Château Léoville-Las Cases is an estate in the Saint-Julien appellation of Bordeaux, ranked as a second growth in the 1855 Classification of the Médoc and Graves.The estate has a history dating back to the mid-17th century, when it used to be part of a much larger estate. There are 98 hectares (242 acres) of vineyards, planted with 66 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 24 percent Merlot, 9 percent Cabernet Franc and 1 percent Petit Verdot. The vineyard's soils are mostly gravel over sand and clay, with some areas where the clay reaches the surface. The proximity of the Gironde moderates weather extremes, lowering the risk of frost and allowing grapes to ripen earlier than vineyards further inland. The vines are on average 40 years old.