Learn everything about Chateau Leoville Poyferre St. Julien Second Growth with wine tasting notes and wine with food pairing tips. Learn about the best vintages, a history of the property, information on the vineyards and winemaking. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles
Chateau Leoville Poyferre History, Overview
Traditionally, Bordeaux estates were named after their owners or founders. But history’s path to the ownership of Chateau Leoville Poyferre is a long and winding road shared with Chateau Leoville Las Cases starting all the way back to 1638.
Jean de Moytie a member of the Bordeaux Parliament owned a Bordeaux vineyard. Moytie called it Mont-Moytie. Mont-Moytie was one of the first chateaux in the Medoc to produce wine along with Chateau Margaux and La Tour de Saint-Lambert, which we know today as Chateau Latour.
The Domaine remained in the family for almost 100 years. Through marriage, the estate ended up as part of the de Gascq family. Alexandre de Gascq renamed Mont-Moytie as Leoville or Lionville.
The Leoville estate was at the forefront of vineyard management at the time. Some of their ideas seemed odd at first to many growers, but today many of their vineyard practices are still widely in use.
For example, they changed the grape varieties in the vineyards to allow for vines that produced smaller berries, giving the wine more concentration. They trellised the rows with pinewood. They began aging their wine in oak barrels, which they kept clean using a sulfur solution.
While we take these practices for granted today, in those days, they were wild ideas! By the time Alexandre de Gascq died, with his steady purchasing of Bordeaux vineyard land, Leoville was one of the biggest vineyards in Bordeaux at more than 200 hectares!
The Saint Julien property was divided in 1840. Pierre Jean de Las Cases, the oldest son received a share, which became Château Leoville Las Cases. His sister, Jeanne, passed on her share to her daughter, wife of Baron Jean-Marie Poyferre de Ceres. That is the birth of what we know as Leoville Poyferre. At first, the wines were sold as Baron de Poyferre.
While the vineyards were separated, the buildings remained connected, just as they are today. In fact, the parking lot for both chateaus is a common area. You park in either one, to visit the other. This is a unique arrangement in not only the Medoc as well as all of Bordeaux.
After the Leoville vineyards were divided into 3 different Leoville estates, Leoville Las Cases, Leoville Barton, and Leoville Poyferre, many of the vines remained intermingled, making harvesting a little chaotic from time to time.
The true modern age for Leoville Poyferre beings with the purchase of the estate by the Cuvelier family in 1920 from the Lalande family.
The Cuvelier family got their start in Bordeaux the same way numerous other future chateau owners did, as negociants, or wine merchants. The Cuvelier family has a long history in the Bordeaux wine trade dating all the way back to 1804.
The first purchase made by the family was their property in St. Estephe, Chateau Le Crock in 1903. They next purchased Chateau Camensac in the Haut Medoc appellation. They followed that up with their next two investments, Chateau Leoville Poyferre and Chateau Moulin Riche.
Interestingly, even though they were experienced chateau owners, at first they allowed their neighbor to manage Leoville Poyferre. Roger Delon, one of the owners of Chateau Leoville Las Cases was the first to manage the estate for the Cuvelier family.
The logo featured on the label is a statement about the tradition of the family. Before Leoville Poyferre had a chateau, the first member of the Cuvelier family to own the vineyard created a simple logo design with a chateau and a small tower on both sides.
Chateau Leoville Poyferre the Modern Era
This changed in 1979 with the accession of Didier Cuvelier, who became the first member of his family to take charge of Leoville Poyferre. Didier Cuvelier first trained and went to school to study accounting before he started to learn about wine.
His teacher was Professor Emile Peynaud. This was a fortuitous move for the property as the wines made by Didier Cuvelier once again put Leoville Poyferre on the map to wine lovers all over the world.
Some of the first changes made by the young 26-year-old Didier Cuvelier include bringing Emile Peynaud into the fold. This was quickly followed by a modernization of the winemaking facilities at their Left Bank estate. A bigger move was to rip out and replant 20 hectares of vines, drastically reducing their output for years. Michel Rolland joined the team in 1994.
The positive changes in the wine from Leoville Poyferre can easily be seen by tasting the wine. The rapid jump in quality first appeared in 1982. However, Didier Cuvelier was not the first person to introduce innovation at Leoville Poyferre.
In fact, Chateau Leoville Poyferre was one of the first Bordeaux chateaus to trellis their vines using pine stakes. This is common today, but not two centuries ago. Leoville Poyferre was also one of the first Bordeaux produces to rinse their barrels with sulfur to help protect their wines from spoiling during the shipping and aging process.
Leoville Poyferre is clearly one of the most exciting properties in Saint Julien and all of the Medoc today. As we mentioned earlier, much of the credit goes to the owner Didier Cuvelier. How did this happen?
As wines are made in the vineyard, much of the improvement is due to the fact that in 1979, Didier Cuvelier began a nineteen-year replanting program for the vineyards.
At the time the replanting started, approximately 30 percent of the vineyard was planted at Leoville Poyferre. Much of the land lay fallow. Since those early days, the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the vineyards has increased and the first plantings of Petit Verdot have taken place.
Under the intelligent direction of Didier Cuvelier, the vineyard has almost doubled in size, from 48 hectares up to its current size of 80 planted hectares.
In 2014, a new facility was constructed at the property celebrating that early design as now, the modernized building is a long rectangle with a small tower on both sides. This is quite similar to the estate’s original design.
Following the 2017 vintage, Didier Cuvelier retired. Sara Lecompte Cuvelier, the niece of Didier Cuvelier and the sister of Anne Cuvelier, took over managing the estate.
Chateau Leoville Poyferre Vineyard, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking
The 80-hectare Saint Julien vineyards of Leoville Poyferre are planted to 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Keep in mind, these are just the vines used for Leoville Poyferre and not Moulin Riche.
This marks quite a change in the vineyards since early 1960. At that time, the percentage of Merlot was much higher, perhaps close to 50% with the Cabernet Sauvignon at about 30%, while the rest of the vineyard was planted to Cabernet Franc. On average the vines are 45 years of age. They also have old Cabernet Sauvignon vines which were planted in the 1940s.
It is interesting to note that as there is so little Petit Verdot in the Leoville Poyferre vineyards, from time to time, when the Petit Verdot is quite ripe, those grapes can also be used for Leoville Poyferre. The terroir is mostly gravel, with some sand, clay, and limestone in the soil.
At its peak, the vineyards rise to 20 meters. You can divide their vineyard into 5 different blocks that are fairly dispersed in the appellation. Those blocks can be further subdivided into 43 different separate parcels. They have several good neighbors, as their vines mingle with Chateau Leoville Las Cases, Chateau Leoville Barton, and to the north, they hit Chateau Pichon Lalande on the border of the Pauillac appellation.
The majority of the vineyards are in a few large, parcels, with many of their best parcels placed close to the Route de Medoc, also known as the D2. The vines located further inland are usually placed into Moulin Riche and Pavillon de Leoville Poyferre.
However, that terroir is often the source for their best Petit Verdot, which can be difficult to fully ripen. Interestingly, portions of their vineyards are interspersed with vines belonging to Leoville Barton. The vine density is 8,500 vines per hectare.
While the estate of Leoville Poyferre was modernized in 1984, they have continued improving and renovating the property time and time again. In 2010, in time for harvest, the vat rooms were completely renovated at Leoville Poyferre.
They replaced 10 large vats with 20 new, stainless steel, double skin vats with a capacity from 60 hectoliters to 165 hectoliters giving them 56 vats in total. This allows for very precise vinification on a parcel by parcel basis. Malolactic fermentation takes place in barrels.
However, it’s important to note that even with all the modernization and renovations that have taken place recently at Leoville Poyferre, because they share a parking lot with Leoville Las Cases, which necessitated locating the actual winery on one side of the street, while the barrel rooms are located across the way, on the other side of the street.
Leoville Poyferre came up with an ingenious idea of how to move the wine to the barrels from the tanks. They created a system of underground pipes to move the wine safely from vats to barrels. Prior to the underground pipes, the wine was moved by hand in steel tanks using tractors. The wine is aged in an average of 75% new, French oak barrels for 18 months before bottling.
The best vintages of Leoville Poyferre are: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2006, 2005, 2003, 2000, 1996, 1990 and 1982. I have very little experience with very old vintages of Leoville Poyferre. From others that have tasted the wines, you might want to use caution before purchasing them.
Chateau Leoville Poyferre Character, Style
The style of Leoville Poyferre is a Bordeaux wine that offers lush ripe fruit with purity and concentration a powerful, plush style. Scents of cassis, spice and black fruits, with truffle and tobacco aromatics coupled with sensuous, rich, textures are the hallmarks of this wine.
Leoville Poyferre has been one of the most consistent producers of high-quality Bordeaux since 2000. They have made so many great wines, it’s hard to pick a favorite.
However, in 2009 Leoville Poyferre stands heads and shoulders above the previous vintages. With elegant textures and round silky tannins along with the ability to age, this is a Bordeaux wine to keep your eye on. Production of Leoville Poyferre is close to 20,000 cases of St. Julien wine per year.
The estate produces two additional wines; Moulin-Riche, which comes from a specific 21-hectare parcel of vines in the St. Julien appellation that was purchased back in 1920 by the Cuvelier family. At one point in time, Moulin Riche was considered to be the second wine of Leoville Poyferre, but that is not the case today.
Now, the second wine of Leoville Poyferre is actually Pavillon de Leoville Poyferre. The family also owns a successful negociant company that they started in 1804, H. Cuvelier and Fils.
When to Drink Chateau Leoville Poyferre, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time
Chateau Leoville Poyferre can be enjoyed on the young side with several hours of decanting. However, I find it too tannic and powerful young to be fun to taste. The wine is usually better at 10-15 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character.
In the best years, the wine will best between 15 and 35 years of age after the vintage. Young vintages can be decanted for an average of 2-4 hours or so. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.
Serving Chateau Leoville Poyferre with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips
Leoville Poyferre is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.
Chateau Leoville Poyferre is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted braised, and grilled dishes. Chateau Leoville Poyferre is a perfect match with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, and pasta as well as cheese.
Château Léoville Poyferré Wine Tasting Notes
46 Vintages 1,114,137 Views Sort by Vintage-Rating
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2023
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
Flowers, cherry pipe tobacco, herbs, currants, black raspberries, licorice, and smoke open the perfume. On the palate, the wine is silky, vibrant, rich, and refined. There is freshness, with ample fruit, which allows you to focus on the finish which is all about the sweet, clean, and pure red fruits with their lift, and energy. This is interestingly light on its feet, yet it is no featherweight wine. Holding its own, this is quite fresh, almost vivacious on the palate. and in the red berry finish. The oak already feels well integrated into the wine. The wine blends 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. 13% ABV, Drink from 2028-2055. 95-97 Pts. 4,898 Views Tasted May 4, 2024 |
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2023
Pavillon de Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
Black cherries, tobacco leaf, licorice, currants, and spice are on display in the nose. The palate offers its medium-bodied pleasures with ease, allowing you to find fresh, bright, peppery, red fruits with a soft, supple edge. This is ready to enjoy on release, and for at least a decade after that. The wine blends 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Petit Verdot. 13%, ABV. Drink from 2026-2037. 90-92 Pts. 1,073 Views Tasted May 4, 2024 |
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2022
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
Deeply colored, the floral display in the nose gets even better as you encounter black cherries, currants, licorice, tobacco leaf, cassis, and an array of spices. The palate provides layers of silky, fresh, pure, deep red berries. The wine is dense, concentrated, sweet, ripe, fresh, and polished. There is a wonderful sense of purity in the fruit. Effortless to taste, and even even easier to drink, the wine exudes sensuality, and complexity from start to finish. The wine blends 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot. 14.4% ABV, 3.87 pH. The harvest took place September 8 - September 28. Yields were 33 hectoliters per hectare. 75% of the harvest went into the Grand Vin. Drink from 2026-2055. 97-99 Pts. 3,970 Views Tasted May 8, 2023 |
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2022
Pavillon de Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
Savory herbs, currants, black cherries, and a hint of pepper form the nose. Medium-bodied, soft, creamy, and fruity, with an easy to find blast of currants, and herbs on the palate, the wine finishes with freshness, and sweet red fruits. This is ready to enjoy on release, and for at least a decade after that. The wine blends 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2025-2035. 90-92 Pts. 3,255 Views Tasted May 8, 2023 |
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2021
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
Licorice, tobacco leaf, chocolate, espresso, black cherries and smoked peppery notes create the perfume. On the palate, the wine is soft, polished, fresh, elegant and fruity with sweetness to the red fruits and a creamy-texture to the finish. The wine blends 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2026-2055. 1,626 Views Tasted Mar 9, 2024Dark garnet in color, the wine exudes flowers, cherries, currants, black raspberries, espresso beans, tobacco leaf and mocha in the perfume. Soft, silky, fresh and vibrant, with a hint of spice, the wine is forward, polished, and fruity, with loads of crushed berries and a tint of cocoa in the backend of the creamy-textured finish. The wine blends 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, 13.11% ABV. The harvest took place September 28, finishing October 12. The yields were quite low at only 24 hectoliters per hectare. Drink from 2026-2055. 93-95 3,100 Views Tasted May 20, 2022 |
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2021
Pavillon de Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
This medium-bodied charmer opens with black raspberries, gentle touches of espresso, underbrush, herbs and cedar. On the palate, the wine is easy to like, and to drink, due to its soft, fresh, sweet, red fruit character. You find touches of olives and spicy cocoa on the backend in the finish. The wine blends 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2023-2034. 88-90 2,418 Views Tasted May 20, 2022 |
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2020
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
Even better in the beautiful, black and gold bottle celebrating 100 years of ownership, than it was from the barrel, the wine instantly grabs your attention with its dark color and its equally dark-fruited profile centered on its core of blackberries, black cherries, black plums, spices, espresso, and dark chocolate. The wine is deep, rich, concentrated, and lush, as well as fresh, silky, vibrant, long, and focused. The finish leaves you with layers of sweet, ripe, black and blue fruit, chocolate, espresso, and a touch of spice that comes in at the end of the silky finish. The wine blends 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2026-2055. 5,357 Views Tasted Mar 21, 2023Silky, polished, lusciously textured and rich, the wine pops from the glass with incense, smoked berries, cherry blossoms, creme de cassis, tobacco leaf and blue fruit. Full-bodied, silky and opulently textured, this concentrated wine offers layers of deep, ripe fruits that simultaneously coat your palate, yet feel fresh and vibrant. The flamboyant, seamless finish builds in intensity as it expands on your palate. To celebrate 20 years of ownership, the bottle will feature a special, one-time-only gold, embossed, etched label. 96-98 Pts 7,164 Views Tasted May 20, 2021 |
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2020
Pavillon de Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
Even better in the bottle than it was from the barrel, the wine opens with chocolate, black raspberries, flowers, spice, and plums. Medium-bodied, soft, lush, and polished with freshness, fruit, silky tannins, and a gorgeous finish. Enjoy this beauty while waiting for the Grand Vin to develop. Drink from 2023-2035. 3,164 Views Tasted Mar 21, 2023Medium-bodied, spicy, savory and loaded with cedar and cigar box aromas, the wine is soft, fresh and fruity, finishing with plush textured, sweet, red berries and silky tannins. Drink this beauty while waiting for the Grand Vin to develop. 90-92 Pts 2,901 Views Tasted May 20, 2021 |
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2019
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
One of the top vintages of Leoville Poyferre, the wine sports a beautiful dark color in the glass. The showy nose opens with black and red fruits, espresso, cocoa, tobacco leaf, smoke and floral aromas. On the palate is there the wine shines with its multiple layers of sensuously textured, deep, ripe, dark red fruits, plush, polished tannins and its multi-layered, lusciously-textured, long, vibrant finish. This will age and evolve for decades with little trouble. Drink from 2027-2055. 11,180 Views Tasted Mar 29, 2022Deep and dark in color, the wine exudes flowers, tobacco, smoke, licorice and dark red fruit aromas. Full-bodied, lushly textured, round and fresh, the fruit has this beautiful, opulent, sensuous character. This is a good thing as it allows the cashmere tannins and layers of sweet, ripe, almost decadent berries to come alive, expand and really hang in there. If you are a fan of Leoville Poyferre, this needs to be in your cellar. Blending 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, the wine reached 14.1 ABV. The harvest took place from September 20 to October 11. 96-98 Pts 15,668 Views Tasted Jun 8, 2020 |
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2019
Pavillon de Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
With a nose that opens with roses, earth, and red fruits, the wine is juicy, crisp and fresh with a slight, savory edge to the red currant finish. The wine ends with a hint of cocoa in the background which I like. You can drink this on release while waiting for the Grand Vin to develop. Drink from 2022-2033. 1,878 Views Tasted Mar 29, 2022 |
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2018
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
Smoke, licorice, espresso, spice, blackberry and roasted currants create the intoxicating perfume. Full-bodied, lush, rich and supple, with velvet drenched tannins, and a big mouthful of coffee bean, dark chocolate, black cherry and tobacco leaf, this is going to be just great. Patience is needed as the wine. If you are not yet a fan and this style is your thing, one taste is all you need to get hooked! The wine blends 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 32% Petit Verdot, 14.4% ABV. 9,980 Views Tasted Mar 9, 2021Before the licorice, black cherry, blackberry, smoke, spice box, espresso and cocoa-filled aromas kick in you were already knocked out by the depth of color in the glass. Velvet drenched black fruits seduce your palate. The wine is sensuous, sexy and mouth-filling. Generous with its fruit, this is a finish you don't want to end. All those layers of ripe, decadent dark berries maintain a presence for close to 60 seconds. If you are a fan of Leoville Poyferre, this needs to be in your cellar. If you are not yet a fan and this style is your thing, one taste is all you need to get hooked! Blending 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 32% Petit Verdot, this wine reached 14.4 ABV. The harvest took place from September 24 to October 12. 97-99 Pts 8,555 Views Tasted Apr 19, 2019 |
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2018
Pavillon de Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
Medium-bodied, soft, refined, sweet, light styled, early drinking Left Bank charmer. You should drink this while waiting for the Grand Vin to develop. 4,114 Views Tasted Mar 9, 2021 |
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2017
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
The wine already displays cassis, herbs, tobacco leaf, espresso and dark chocolate notes. On the palate, the wine is fresh, silky and focuses on its layers of sweet red berries, cocoa, herbs and spice. There is a lot of lift here, along with a crispness in the fruit on the palate and in the finish. Lay this down for at least 6-8 years before pulling a cork. 8,292 Views Tasted Feb 10, 2021Before the licorice, black cherry, truffle, and cocoa-filled bouquet seductively arrives, you’ll notice a startling depth of color. Full bodied, rich and flowing with the darkest of red fruits and gently dusted with a blast of even darker chocolate, this wine is wrapped in cashmere. It is graceful and fresh from the very first dance to the long good-bye. Blending 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, this wine reached 13% ABV. The harvest took place from September 20 to October 6. This is the final vintage with Didier Cuvelier at the helm and it is a testament to his many accomplishments at Leoville Poyferre. 12,497 Views Tasted Apr 26, 2018 |
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2016
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
Still, deeply colored, the wine is a bit reticent at the moment and it takes a bit of effort to unfurl before you discover all of its layers of perfectly ripe, deep, rich, lush, polished, black and red fruits. The tannins are ripe, but they need at least 5-7 more years before you find all the softness and natural, supple, opulence enjoyed in the top vintages of Leoville Poyferre. The wine is powerful, long, deep, concentrated, full-bodied, and intense, with a serious depth-of flavor from start to finish. Drink from 2029-2060. 13,441 Views Tasted Jul 8, 2022Starting to tighten up here, still, it is impossible not to be wowed by the wine with all its richness, elegance, soft, supple tannins and layers of perfectly ripe red fruits. Full-bodied and loaded with layers of sweet red fruits with the perfect amount of freshness to keep it interesting, my bet is, once the wine has filled out and softened, it will score at a higher level as it is only starting to get going. 11,743 Views Tasted Feb 10, 2021Still young, as you would expect, you find espresso, wet earth, smoke, licorice and dark red fruits on the nose. The wine is full-bodied, rich, polished, silky, voluminous and fresh. The wine is generous to a fault delivering layer after layer of deep, dark, ripe, luscious fruit. This is a tribute to Didier Culvier, because this is his last vintage as he retired in 2018. And it is one of his best! 11,420 Views Tasted Sep 21, 2019Deep in color, the wine is plush, rich, dense and sensuous. There is a purity of fruit that is easy to sense. The wine has vibrance, length and density, the tannins are supple and refined, allowing you to get the most out of the layers of fruit that just do not want to quit. I am tempted to add another point here, as this was so good. By the time the wine is in bottle, I just might! 11,490 Views Tasted May 13, 2018Sophisticated and drizzled with opulence, these sexy, supple fruits and creamy tannins feel as good as they taste. This wine is endless in depth with a penetrating bullet of pure, silken fruit in the finish. Blending 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, the wine reached 13.6% ABV with a pH of 3.66. The harvest took place October 5 to October 20, the Grand Vin representing 56% of the harvest. 10,644 Views Tasted Apr 29, 2017 |
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2016
Pavillon de Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
From a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 11% Petit Verdot and 0.8% Cabernet Franc, the wine is medium bodied, forward, elegant and user friendly with sweet cherries and hints of black licorice in the finish. 6,856 Views Tasted Apr 29, 2017 |
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2015
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
Showing just a hint of lightening in the color, the wine is showy from the get-go with its nuances of black and red currants, spice, flowers, creme de cassis, thyme, smoke, and licorice in the perfume. On the palate, the wine is opulent, long, polished, lush, and elegant. The fruit glides across your palate, serving up waves of sweet, deep, red berries. The finish lingers, builds, and expands. Give this a few more years and you will find even more opulence and sensuality. Drink from 2027-2057. 7,833 Views Tasted Jul 8, 2022One of those wines that seriously improved from barrel to bottling, the wine is lushly textured, with waves of sweet, dark fruits. There is length, purity complexity and the structure to age along with endnotes of blackberry, dark chocolate, licorice and tobacco. 9,609 Views Tasted May 21, 2018Taking a big leap from barrel to bottle, this is a beauty. With a serious depth of color, the wine offers velvet textures, waves of concentrated, perfectly ripe, sweet, dark fruits, length and purity. The wine coats your palate, and hangs in there, with an expansive, fruit filled finish, leaving you with blackberry, cassis, licorice, smoke, tobacco and the essence of wet earth. . 8,442 Views Tasted Mar 12, 2018Dark in color, silky in texture, complex in nature and sensuous, ripe and concentrated in its personality, this should score in the middle or the top of my range. 6,968 Views Tasted Jul 12, 2017Deeply colored with an initial blast of cassis and blackberry, this wine has freshness, polished tannins and a long, lingering, tannic finish with both depth and structure and gust of sweet, ripe, dark-red skinned fruit. Blending 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, this wine reached 13.47% ABV. The harvest took place from September 24 to October 10. 94 - 96 Pts 6,870 Views Tasted Apr 20, 2016 |
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2014
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
Classic in style, with strong essences of cedar, tobacco and herbs to accompany the crisp red fruits, the wine is medium-bodied, chewy, bright, sweet and fresh. with an herbal and leafy accent to the red fruit in the finish. It is still youthful, but with 2 hours of air, you can drink this with pleasure today. 7,055 Views Tasted Feb 10, 2021There is an elegance to this wine that meshes perfectly with layers of ripe, silky fruit, refined tannins, complex aromatics and a long, fruit filled, concentrated, long finish. 6,614 Views Tasted Feb 2, 2017Intense in hue with silky, bright tannins, this wine offers the palate an assortment of plump, ripe, dark-red skinned fruit and a long, lingering finish with distinctive depth, structure, balance and brightness in the end notes. Blending 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, the wine reached 13.25% ABV. 93-94 Pts 7,914 Views Tasted Apr 16, 2015 |
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2013
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
The Cuvelier family managed to produce quite a nice wine in this very difficult vintage. The tannins have a soft, ripe quality to their texture, and so does the fresh, black cherry and dark plum fruits. Give this 2-4 years and should be even better. 3,023 Views Tasted Feb 9, 2016With notes of spicy cassis, flowers, olive and herbs, the wine has flesh and softness to the fruit and tannins, finishing with sweet black raspberries. From a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 13% ABV with a pH of 3.63. The yields were 34 hectoliters with 45% of the harvest going in to the Grand Vin. This is very strong for the vintage. 91-93 Pts 4,247 Views Tasted Apr 20, 2014 |
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2012
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
This is definitely at the start of its maturity curve, as it is such a pleasure to drink today. Medium-bodied, soft, supple, sweet and bright, the wine is on the classic side with chewy tannins, crisp red fruits, herbs and peppery spices in the finish. The wine blends 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot. 4,537 Views Tasted Feb 10, 2021Sweet, soft, polished, ripe berries, gentle tannins and a long, graceful, smoky, fruit filled finish, with enough freshness and fruit to allow the wine to leave an impression. This is a very nice wine, and it’s quite an accomplishment for the vintage. 4,136 Views Tasted Mar 11, 2015From an assemblage of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot, the wine reached 13.4% ABV. The pH is 3.8. The wine will be aged in 85% new French for 20 months. Licorice, black cherry, coffee bean and stone notes make up the aromatics. On the palate, the wine is soft, round, medium bodied, and fresh, showing signs of oak in the finish. 91-93 Pts 6,289 Views Tasted Apr 23, 2013 |
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2011
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
Leoville Poyferre is on fire. Producing a wine this good in 2011 is really saying something. The complex nose of truffle, smoke, black cherry nd earth lets you know the wine is good. If that did not seal the deal, the fresh, sweet, soft fruits and peppy finish is going to do the trick. This is a very good wine which will only get better with 3-5 years of bottle age. 5,385 Views Tasted Feb 16, 2014From an assemblage of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and an equal amount of Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 13.7% ABV. The Grand Vin represents 55% of the harvest. With good color, the wine opens with coffee, earth, black raspberry and cassis. Medium-bodied, tannic, bright and fresh, there is a brawny personality in the crisp boysenberry, cassis and tannic finish. 2011 Leoville Poyferre will not be fun to drink young. It will require a lot of time before it softens and comes around. 91-93 Pts 6,363 Views Tasted Apr 13, 2012 |
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2010
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
Deeply colored, the wine is rich, long, deep, and concentrated. There is a fresh, spicy edge to the black and dark red fruits with lift, purity, and structure balance. The tannins are ripe but powerful, and present. But it is the wealth of sweet, ripe, fresh fruits that you notice the most as they coat and linger on your palate. Give this a bit more time in the cellar before pulling a cork, allowing the wine to soften, fill out and develop more secondary nuances. Drink from 2028-2055. 8,366 Views Tasted Jul 8, 2022Not flattering or fun to drink today, this requires at least 5-8 years more cellaring time before you start discovering all that is going on here, which includes a nose of cigar box, tobacco leaf, lead pencil, cedar, bay leaf and red currants. The wine is powerful, full-bodied, concentrated and youthful with a big bite of cassis and peppery spice in the long finish. Here, patience is a virtue. The wine is a blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc. 9,648 Views Tasted Feb 10, 2021Still holding its cards tight to its vest, the wine offers great concentration, ripe, juicy, sweet fruits, lush textures and a finish that keeps on coming. However, this is not ready for prime time here. To get the most out of this future gem, 7-10 years of patience will definitely pay dividends. 10,887 Views Tasted Oct 12, 2018Inky in color, with explosive notes of licorice, smoke, jam, black and blue fruit, fresh brewed espresso and earth, the wine is dense. Packed with ripe, polished, fruits, sweet tannins, and enough freshness to give this life, the wine expands on the palate with a blast of juicy, ripe, lush, sweet berries. Not quite at the level of the stunning 2009, but this blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc is close. This stunning wine should age and evolve for decades. 11,502 Views Tasted Feb 8, 2016Starting to tighten up, there is no doubting the incredible quality of this wine, with all its power, ripe fruit, silky tannins and charm, but it really wants cellaring time before it once again displays all it has to offer. I'd give it a decade. 11,908 Views Tasted Sep 23, 2014Smoke, licorice, wet earth, forest floor, black cherry, blackberry and truffle aromas grab you and keep you going back for another sniff. On the palate, there is not a single hard edge to be found. Soft, silky, refined and polished, there is a beautiful sense of symmetry. The finish ends with layers of sweet, ripe, black and dark red fruits. This continues to show better with each tasting. 16,826 Views Tasted Oct 11, 2013Blending 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc produced a St. Julien wine that offered earth, caramel, coffee and dark berry liqueur aromas. This powerful, tannic, rich, pure, intense wine combines freshness with opulence, due to the high 14% ABV and low pH levels. Over the last two months, the wine has fleshed out, becoming better integrated and rounder. Full bodied and tannic, this will require several years of bottle age before it begins to mature. The wine was released at 85 Euros, which was more expensive than the 2009. 12,580 Views Tasted Jul 24, 2012Leoville Poyferre From an assemblage of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, along with 3% Cabernet Franc, this wine reached 14% ABV. Even at this degree of ABV, there is no feeling of heat. Smoke, earth, jammy dark berries and cassis scents produce the aromatics. This fresh, chocolate covered cassis filled wine is big and almost brawny in style. Its beefy tannins and low pH combine freshness and power which are made better by the long cassis filled, powerful finish. According to Didier Cuvelier, 2010 reminds him of 2005. I see his point. B ut for me, 2010 is more powerful, while 2005 offers more elegance and charm.93-96 Pts 12,286 Views Tasted Apr 20, 2011 |
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2009
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
Espresso, licorice, smoke, black and red currants, blackberries, and roses create the nose. On the palate, the wine is powerful, lush, full-bodied, rich, deep, and long. The fruits are sweet, ripe, opulent, flamboyant, and attention-seeking. They are also pure, fresh, clean, and intense. There are no hard edges at any step. The lingering finish al close to seamless. It is almost impossible to put your glass down without taking another sip. This is stunning. But as good as it is now, it is only going to get better over the next few decades. Drink from 2027-2050. 7,925 Views Tasted Jul 8, 2022I have tasted this almost every year since it was in barrel and it has always shown extremely well with remarkable consistency. A contender for the best vintage of Leoville Poyferre produced yet, the wine is full-bodied, concentrated, lush, opulent, velvety and yes, down-right sexy. While still on the youthful fruit stage, the wine feels so good on your palate, it is impossible not to be thrilled by what's in your glass, finish it, and ask for another pour. The wine is made from blending 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. 9,515 Views Tasted Feb 10, 2021Secondary notes are just starting to show as now you find truffle, cigar box, dark red pit fruit and forest floor. Silky, sensuous, polished and elegant, the wine offers a perfect combination of ripe fruit, Saint Julien character and velvety tannins. This is clearly headed in the right direction. Drink this now for the pleasure, or age it another 5-10 years for more complexities to develop. 7,541 Views Tasted Sep 20, 2019This is already offering a great palate presence. The wine tastes and feels great. There is volume, sensuous tannins, length and purity. Still young, the wine is vibrant, opulent, deep and long. What a beauty. Unless you have a case or prefer wines in the primary stage, I would wait 5 years before pulling a cork. 9,235 Views Tasted Oct 12, 2018This is another sublime 2009 Bordeaux that even with just a few years of age is clearly a better wine. It's deeper, richer, silkier and more complex. The wine fills your mouth and coats your palate with its stunning layers of perfectly ripe fruit. The finish goes on and on. 10,742 Views Tasted Sep 23, 2014Absolutely stunning in every way! I am tempted to give it another point. I am sure that will happen as the wine continues developing. Sexy, lush, polished, rich, dense and complex, the wine fills your mouth with layers of perfectly ripe, dark fruits, spice, cocoa, earth and frankly, flavor. The finish is elegant, long and expansive. 14,344 Views Tasted Jul 25, 2013Talk about stealing the show… Leoville Poyferre continues its amazing series of great wines with the sublime 2009! The perfume is packed and stacked with attention seeking coffee, blackberry, blueberry, truffle and earthy aromatics. On the palate, the wine is pure silk, velvet and power. Produced from a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc, there is an intensity matched with elegance and harmony to the wine. With high levels of ripe, opulent tannins and layers of plush, fresh berries in the long, finish, this is a Bordeaux wine worth the effort to taste and lay down. 19,026 Views Tasted Feb 6, 2012What a sexy St. Julien! This plush, rich, opulent, sweet, intense is filled with crème de cassis, chocolate, licorice, truffle, tobacco and spice. The pure, long, fresh, sweet black cherry filled finish is a delight to taste and feel on your palate. This is the Leoville Poyferre to buy in today’s market. It’s better than the 2010 and it sells for less, at least for now. 18,257 Views Tasted Jul 25, 2011According to Didier Cuvelier, they made changes in the vat rooms. But those changes will not be used unitl the 2010 vintage. To obtain more precision in the vinification, Didier exchanged 10 older vats for 20 stainless steel double skin vats with different capacities ranging from 60 to 165 hl. The wine is black with purple tints, and it springs forth with potent aromatics of blackberry, black raspberry, cassis, licorice, sweet oak, and minerals. The wine is fat, rich, sweet, and sexy, with a plush mouth feel that ends with long, pure, spicy black fruit notes. Didier compares 2009 with his 1982. 96-98 Pts. 20,056 Views Tasted Aug 26, 2010 |
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2008
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
With just a hint of age in its color, the wine is all about the cedar, tobacco, forest, licorice and dark red berry aromatics and concentrated, core of dark fruits, plush but firm tannins and chocolate. Even though you find some secondary development, this is still youthful, so allow it a few more years to develop before popping a cork. 6,196 Views Tasted Sep 17, 2018Showing some aging in the color, secondary notes of tobacco, and truffle are just starting to wake up. Close to bright, round and crisp, give this at least 5-7 more years for the ample tannins to soften and for the wine to fill out. 7,291 Views Tasted Mar 27, 2017Coffee, chocoalte, licorice, plum and blackberry jam aromatics are easy to find. Full bodied and concentrated with layers of dense, fruit, the wine ends with a jammy, dark berry and espresso bean filled finish. This is starting to close down. 13,893 Views Tasted Feb 17, 2012Sweet spice, earth, cassis, black cherry, coffee and truffles were easy to find in the aromatics. The full bodied, concentrated wine is filled with fresh cassis flavors in the long, richly textured, polished finish. 15,794 Views Tasted Jan 28, 201108 Château Leoville Poyferee, with some slight purple tints, is almost opaque. Smoke, mineral, blackberry, licorice, coffee, and vanilla aromatics are easy to find. In the mouth, the fruit has a plush characteristic. The tannins are ripe. The wine ends on a long, clean, fruit filled note. Owner Didier Culvier said he had exactly the same picking dates as did Leoville Las Cases. 92-94 Pts 11,244 Views Tasted Aug 31, 2009 |
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2007
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
Medium-bodied, close or at full maturity, the wine is soft, polished, round and charming. Instead of power, it offers a measured dose of ripe plums, licorice and espresso. Drink this over the next 5 years or so before the fruit fades. 4,194 Views Tasted Nov 28, 2020Medium bodied and fully developed, the wine is already showing its truffle, tobacco, cigar box, wet forest and dark red fruit charm. Quite successful for the vintage, the wine has softness and fruit to offer tasters willing to give it a chance. That being said, this is fully mature and is a wine for current consumption. 3,875 Views Tasted Mar 27, 2017 |
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2006
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
Chewy tannins, crisp fruit and the structure to age, the wine is tannic and clearly demands time before its firm, Cabernet Sauvignon character can soften and come together. Give it at least 5-10 more years, or a few hours in the decanter before popping a bottle. 5,202 Views Tasted May 25, 2016This solid, concentrated, structured, tannic wine is not close to being ready. Licorice, coffee bean, cassis, blackberry and smoky notes lead to a full bodied, young wine that demands another decade before it begins to be a lot of fun to drink. For tasters that think vintages like 2003 and 2009 are too ripe and lush, this is a good choice. 6,764 Views Tasted Jan 12, 2013 |
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2005
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
The intoxicating nose kicks off with its showy display of flowers, smoky red fruits, fresh-brewed espresso, smoke, licorice, blackberry, and currants. The tannins have started to soften, though still, they need more time before you can really begin to enjoy the multiple layers of sweet, fresh, soft, energetic, and generous. The wine is concentrated, and fresh, perfectly balanced between its sweet, ripe fruits, tannins, and plushness. Drink from 2027-2055. 7,200 Views Tasted Jul 8, 2022Fresh, vibrant and juicy, with strong notes of tobacco, cedar, smoke, roasted fruits, espresso, thyme and currants. The wine is full-bodied and filled with ripe, crisp red berries, which come with a firm tannic grip that even with all this fruit, demands at least 4-5 more years to finish softening and rounding out. The wine is a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot. 6,155 Views Tasted Feb 10, 2021Even in its adolescent years, it is hard not to find this thrilling to drink. Luscious, sensuous and concentrated, the tannins are ripe, the fruits combine freshness and purity and the finish just keeps on going. Drink now with 2 hours of air or wait a decade. Regardless, this is really stellar juice! 7,871 Views Tasted Oct 12, 2018Cigar box, tobacco, cassis, blackberry and wet earth scents pop as soon as the wine hits the glass. The fruit and tannins need more time and air before they can really be coaxed from their deep slumber. On the palate, the wine is powerful, full bodied and concentrated, with refined tannins, plush textures and layers of sweet, ripe, juicy, spicy fruits. If you enjoy young wines for their crisp fruit, you can drink this with a few hours of air, else this very strong wine will be much better, softer and more complex with another 5 more years of age. The wine was produced from a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot. The wine reached 13.5% ABV. 8,629 Views Tasted Jun 28, 2015Still dark in color, this looks like a new wine. Espresso bean, smoke, vanilla, boysenberry, blackberry and licorice notes fill your glass. The wine is full bodied, concentrated, long, deep, fresh, clean and balanced on the palate. The round silky tannins push along wave after wave of berries that move from black to red and back to black again. The wine is very young as you would expect. Give the beauty up to a decade before popping a cork and enjoy the ride. 11,917 Views Tasted Jul 25, 2013This is packed and stacked with sweet, ripe, black fruits, oak and soft tannins. There is ample fruit and structure to allow this wine to age and evolve for decades. 9,249 Views Tasted Jan 20, 2008 |
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2004
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
Clearly, this is ready to go. It is a soft, easy to like and drink, open, medium-bodied, cherry-filled wine without a lot of depth or complexity or weight. However, there is charm along with touch of herbs and underripeness accompanying the red berry-filled finish. 5,121 Views Tasted Jul 2, 2021With a developed color, forest floor, strawberry jam, truffle and cigar box aromas, the wine really serves up a nice, plummy, sweet, soft and round sensation that is ready to start being opened and enjoyed. 6,399 Views Tasted Jan 4, 2015There is a nice softness and polish to the tannins, giving the wine a supple texture to the smoky, black cherries, earth and licorice filled personality. The wine is young, fresh and while still primary, fun to drink as it approaches its 10th birthday. 8,263 Views Tasted Jul 25, 2013 |
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2003
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
Surprisingly fresh, texturally, the wine is opulent, silky, and showy on the palate, but the nose is not overripe. Instead, you find dark red berries, licorice, smoke, and perhaps touches of a robusto cigar wrapper. There is no reason to wait here, if you have a bottle, pull a cork. Drink from 2023-2030. 5,371 Views Tasted Oct 6, 2023This is drinking just great today. Instantly, you are treated to layers of luscious, opulent, sweet, ripe fruit that coats your palate. Silky, full-bodied, rich and flamboyant, if you have a bottle and you're waiting for the right moment, that moment is now! Pull a cork and enjoy it!!! The wine is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. 6,749 Views Tasted Feb 10, 2021Not quite fully-mature, but 100% ready to go, this plush, opulently textured, silky wine is filled with sweet, ripe, round, roasted, dark red fruits, tobacco leaf, spice and wet earth. The wine is concentrated, deep and showy. There is no sign of heat of jam. It takes only a splash decant to get the wine going and it takes from there. 7,698 Views Tasted Dec 16, 2019An hour of air helped here, adding more body, and depth. The wine offers layers of licorice, blackberry, dark cocoa, smoke and tobacco. Lush, round, sweet and juicy, this is quite sensuous. There is a minor touch of dryness on the backend, but you need to be looking at it closely to see that, as the wealth of ripe fruit is there from start to finish. There is no heat, or jammy notes. The wine is drinking very fine today. 9,830 Views Tasted Jul 30, 2018Developed and ready to go, this full bodied, rich, ripe, round wine serves up a delicious blend of forest floor, chocolate mint, black cherry and licorice. Plump and tasty, this is perfect to pop and pour for pleasure. 8,891 Views Tasted Sep 25, 2017Cigar box, wet earth, cassis, mint and dark chocolate scents pop with 10 minutes of air. Silky, soft, polished and rich, with a sweet, cherry liqueur filled, opulent finish that tastes as good as it feels. This is much better than the previous bottle. I'm really liking this wine! However, the wine does not need more than 15-30 minutes in the decanter. Also, I'll be finishing my bottles of this wine over the next decade. It's not going to be a long ager. 10,583 Views Tasted Dec 12, 2015Double blind, my guess was at least 15 years older than its true age, due to its developed character. Soft, lush, and luscious, there is an array of secondary aromas that really charge you up, with their truffle, forest floor, tobacco, cigar box, cedar, plum and black cherry notes. I do not think this is going to fade sooner than it should, but as the wine is really nice now, why wait to pop a bottle? 10,728 Views Tasted Sep 23, 2014Light ruby in color, the wine sings with a nose packed with tobacco, black and white cherries, mocha, smoke, licorice and truffle. Soft, plush, round tannins, layers of voluptuous, ripe, sexy dark fruits and spicy, sweet candied cherries create a long, opulent, enticing finish. This is a winner and one of the stars of the vintage in the Medoc! 11,112 Views Tasted Dec 18, 2013The color is pitch black. Cassis earthy, black and blue fruits with hints of espresso bean makes up the perfume. Rich, dense and filled with ripe, spicy, dark fruits, this powerful, concentrated, tannic and round textured wine fills your mouth and palate. This needs at least another 6-10 years before it really starts to strut its stuff. 17,999 Views Tasted Jul 10, 2010 |
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2002
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
Secondary notes of tobacco, earth, wet leaf and olive, which add to the cassis, blackberry and red fruits. The tannins are firm, ending in a finish of blackberries and earth . This is showing better than the last time I tasted it. You can drink this now, or age it for a few years, as it could improve. 6,803 Views Tasted Jul 25, 2013With an earthy, black and red fruit nose, the wine shows some tart flavors along with hints of green flavors in the austere style of this vintage. 10,013 Views Tasted Jul 21, 2011 |
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2001
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
Tobacco, cigar box, earth, mocha, espresso and blackberry aromas are right there when you want them. On the palate, the wine is soft, lush, silky, expressive and clean, plus it's drinking today. 5,857 Views Tasted Jul 25, 2013Earth, spice, cassis, blackberries, espresso, tobacco, truffle and black cherry flavors couple nicely with supple, round textures and a long, sweet, spicy, black and red fruit filled, suave finish. At 10, this charming, St. Julien wine is already starting to drink nicely. 10,728 Views Tasted Sep 13, 2011 |
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2000
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
A quick splash decant was all this beauty needed to discover its rich, ripe, full-bodied, concentrated and ready to go character. The wine is supple, deep, dark and as I mentioned, for a 2000, it’s delivering a lot of pleasure with its multiple layers of lusciously-textured fruit. Most of the tannin has melted away allowing this stunner to shine. 6,458 Views Tasted Mar 6, 2022Almost there, the past few years have added a lot of softness and roundness to the texture, allowing all the sweet ripe, dark red currants and blackberries, accompanied by tobacco, cedar, espresso, forest floor, and smokey nuances to shine through. Full-bodied, with the right touch of polish to the tannins giving the wine an elegant finish. 6,459 Views Tasted Sep 13, 2021Just beautiful. The wine has concentration, richness, elegance and layers of sweet dark, earthy, fresh, spicy fruits. There is a purity to the fruit and softness to the tannins that allows this to taste and feel great. Drink now with an hour of air, or age it another decade for more secondary charm. 6,857 Views Tasted Oct 12, 2018Showing some lightening at the edge, the wine is silky, soft, polished and developing, spicy, earthy, tobacco and truffle characteristics. Still young, but beginning to open and display its qualities, the finish is long, supple, concentrated, fresh and clean. 10,633 Views Tasted Jul 25, 2013Beautiful attention grabbing aromatics filled with licorice, cherry, smoke, coffee, truffle, cassis, earth and spice pair perfectly with the rich, supple textures. Still young, another 10 years will add a lot to the long, concentrated, silky, round, black and red, spicy fruit filled finish. 16,086 Views Tasted Jul 26, 2012With an explosive perfume of coffee, black cherry, black berry, truffle, tobacco, spice box, smoke and cloves, this wine takes off and keeps on going. The texture is plush, opulent and fleshy, but there is the right amount of acidity to allow the wine to feel fresh and lively. With a long, pure, plum and black cherry finish, this beautiful expression of Leoville Poyferre leaves a great impression. This is the third time I’ve tasted this wine in a month and every bottle has been great. With prices for 2009 and 2010, this is the wine to buy and cellar. 17,093 Views Tasted Aug 1, 2011Leoville Poyferre Jammy berries, boysenberry, coffee, smoke, chocolate, black raspberry, spice, black cherry and earthy aromas pop from the glass. With opulent, round, silky tannins, this full bodied, concentrated, ripe, fruit filled St. Julien wine is developing perfectly. With another 5 years of bottle age, this plush Bordeaux wine should improve while offering the sublime 1982 Poyferre a run for the money. 15,231 Views Tasted Jun 19, 2011Filled with smoke, spice, black fruit, cassis and caramel. This Bordeaux is rich and concentrated, the tannins are ripe and round. This is a very plush, opulent and stylish Leoville Poyferee. 14,829 Views Tasted Mar 5, 2010With a complex perfume of tobacco, cassis, herbs and blackberry. Big, concentrated and filled with ripe, lush fruit. Great concentration and everything was in balance. The finish was long, clean and fresh. 9,959 Views Tasted Jan 15, 2009 |
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1999
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
At age 12, this is tasting mature with its tobacco, mushroom and earthy, cassis and cranberry driven personality. Medium bodied, this lighter style of St, Julien will offer the most pleasure over the next 5-7 years. 6,211 Views Tasted Jul 21, 2011 |
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1998
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
A nice wine, fully mature, with a softness to the fruit and tannins. There is no hurry to drink this, but it's probably not going to move much from here. 4,806 Views Tasted May 13, 2015 |
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1996
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
Close to fully mature here, the wine is medium-bodied, earthy, round, soft and fleshy with a generous dose of sweet, ripe, black fruits, smoke, licorice, dark cherry and earth. Not as concentrated as some of the top wines from 1996, but the tannins are ripe, the wine is round, plush and sensuous with a beautiful, ripe, sweet, red pit fruit finish. 4,590 Views Tasted Aug 24, 2020The perfume offers a smoky bouquet of scents with cassis, cigar box, cedar wood, blackberry, tobacco, coffee and forest floor all showing their essence. Full bodied, round, plush and really starting to soften, the finish is fresh, clean, smooth and delivers a sweet, dark cherry note that sticks with you. Close to fully mature, this bottle was popped and poured and probably enjoyed far too quickly. But isn’t that one of the signatures of all the really great wines? The wine was produced from a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon , 25% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. 6,171 Views Tasted Jun 19, 2016With a smoky, licorice, cigar box, cassis and blackberry filled perfume, the wine is soft, round, polished and ready to go. It's close to 20 years of age and if you've been holding your bottles, it's really time to pop a cork. The wine was popped and poured. 6,394 Views Tasted Jul 27, 2015Frim, tannic and a bit on the austere side. Decanting helped. the aromatics were the best part of the experience with their tonacco, truffle, cassis and blackberry notes. The fruit was classy, but this wine is always going to please fans of traditionally styled wines more than those that have grown fond of the rounder, more plush sensations found in modern vintages of Leoville Poyferre. 7,214 Views Tasted Oct 14, 2013Filled with truffle, smoke, licorice and cassis, the wine is structured, ripe, round and ends with a delicious, sweet black cherry filled finish. At 15, this is drinking great and should remain at this level or improve a little bit for at least another 15 or more years. 9,786 Views Tasted Jul 22, 2011Still young, this solid, powerful, tannic wine offered cassis, blackberry, tobacco and earthy notes. After an hour in the glass, it began to open and added charm. The wine ended with a tanninc, dark berry finish. Give it another 3-5 years. 10,495 Views Tasted Jul 10, 2010 |
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1995
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
Cassis, coffee, earth and blackberry open to a full bodied wine, that is slightly on the austere side. The tannic finish is filled with cassis and cranberry that ends with a tart, red berry note. This will be long lived, but it might not improve a lot from this stage. 10,599 Views Tasted May 22, 2011 |
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1994
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
Medium bodied, firm, stoic, not quite austere, but close. Better on the nose, with its red fruits, cedar, herbs and forest floor, scents than on the palate. Mature and ready to drink. 5,355 Views Tasted May 8, 2017 |
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1990
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
Supple, creamy, rich, and loaded with ripe currants, blackberries, tobacco leaf, forest leaf, and cherries. The full-bodied, elegant, soft finish seals the deal. Drink from 2023-2032. 3,090 Views Tasted Dec 24, 2022Drinking at the peak of maturity, this wine is a gem. Supple, silky and sensuous, the fruits are sweet, ripe and spicy. There is freshness, polish, concentration and focus. Generous on the palate and long in the finish, this is hitting all the right buttons. No decanting is needed. If you own this wine, pop a cork and enjoy the night. 3,732 Views Tasted Aug 14, 2021This is remarkably consistent from bottle to bottle, and this example was no exception to that rule. Lush, silky, soft and polished, with a gorgeous array of secondary tobacco, cedar, wet earth, cigar wrapper and bright red fruit nuances, the wine popped as soon as it was poured. No decanting is needed here for this beauty. This is in the sweet spot, so if you have a bottle, grab it and pull that cork! 4,830 Views Tasted Nov 24, 2018If you like sexed up kinky cherries paired with the aroma of a great cigar, wet forest funk, cedar and smoke, you came to the right place! The wine is full bodied, rich and sensuous, with silky tannins, and a fresh, kirsch, olive and spice filled finish. This is singing at the top of its lungs today. 30 minutes in the decanter helped. The wine continued improving and softening in the glass. This is probably close to peak, you can wait, but why would you? 4,799 Views Tasted Feb 25, 2018Wow! As soon as the wine hit the glass, the beautiful cigar box, forest floor, cedar, cassis and spice aromas were right where they needed to be. Full bodied, rich, supple textures, refined tannins and a sweet, fresh, vibrant, spicy finish made it complete. This is drinking at peak where it should remain for at least another 15-20 more years if well stored. 20 minutes in the decanter was more than ample for the wine. 5,839 Views Tasted Jun 10, 2016Entering the sweet spot of its prime time drinking years, the nose is the first thing that grabs you. But the layers of deep, rich, ripe, polished, velvety fruit keeps your attention where it needs to be. Drink this now, or age it another 5 years for more secondary notes, this is a super wine with great personality. 5,422 Views Tasted Sep 23, 2014I love catching wines at the perfect moment. If you have a bottle of this stunning juice it's time to pop a cork. The chocolate mint, truffle, blackberry, earth, cassis, blackberry smoke and tobacco nose is worth the price of admission. On the palate, the silky textures and become better, now that the patina of age has sunk in. The rich, concentrated, fresh, cassis, spice, herb and wild strawberry finish makes you want to take another sip. 7,545 Views Tasted Jun 8, 2013Explosive notes of creme de cassis, earth, spice, smoke, blackberries and tobacco. Full bodied, rich, sensuous and packed with multiple layers of ripe, pure berries, this wine is drinking great today. While it will probably continue to improve for another decade, where it should remain for years, there is no reason to delay popping a bottle. This is a beautiful expression of Leoville Poyferre. 8,778 Views Tasted Feb 13, 2012Smoke, tobacco, cassis, orange rind, blackberry, earth and spicy scents are easy to find. Full bodied and concentrated, this specific bottle was not a perfect example. The color was lighter than usual, showing advanced signs of age. The wine finished with a big dose of cassis. I've tasted better examples of the 1990. 9,803 Views Tasted Jun 15, 2011Spice, tobacco, cherry blossoms, cassis, truffles, stone and smoke greet your nose. This potent, rich, full bodied, round wine feels great as it pours over your palate. Concentrated, ripe, sweet spicy dark berries and cassis remain on your palate for close to 40 seconds. At 20, this is a good time to start opening your bottles. While it will improve, there is no reason to wait. 10,163 Views Tasted Jun 29, 2010 |
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1989
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
The complex perfume sports ample notes of earth, truffle, mocha, coffee, and anise. The elegantly styled wine offers your palate ample pleasure. This wine is fully mature. 5,535 Views Tasted Jun 19, 2009 |
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1985
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
Fully mature, medium bodied wine that is more interesting on the nose, with its cigar box, truffle, black cherry and tobacco driven perfume, than on the soft, gentle, slowly starting to fade palate. This is not a wine to hold. If you have a bottle in your cellar, it needs drinking. 6,037 Views Tasted Dec 3, 2015 |
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1982
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
Silky, sensuous, and lushly textured, the wine opens with dried flowers, cherries, black currants, spice and cigar wrappers in the aromatics. On the palate, the wine remains rich, opulent and long, with a gorgeous finish packed with dark cocoa, plums, black cherries and spice. Drink from 2024-2035. 3,213 Views Tasted Jun 28, 2024The best bottle of this I have had in ages simply rocked! Supple, seductive, rich, and loaded with sweet, deep, red pit fruits, cigar wrappers, spices, herbs, and cherry liqueur notes. With length, depth, sensuality with elegance, and lift, this was a thrill a sip bottle. No decanting needed, just pop, pour, and enjoy with pleasure. Drink from 2023-2032. 2,555 Views Tasted Feb 15, 2023Every bottle that is close to 40 years of age is unique, with some showing more signs of age than others. Here, the nose was all about the cigar box, cedar chest, tobacco and cassis notes that were easy to find. Silky, soft, elegant, supple and sweet, the wine seems to be losing some of its length which seems to say that it is time to drink this gem over the next few years. 3,531 Views Tasted Feb 10, 2021Just beautiful, and much better than the previous bottle. Fully mature and in the sweet spot, the wine is soft, elegant, nuanced, and complete. Showing great secondary characteristics, with freshness and layers of ripe, mature dark, red fruits, this is in the zone. Well-stored bottles can age for at least another 10-15 or more years. 4,211 Views Tasted Oct 12, 2018Hopefully, it was just this bottle, as it seems like the wine has taken on a more rustic edge, since last tasted. Popped and poured, the wine opened and softened in 10-15 minutes. The nose was all cedar, tobacco leaf, cigar box, cassis and pepper. On the palate, the concentrated wine alternated between rustic and soft, depending on its mood. In the finish, noticeable green peppery sensations were evident. I think I liked this wine better a few years ago, but I'll pop another cork on the wine later this year. All that being said, this is not a wine I would hold at this point. 4,087 Views Tasted Jan 1, 2018Ready to drink, if not fully mature, the silky, smooth, rich textures, layers of ripe, sweet, delicious fruit and the perfume, with its spicy, tobacco, truffle, mocha and dark cherry aromatics is a treat. 5,195 Views Tasted Jan 14, 2016Silky, soft, refined, concentrated and deep, the wine combines great textures, sweet fruits, complex aromatics and a long finish. What's not to like? And it's drinking great today! 5,493 Views Tasted Jan 23, 20151982 Leoville Poyferre offers a beautiful, intense perfume filled with truffles, Cuban cigars, ash, earth, Asian spice, cedar wood and black with red fruits. On the palate, the wine is rich and sensuous, ending with a lush, mocha and cassis filled finish. This is drinking perfectly today. As good as this is, and it's very good, the current vintages starting with the sublime 2000, are even better! 6,979 Views Tasted Sep 18, 2014Truffle, tobacco, cassis, cedar chest, earth, blackberry, spice and smoke create a beautiful nose. On the palate, the wine is silky and power. Full bodied and concentrated, everything is in place to deliver a great, fully mature, Bordeaux wine drinking experience. 7,729 Views Tasted Mar 18, 20131982 Leoville Poyferre remains one of the best values from the normally, very expensive 1982 vintage. Tobacco, truffle, earth, cassis, cedar wood and cigar ash create the complex perfume. Concentrated, full bodied and rich in texture, the wine offers a big mouthful of sweet, ripe, cassis, blackberry and spice. For a 30 year old wine, this is still young, fresh and vibrant. Well stored examples could easily age and improve for another 20 or more years. 7,198 Views Tasted Aug 28, 2012Smoke, grilled nuts, truffle, cassis, coffee, tobacco, earth, underbrush, blackberry and spice aromas lead to a sweet, refined, full bodied, concentrated cassis and plum filled finish. This is rally starting to drink well now and it has at least another 10-20 years to go. 9,642 Views Tasted Jun 15, 201182 Leoville Poyferre is filled with smoky black fruit, cassis, truffle, cedar and cigar box aromatics. This rich, full bodied, elegant, round, powerful Bordeaux wine end with a long, cassis, blackberry, spice and orange rind finish. This sublime wine will only get better. While not cheap, this wine offers one of the best price to quality ratios for mature Bordeaux, especially for 82 Bordeaux. 10,106 Views Tasted Dec 12, 2010This opens with notes of cedar, earth, anise, forest floor and fresh, ripe and over ripe dark berries with a hint of jam. This full bodied wine is packed with fruit and flavor. The soft, yet powerful finish ends with black and blue fruit flavors, spice and hints of fennel. This is drinking great today, but additional time will only make this better. 10,429 Views Tasted Jun 13, 2010Every sniff and sip rocks! Tobacco, spice, truffle, cassis and blackberry are all over the place. Concentrated, intense, elegant and powerful, this wine has it all and it's clearly showing its ample charms! 8,397 Views Tasted Dec 31, 2009Earthy, forest notes with hints of cherry wood. Very concentrated, thick wine, that coats your mouth, palate and gums. Soft tannins, great depth and complexity, this wine delivers the goods. 4,952 Views Tasted Jan 10, 2005 |
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1961
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
My first time tasting this wine, and I was quite surprised with how much I liked this wine. Charming, in the positive sense of the word, this has character, charm, ripe cassis, complex, cigar and tobacco scents and a long, fresh, red berry finish. 3,237 Views Tasted Apr 16, 2016 |
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1954
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
Classy, light red fruits, spice, earth and tobacco were holding on to dear life. You can sense the potential quality in the vineyard, but life had almost completely slipped away. 2,721 Views Tasted May 8, 2014 |
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1953
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
Well past its prime, the tobacco, earth, leaf and red fruit nose was the best part of the experience. Light in fruit, bright, crisp tart cranberries made up the palate. 2,875 Views Tasted Dec 28, 2015 |
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1945
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
This sported a brickish color. Spice, soy, Kirsch, earth and truffle made for a powerful perfume. In the mouth, the wine was less exciting and with air, declined in the glass. Still, for the first 30 minutes, it was a nice ride. 4,966 Views Tasted Dec 1, 2008 |
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1929
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
More on the secondary side, as you would expect at 90 years of age, but there was enough tobacco, flowers, cherry pipe tobacco and hints of red berries to make this light, bright, soft wine fun to imbibe. 1,572 Views Tasted Aug 22, 2019 |
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1905
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
Pale rose hip tea in color, the wine offered bare hints of tobacco and strawberry in the faded bouquet, ending in a finish of short, light cherries. The wine was not faulty, there was just very, very little going on. Regardless of the quality, it was an honor tasting such a historical gem at 108 years of age. 4,018 Views Tasted Apr 1, 2013 |
