoils. The vineyards run along the Gironde River and the proximity to the river has created the wide diversity of soils, formed over various geological periods.

The temperate waters of the river estuary and the nearby Atlantic Ocean create a moderating special micro-climate that enables very early ripening of the grapes and protects the vineyards from frost. The incomparable terroir gives this great wine its distinctive character and personality.

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This proximity to the river with the combination of geology and climatic effects influences the growth of the vines, coupled with appellation compliance restricted water supply and a very low intake of nutrients that all contribute to bringing out the best in the great Cabernet Sauvignons and Cabernet Francs. The result is magnificent fruit that consistently achieves the full potential of the site, even in modest or the most challenging vintages.

The legendary estate produces distinctive Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc Bordeaux grape varietals that are predominant in the blend resulting in a complex, polished expressive  characteristics which are unique to the Grand Vin of Léoville du Marquis de Las Cases that has been widely recognized as one of the premier producers of the Medoc for decades. 

Another label from Domaine Leoville St Julien is Clos du Marquis, another perfect expression of the Saint-Julien features based on structure, harmony, distinction, complexity and ageing potential.

Clos du Marquis was created at the beginning of the 20th century when the vineyard was planted,  inspired by the Petit Clos adjacent to the Château de Léoville, residence of the Marquis de Las Cases.

Clos du Marquis is a historic brand by the Domaines Delon, a separate vineyard that is across the road from Leoville Las Cases, whose first vintage was released in 1902. The creation of this brand was to allow a clear identification of two completely distinct terroirs of the two estate vineyards.

We hold many vintages of the Clos du Marquis and in error always thought it was a second label of Las Cases rather than a distinctive label in its own right. Upon our return home, we opened a 1989 vintage of Clos du Marquis in tribute to visit there and it was excellent.  

Clos du Marquis is located on some of the finest vineyards with their distinctive terroirs of the Saint Julien appellation, near the Las Cases property and the nearby surrounding prestigious Classified Growths such as Léoville Poyferré and Léoville Barton, and Pichon Lalande across the appellation boundary in Pauillac.

Recently, several vineyard plots in the Clos Léoville Las Cases were uprooted and replanted, and these are now coming into production. To differentiate the fruit from those plots, and to preserve the quality level of the prestigious Grand Vin, Château Léoville Las Cases created a second wine and label, starting with the the 2007 vintage, Le Petit Lion.

 

We had never seen or experienced Le Petit Lion and found it at the local wine merchant just down the street from the Chateau. We purchased a bottle and enjoyed it during our casual dinner back at our BnB that evening. We'll be on the lookout for it in the America marketplace.

The Petit Lion shares the philosophy of its two elder siblings; it is vinified and aged in order to preserve its fresh, ripe fruit flavour throughout its life. However, it is designed as a second wine, and is therefore made to be more accessible and for earlier drinking, with a significant proportion of Merlot used in the blend. It also available at a more affordable price point.

From the Delon property's website, "all the wine-producing estates of the Delon family, regardless of their varying levels of notoriety, are devoted to the same philosophy:

• Wines that are true representations of their Terroir. Another label from St Julien is Clos du Marquis, another perfect expression of the Saint-Julien features based on structure, harmony, distinction, complexity and ageing potential. In fact, its terroir is surrounded by several Second Classified Growths of the Appellation. 
• Wines that are made to be consumed during meals. They can be shared and enjoyed with family or friends. The wines are produced in such a way that they preserve their fresh ripe fruit fl avours throughout their life. Special attention is paid to the balance of acidity, a key element for ageing and the thirst-quenching role of the wine. The empyreumatic aromas given by maturation in new oak barrels must not dominate the grape aromas, but should blend together to offer a refined nose. 
• They must have good ageing potential and be able to improve with age. Precise ripening level of the grapes, balance in the blend and adapted maturation according to the wine's potential, all contribute in obtaining the oenological features which play a part in the wine's ageing capacity. A wine with ageing potential, if composed harmoniously, will overcome with ease certain inconveniences encountered during transport and conservation, which can lead to premature ageing. 
• A continual and incontestable search for excellence. For each vintage and terroir, the capricious sides of nature need to be understood in order to provide healthy and ripe grapes at harvesting, which are then vinified and blended to make fine or great wines.
  Not only is the soil worked traditionally using the age-old knowledge of the terroir but also our integrated agricultural methods show true respect of the surrounding environment. Carefully selecting grafts from our own best plants, mastering the plants' vigour, limiting the number of treatments and introducing hedgerows to encourage biodiversity are all decisions that contribute to our goal: bringing out the best in each terroir for each vintage offered by Mother Nature.
  
  After strict selection, only the most representative batches of each product are chosen for the final blend. The Delon family and its team ensure that the wines are as consistent as possible, by a first blend before barrelling and by re-blending them after ageing. The Delon family considers that each bottle of each wine produced is an ambassador for all consumers who taste them."

We were hosted in our visit by Florent Gentry, Associate Sales Director for the enterprise. He was very gracious and accommodating taking us through the facilities and then treating us to a special tasting of estate labels.

The operations use the most modern equipment and techniques to ensure the highest standards of quality. The grapes are individually sorted by hand and then by electronic optical sorting machines to ensure only the ideal grapes make it into the batch.

We toured the historic production facility with the large oak blending tanks, then the new modern production halls with laboratory command and control center. Florent talked about the tedious and meticulous blending process and the selection of the final cru. He mentioned that the tanks are filled according to each plot in the vineyards. Samples are taken from each tank in small lots and compared in over 100 separate batches by members of the staff in determining the optimal blend. When narrowed to a dozen selections the owners and winemaker and technical advisors determine the final blend.

 

The chai contains a series of connected buildings with production facility, blending halls with laboratory and command and control center, the barrel storage halls, bottling room, shipping and storage room and the historic vintage library storage area.  

The grand vin is kept in the prime tanks while the second wine is produced in the square tanks in the another production hall. The control center has precise control over each tank during all phases of the process.

The blended wine is transferred via underground pipes into new oak barrels in the adjacent barrel facility where it is aged for two years.

The barrels are racked monthly to remove any sediment and top off the level that is lost to evaporation. The aging barrels are kept in a precise temperature controlled facility.

Las Cases have their own bottling and labeling line that etches each bottle with the timestamped batch and lot number for quality control. As is customary, labels aren't applied until the final stage at the latest opportunity to minimize soiling or damage.

It was a great treat to tour the cellars and see the extensive Las Cases library of vintages dating back in the 20th century including historic legendary top vintages such as 1959, 1961, 1975, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1990 and others.

Many vintage bottles had been re-corked as warranted and were labeled with notations accordingly.

The historic Chateau contains lounges, meeting rooms and a elegant formal tasting room. The Chateau overlooks a formal garden and fountain with views of the Gironde River in the distance.

I inquired about a vintage wine from the library and upon our return to Chicago Florent had already contacted our local merchant, Binny's, the Chicago wine super store, about procuring a case of the 1990 vintage in either standard size bottles or magnums. We found a half case in our cellar and are working with Binny's on potentially splitting a case of the standard bottles or the magnums. Extraordinary service and promotion of a very special brand! We eventually acquired another case of this marquis label from a stellar special birth year vintage. Watch for our tasting posts as we celebrate this prized label from our collection or other encounters. 

Restaurant Le Savoie Marqaux

Restaurant Le Savoie Marqaux

Our first night in Margaux, Bordeaux, we walked a few blocks from the Chambres de Margaux, our B-n-B residence, to the Restaurant Le Savoie in the Margaux village centre on the main D2 Route du Medoc. It is the fine dining establishment in the village.

Savoie offers outdoor seating, indoor seating, or a solarium setting behind the restaurant in a courtyard setting. We opted to sit in between in the solarium tent like setting in the courtyard outside the dining room.

The restaurant offers a range of menu options for either the " Bistrot " lunch or the evening " Le Savoie " gourmand dinner.

The bistro lunch options:
Formulas (lunch and dinner) / Set menus lunchtime and evening

1 Entrance / 1 Starter	€ 16
1 Dish / 1 Dish	€ 19
1 Dessert / 1 Dessert	€ 10
1 Starter + 1 Dish / 1 Starter + 1 Dish	$ 29
1 Course + 1 dessert / 1 Dish + 1 Dessert	€ 26

The dinner options:

Starter + 1 fish + 1 meat + 1 dessert	€ 76
1 starter + 1 fish or 1 meat + dessert	€ 56
1 entry + 1 dish	€ 46
1 course + 1 dessert	€ 38

I had the Beef filet tournedos Rossini, foie gras ice cream, truffle macaroon and cep.

Linda had the sea scallops.

 

After dinner we had the plate of refined cheese "Jean Yves Bordier.

There is a wine bar and respectable wine list that offers 170 wine references including 35 grands crus classés. While the restaurant is sited in Margaux, the winelist favors local Margaux producers.

Having just visited Château Leoville Las Cases earlier in the day up in St Julien, we opted for the Las Cases selection, Clos du Marquis, Saint Julien, 2006.

For the dessert course we had the berry sorbet.

From the wine list we ordered a Sauternes dessert wine, Château Roumieu 2015.

 

www.lesavoie.net
 

Ridge Monte Bello, Clos du Marquis, Darioush Chardonnay highlight Surf & Turf Dinner

Ridge Monte Bello, Clos du Marquis, Darioush Chardonnay highlight Surf & Turf Dinner

L prepared grilled rib-eye steaks and lobster medallions for a wonderful surf and turf dinner. We pulled from the cellar Ridge Monte Bello Bordeaux Blend and Bill brought a Clos du Marquis. For the lobster medallions we tasted Darioush Napa Valley Chardonnay.

Ridge Vineyards are mostly known for their broad selection of single vineyard select Zinfandels from a dozen vineyards across Northern California Napa and Sonoma Counties, but their flagship premier label is this Bordeaux blend from the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA (Agricultural Viticultural Area - aka appellation).

 The Monte Bello estate and vineyard sit high above Silicon Valley in the range that separates south San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean. The historic estate is the site of the legendary vineyard, and an old stone winery built by Dr. Osea Perrone back in 1892, the year of the first vintage release from the property. Today, it houses the production facility and includes a tasting room. The property was purchased in 1959 by four Stanford Research scientists who released their first Ridge Monte Bello label in 1962.  Paul Draper, winemaker to this day, joined Ridge in 1969, took over production of red wines the next year, and became winemaker in 1971.

There are 83.5 acres of vineyards on the property consisting of thirty-three different parcels sitting between 1400 and 2700 feet in elevation, which come as close as fifteen miles from the Pacific Coast, and is therefore one of the coolest Cabernet Sauvignon sites in California. The grapes here typically set, turn color, ripen and are harvested three weeks later than typical Cabernet sites in the hotter Napa, and to a slightly lesser degree, Sonoma counties.

Back in the early eighties, we lived in Silicon Valley and our house was up against the foothills in the tony town of Saratoga, down in the corner of Silicon Valley, below the Santa Cruz viticultural area on the Bay side of the range. Our home sat on what at one time were vineyards, and moreso, apricot orchards, which eventually gave way to the sprawl of development in the bustling high tech region of suburban San Jose.

Monte Bello has been called an American 'first growth' and is known for bold, complex, long lived Bordeaux style wines. While 1998 was considered an 'off' year in Napa and Sonoma Counties, the Santa Cruz AVA, ninety miles to the south was not so afflicted. This was our second to last bottle from a case we purchased on release and based on this tasting, we need not be in a hurry to consume the final bottle.

At seventeen years, this showed no diminution from age and may be at the apex of its drinking window, not likely to improve any with further aging, but no need to rush to consume remaining bottle (s).

Dark purple garnet colored, medium to full bodied, initially a bit obtuse and acidic, but softened and opened after decanting and sitting for an hour, full, moderately expressive black berry and plum fruits, complex, nicely polished, accented by subtle tones of  pencil shavings, tobacco leaf, violets, and hints of bell pepper and anise with moderate smooth silky tannins on the finish. It would be overstated to characterize it as 'earthy' but there is a layer of complexity that reflects the storied terroir and reveals the care of 47%  selection and the rigorous thinning that results in extremely selective, low yields of less than 1 1/2 tons per acre. In the classic left bank Bordeaux style, the blend is Cabernet Sauvignon 70%, Merlot 24%, Petit Verdot 5%, and Cabernet Franc 1%.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3557

http://www.ridgewine.com/Vineyards/Monte%20Bello


Clos du Marquis 2004

This is the second wine of the classic Leoville Las Cases St Julien, Bordeaux, one of my absolute favorite Bordeaux and overall wines.

Dark garnet colored, medium bodied, moderate black currant/berry and black cherry fruits accented by floral tones give way to tones of leather, tobacco, hints of dried herbs and re-emergence of black cherry with moderate tannins on the finish. Not a fair fight perhaps as it was overshadowed against the more complex and bigger Monte Bello.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=92447

http://www.domaines-delon.com/en/leoville-chateau_leoville_las_cases_histoire.html 




Darioush Napa Valley Chardonnay 2008

For the lobster medallion accompaniment I pulled this Chardonnay from the cellar. We first discovered Darioush when Bill and Beth hosted us at a wine dinner at Cress Creek Country Club a dozen years ago and we had the Darioush Cabernet. That was the beginning of our extraordinary wine friendship.

Darioush has since been the feature of several wine dinners, a special winery visit with barrel tasting, and a spectacular winemaker dinner at Everest Restaurant in Chicago. So I favored this Darioush selection for our dinner tonight. I normally don't get excited about a white wine but this was one of the highlights of our surf and turf dinner - a perfect accompaniment to lobster medallions and the salad.

We visited the winery during our Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2003. Their fabulous winery and tasting facility on Silverado Trail in southern Napa Valley was not yet open but was well under construction at that time. 

We attended the gala Darioush - Domaine de Chevalier Gala Wine Dinner, a fabulous private dinner hosted by Darius & Shaptar Kaledi of Darioush Winery and Bernard Laborie of Domaine de Chevalier at Everest restaurant in Chicago in the summer of 2004.

The Darioush was butter colored, medium bodied, crisp and clean, initially slightly forward overtly acidic with tones of oak, but after an hour it settled down and was smooth, polished and balanced with pleasant  layers of fruit - subtle pear, lychee, melon and slight hint of citrus and vanilla with just the right accent of soft smooth oak.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1081544

https://www.darioush.com/