2025 Le Petit Lion

The 2025 Le Petit Lion is a bold, juicy wine. Dark-toned fruit, rose petal, lavender and mocha all take shape in the glass, framed by soft contours that wrap it all together in style. This Merlot-driven Saint-Julien is all charm, but it also has plenty of depth and underlying structure. 
- Antonio Galloni (04/2026)

Chalky, pulpy and well framed, with aromas of red berries, chocolate and wet stones. Medium-bodied with fine tannins. Velvety at the center, with a long, flavorful, lively finish. Second wine of Las Cases. (04/2026) 

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2025 Le Petit Lion du Marquis de Las Cases shimmies out with ready-to-go notes of crushed black and red currants and mulberries, plus nuances of iris, crushed rocks, and mint tea. Medium-bodied, the palate is lively with a fine-grained texture and bright black and red fruit flavors, finishing with a minty lift. The blend is 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 48% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc. It has a pH of 3.5 and the alcohol is 13.6%. The wine is aging for 14 months in French barriques, 27% new. (04/2026)

Ivar Bjurner:  90-93 Punkte 

Pleasant fruit driven nose, round and pleasing with notes of plums and red berries. The taste is fresh, juicy and peppery and even though there is a soft round Merlot like, juicy and crunchy layer on top of the wine, you are not in doubt that this is Cabernet based. (05/2026)

The 2025 Le Petit Lion benefits from Las Cases's new winery, which for a few years now has permitted sub-plot selection for the grand and second wines instead of an all-or-nothing selection, and more old-vine Merlot is ending up in this bottling. Offering up notes of sweet cherries and minty berries, it's medium- to full-bodied, fleshy and supple, with good persistence on the finish. 
- William Kelley (04/2026)