Léoville-Las Cases St-Julien 2012

96 points/'Cellar Selection,' Wine Enthusiast: "This vintage of Lascombes shows more restraint on oak than previous vintages. The result is a ripe wine, still showing some wood flavors although it is already beginning to balance these with the black fruits. It has an opulent style that is warm and generous. Drink from 2019. (Sep 2015)"

94 points Wine Spectator: "This is very tight at this early stage, with a wall of smoldering charcoal holding the core of dark plum, blackberry paste and cassis in reserve. The sleek finish shows admirable length and a mouthwatering echo of iron. This harnesses the austerity of the vintage to its advantage, and should unwind slowly in the cellar. Best from 2018 through 2030. (3/31/15)"

94 points Jane Anson (Inside Bordeaux): "74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc. The tannins are noticeably bigger than the other St Juliens in the lineup, with more grip through the palate and you feel the structure exerting a gentle pressure at the close of play. There are fruits here also, in the cassis and bilberry frame as with Léoville Barton, with touches of mint leaf and eucalyptus. Not generous, but plenty of impact, and a gentle mouthwatering salinity. Lighter framed within the Las Cases world, but one of the more impactful 2012s overall. Drink: 2024-2042. (3/3/22)"

94 points Andrew Jefford (The World of Fine Wine): "Saturated dense black-red. Earthy, dark, sweet, and beautifully parsed, with ample allusions for those who might go looking (spices, plant sap, dark fruits, and rummaged stone notes, too): an aromatic profile of impressive complexity. On the palate, a dark and vital wine. There’s a little less tannic wealth and textural amplitude than I expected, but the wine makes up for this with masterful though (just) ripe acidity and athletic concentration. A truly splendid effort for the year. I wouldn’t keep it over the long term, as that aciddriven fruit will never give the lazy tannic unctuous mellowness that carries great Bordeaux most distantly through time, but this is a commanding effort for the medium-term, before the acid and flesh begin to part company. 2020–28. (Issue #54; 2016)"

93+ points Robert Parker: "The bigger sister or brother of Le Petit Lion, depending on your point of view, the 2012 Leoville Las Cases has gorgeous minerality, plenty of blueberry and blackcurrant fruit that is super-pure, an opaque ruby/purple color, medium body and firm structured, slightly austere personality. This wine is built for the long-term. A blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Franc, it attained 13.5% alcohol, which is substantial for a 2012 Médoc. It has depth and richness, but also a boatload of tannin. Forget it for 8-10 years and drink over the following 15-20. Drink: 2023-2043. (Apr 2015)"

93 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2012 Léoville-Las-Cases offers lovely up front voluptuousness, something I am almost shocked to write about one of the Left Bank's most notoriously slow agers. Sweet red cherry, dried flowers and pipe tobacco scents meld into a translucent, mid-weight Las Cases that should drink relatively early by this wine's standard. The silky finish only adds to the wine's considerable early appeal. The blend is 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Franc. Drink: 2022-2042. (Jan 2016)"