Le Petit Lion, St. Julien, Bordeaux, France, 2015, 750ml

A blend of young Cabernet and old Merlot vines produce a racy, elegant wine that’s a little lighter than its sister second wine Clos du Marquis but still very finely made.

40% young Cabernet Sauvignon, 60% old Merlot (because Las Cases does not have much Merlot). 30% new oak. Mid crimson. Spicy, soft nose – really rather charming. Transparent and much more accessible than Las Cases. Racy. Sells for a little less than Clos du Marquis. 13.85%.

The 2015 Le Petit Lion is a blend of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 60% Merlot cropped at 39 hl/ha and matured in 30% new oak. It consists of younger vines from Leoville Las Cases, plus some of the old Merlot vines (which is why there is only 6% in the Grand Vin). It has quite a broody bouquet at first, though it opens up over the course of five to ten minutes, offering blackberry, bilberry, tar and graphite aromas, erring a little towards Pauillac in style. The palate is medium-bodied with quite firm tannin in the mouth, a keen thread of acidity, noticeable graphite notes again towards the finish that reinforces that Pauillac-like semblance. This is a commendable deuxieme vin, one bolstered by that old Merlot vine this year.