One of the leading estates in Bordeaux, Château Léoville-Las Cases is one of the largest and oldest Classed Growths in the Médoc. Along with Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, it is widely considered one of the best estates in Saint-Julien.
The Léoville property’s history stretches back to the 17th century, but the vast estate was divided into three parts in the 19th century, following the death of the Marquis de Las Cases. The largest third went to his son Jean-Pierre and this is now Léoville-Las Cases. Another third went to the Marquis’s daughter Jeanne, which is now Château Léoville Poyferré, while the last third was auctioned off to Hugh Barton and became Château Léoville Barton.
From 1900, the estate was run by Théophile Skawinski, a well-known viticulturist who also ran Château Pontet-Canet. He passed the estate to his son-in-law André Delon and the estate has stayed in the Delon family ever since. They became majority owners in 1930, buying out the remaining shareholders in 1994, and the estate is now entirely owned by the Delon family. Pierre Graffeuille is the current General Manager of the family’s various estates, including Château Potensac in the Médoc and Château Nénin in Pomerol.
Léoville-Las Cases is located at the northern tip of the Saint-Julien appellation, with the Grand Vin’s vineyards (the Clos) bordering those of Château Latour and running alongside the boundary of Pauillac. The soils here, in the heart of the original Léoville estate, are gravel over gravelly clay and sand subsoils, offering excellent drainage. The site’s
