2016 Le Petit Lion

94 Points: The second wine of Léoville Las Cases, the 2016 Le Petit Lion du Marquis de Las Cases includes more old vine Merlot and is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, and 8% Cabernet Franc that spent 14 months in 30% new French oak. It’s a “Wow” of a second wine and has a big nose of crème de cassis, black cherries, forest floor, and tobacco, with some almost Pauillac-like lead pencil and minerality. Full-bodied, with bright acidity and remarkable purity as well as ripe tannins, it’s a 30-year wine. How’s that for a second wine?