1996 Chateau Leoville Las Cases

一瓶典型 Saint‑Julien：力量與細緻並重，值得慢慢打開。

【為什麼選它？】
1) 產地精華 -> 來自傳奇地塊，土壤礦物質感明顯，喝得到地頭味。
2) 橡木與窖藏 -> 18 個月法國橡木桶熟成，結構成熟但不厚重，老化潛力強。
3) 評價保證 -> 多位權威高分背書，買來收藏或當餐飲都安心。

【侍酒師私房筆記】打開酒塞那刻有黑醋栗和熟黑櫻桃的濃郁核心，接著是烤雪松、煙草盒和一抹甘草。入口集中卻有線條，單寧細緻但存在感足夠支撐整體，酸度讓味道更明亮。放半小時到一小時後香氣互相呼應，尾韻帶點鹹礦質，收得乾淨又耐人回味。

【場景化配餐指南】建議醒酒 1–2 小時。適合周末與好友吃戰斧牛扒、節日的烤羊架、或高質素的中式紅燒牛肉。搭配熟成硬奶酪也非常合拍。

【降維打擊對比】相比名牌頂級一級庄，這款在二級名莊的身分下提供更直接的陳年回報與消費彈性——口感厚實但不自大，價格在同級中更具性價比。

A Saint‑Julien classic that marries power with silk — majestic, precise, and built to age.

【Why choose it?】
1) Legendary terroir -> Signature depth and minerality you rarely find outside top Médoc; immediate provenance reassurance.
2) Proven ageing -> 18 months in French oak yields integrated structure and a graceful evolution in the glass.
3) Critics’ acclaim -> Consistently top scores signal a confident cellar pick and strong investment value.

【Sommelier’s Private Notes】On opening, ripe dark fruit—cassis and black cherry—rides a wave of toasted cedar, tobacco and subtle liquorice. The attack is concentrated yet nimble; tannins are firm but polished, acidity keeps everything precise. As it breathes the savory, toasted and mineral layers unfold; finish is long, saline and classically St‑Julien.

【Occasion / Pairing Guide】Decant for 60–120 minutes. Ideal for weekend steak nights, celebratory family roasts, or a refined Cantonese banquet where richer red‑meat mains are served. Matches roasted lamb, venison, beef Wellington or an aged British cheese board.

【Competitive Edge】Compared with many flagship Bordeaux, this offers hallmark Médoc finesse and longevity at a price that—on the secondary market—represents exceptional value for a top‑tier Second Growth.

Specification

• Alcohol %: 12.7%
• Decant Time: 1–2 hours
• Taste: black cassis, black cherry, toasted cedar, tobacco, liquorice, minerality, dried herbs, cedar chest, silky tannins, long finish
• Food Matching: Ribeye steak with beef dripping and Merlot gravy, Lamb rack with herb crust, Boeuf en croûte (beef fillet in pastry), Roasted venison, Mature hard cheese (e.g. Lincolnshire Poacher)
• Grape Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon : 70%, Cabernet Franc : 16%, Merlot : 14%,

Winery

Chateau Leoville-Las Cases：位於 Saint‑Julien 的二級酒莊名門，核心園址在 Clos Léoville Las Cases。莊園重視地塊管理與人工採收，傳統釀造配合長期橡木熟成，風格經典且具收藏價值。

Chateau Leoville-Las Cases — a historic Second Growth from Saint‑Julien, renowned for parcels on the Clos Léoville Las Cases with deeply rooted vines, meticulous viticulture and traditional cellar practices under Domaines Delon ownership.