1975 Château Léoville Las Cases

I was very skeptical about this bottle, but knew that it has been well stored in our cellar for the last few years. Popped and poured tonight, Valentine's Day at Tastebuds in New Hope, PA. This was a classic example of a mature Bordeaux, from what was supposed to be a weak vintage. Regardless, this showed well, and had a good fill well into the neck. Cork was soaked 80% of the way through, with the faintest sign of mold under the foil. Nonetheless, it came out in one piece, which surprised me...or maybe our server was just that good with the corkscrew! Regardless, we gave him a nice taste, and he seemed to appreciate and enjoy it. Good on ya! Nice to see someone with a nice appreciation for the nectar of the God's at a BYOB! Deep garnet color in the glass, with the slightest bit of bricking, but this was more of a purple color with a slight fading around the rim, which surprised me. A bit of band aid on the nose, with some nice hints of cherry, pencil lead, wet slate, tobacco, leather and cedar. There was also the slightest bit of sweetness on the nose. On the palate, I was absolutely shocked, not expecting much in the least. Very nice mature cherry and strawberry on the palate, with a little bit of spice and cedar/leather. Some other red fruits were on the palate, but didn't really dominate, and were hard to identify, but had some berry like qualities. Overall, I was surprised there was as much fruit on the palate as there was. The finish was nothing to write home about, and albeit a bit short, it was smooth, the acidity was nice, and the tannins were well integrated. It was no 1982, but it was nice and pleasant, and worth of 92 points. Happy Valentine's Day! Cheers!