Powerful and concentrated, this is just so tasty with plenty of fine grained tannins, but also the depth and width of a lovely Petit Lion. It has touches of graphite, peony and violet as it opens up and strikes the right tone between intensity and keeping the St-Julien balance. It holds the line right through the palate until those tannins become a little biting on the finish. 30% new oak; 3.69pH. 93 points

The 2020 Le Petit Lion (the second wine of Léoville Las Cases, mainly from younger vines) is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc and 44% Merlot, aging in 30% new French oak barriques, weighing in with an alcohol of 13.61%, a pH of 3.69 and an IPT (tannins index) of 75. The Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested from the 17th to the 29th of September, the Merlot from the 10th to the 15th of September and the Cabernet Franc from the 15th to the 17th of September. Sporting a medium to deep purple-black color, it springs from the glass with vibrant notes of black cherries, redcurrant jelly and cassis, plus touches of lavender, fallen leaves and cinnamon stick, with a waft of black truffles. The medium-bodied palate has bright, bold black and red berry layers with a grainy texture and loads of freshness, finishing long with a spicy kick. A very impressive second wine! 92-94 points

Dense and reserved with the meaty edge of the Merlot most prominent. Juicy and quite broad across the palate, the tannic frame a little more robust than that of the grand vin but refined all the same. 16++ points

Gentle, restrained, cedary and floral from the Merlot; beautifully balanced medium-full wine, fresh in acidity, very fine in tannin, long and graceful, sweet-cored yet fresh, gently complex, all restraint and class and elegance, with a lovely roundness and a fresh finish that is classically Médoc “dry” and gravelly; clearly a bit more scope and definition to this than to the Clos du Marquis. Splendid Pet it Lion, particularly seductive this year because of its high Merlot content, one of the classiest ever. Beautiful, relatively affordable Bordeaux. Drink 2028–40+. 92–93 points