Grand Vin de Léoville du Marquis de Las Cases (1986)

About this wine

The 1986 Grand Vin de Léoville du Marquis de Las Cases is a Cabernet Sauvignon led Bordeaux blend that delivers intense blackcurrant and blackberry fruit with clear cedar and graphite notes on the nose. The palate is structured and focused, showing ripe but assertive tannins, bright acidity, and a medium to full body that gives the wine energy and length. Over time the wine reveals tobacco, leather, and subtle truffle notes alongside dark chocolate and a mineral undertow. The wine was blended from primarily Cabernet Sauvignon with significant Merlot and smaller amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, and it was matured in oak before bottling. Contemporary critics praised its precision and tension, and many reviewers consider the 1986 to be one of the standout Léoville Las Cases vintages of the decade.

About the grape

Cabernet Sauvignon is the backbone of Léoville Las Cases and in the 1986 grand vin it provides the main structure and longevity, grown primarily on the estate s deep gravel over sand and clay soils which favor ripeness and concentration. Merlot has traditionally been used in smaller proportion on cooler or lower slope parcels to add mid palate suppleness, and in this bottling it would have come from younger or lower lying sites replanted during the large replanting in the 1950s. Cabernet Franc occupies a modest slice of the vineyard and is selected for aromatic lift and finesse, often planted on sites with slightly deeper soils and managed to preserve acidity and perfumed character. Petit Verdot appears only in a small percentage, its late ripening and small thick skinned berries contributing color, tannin and spice when it achieves full ripeness in a vintage like 1986.

Quick facts

• 🏰 The 1986 bottle carries the full historic name Grand Vin de Léoville du Marquis de Las Cases, a reminder that the estate is still run by descendants of the Las Cases family who have owned parcels inside the ancient Clos de Léoville for centuries.
• 🏆 Many critics and the late winemaker Michel Delon treated the 1986 as the summit of Léoville’s 1980s — it’s often called the vintage Michel himself considered his finest work.
• ⏳ Despite being over three decades old, professional tasting notes commonly describe the 1986 as surprisingly youthful and energetic on the rim and palate, showing how long Léoville Las Cases wines can hold their freshness.
• ⚖️ Collectors love to taste 1986 side-by-side with the famous 1982; the 1986 is repeatedly noted as the more classically structured, tannic and aristocratic counterpoint to the 1982’s lushness.
• 💸 The 1986 is a poster child for critic worship — it earned consistently top-tier scores across major reviewers and is often listed by merchants as one of Léoville Las Cases’ most celebrated older vintages, which keeps demand (and prices) high on the secondary market.

Palate profile

Producer

Château Léoville Las Cases, located in the Saint-Julien appellation of Bordeaux, France, is one of the oldest estates in the Médoc region. Originally part of a vast estate known as Domaine de Léoville, it was divided during the French Revolution, leading to the creation of Château Léoville Las Cases, Château Léoville Barton, and Château Léoville Poyferré. The estate has been managed by the Delon family since the late 19th century and is currently overseen by Jean-Hubert Delon. Notably, in 1976, the 1971 vintage of Château Léoville Las Cases ranked sixth among ten French and Californian red wines in the historic "Judgment of Paris" wine competition. The estate's vineyards are situated adjacent to those of Château Latour in Pauillac, separated only by the Juillac tributary.