Tasted at the Chateau Medium Ruby Medium + intensity with aromas of black fruit (Blackcurrants, Blackberries, Black plums & cherries. Beautiful integrated oak with flavors of cedar, vanilla, leather & licorice. Still fruit driven in a very balanced way. On the palate the wine is dry with high acidity and tannins ( integrated and not too tough), high alcohol and full body (although in an elegant way. The intensity is medium + and the finish is long. The quality is outstanding and will age beautifully. Now there are almost no signs of tertiary flavors.
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This is sooo good right now but will get MUCH MUCH better in the future with some more time in the bottle. Decanted 6 hours but this baby needs 5 years or more to begin its adulthood. I would like to think based on the structure and masive tanins that this wine will be a candidate for almost perfect scores 10-15 years from today. Have 12 more bottles and will wait a few years to open the next one. NOT READY although extremely delicious
Yummy good. Worth $150? Maybe! I mean, in my mind, very few wines are worth $150... but this wine is exceptional. If you've got $150 laying around and can't figure out a better use for it... you could do a lot worse.
The inky purple, almost black, appearance introduces an intensely deep nose of ripe blackberry, crème de mûre, sweet blueberries, smoked meat, dried floral notes, pencil shavings, bark, leather ... one could get lost for quite a while in here. Velvet in the mouth, with endless juicy dark fruits shrouded in smokey and savoury layers. Shades of Pomerol … or Napa … but staying just the right side of the line. Incredibly fine but powerful tannins envelope smoothly, building to a crushing crescendo. This carries exceptional promise. 95+
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It’s important to give the 2018 Léoville Poyferré plenty of air if you’re tasting it now, because for the first 3 hours the fruit remains in its shell, leaving the nose to the devices of its oak and not showing a proper counterbalance to the alcohol. Yet at hours 3, 4, 5, and 16 the wine simply continues to unfurl and shows what it’s really made of - and what the future holds. Léoville Poyferré has captured the ripeness and luxury of the 2018 vintage while staying just on the right side of the line when it comes to ripeness, sporting an enveloping plummy, mixed berry nose, freshened by pencil shaving and petrichor, with a bit of dark chocolate eventually showing itself. The textures here are really voluptuous and they’re able to balance the 14.2% alcohol pretty well. A very fine vintage here, though admittedly there’s always going to be a little unpredictability with 2018 ABVs as these enter their 3rd-4th decade.
Obviously way too early to open this, but couldn't resist. Decanted 8 hours.
Dense purple. Nose of dark red and black fruits, chocolate, sweet spices / oak. Very concentrated / powerful on the palate. Huge tannins for now. Long finish.
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Pnp. It's young and took a while to open up but when it did it was remarkable. Very Elegant. Dark fruit flavor dominates but there is a lot of complexity. Long finish. An amazing future ahead.
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NY Wine Experience 2022; 10/20/2022-10/23/2022 (Marriott Marquis): Lots of dark fruits and baking spices and while this is incredibly young it seems to have the stuffing to be a long-time wine. Interested to see how it develops with more time. Great price point for the quality of Bordeaux it is.
This is a great wine. Decanted for 3 hours and it was awesome in the glass for another 5 hours until it was consumed. Crème de cassis and blue fruits. Blueberry pie but without being jammy. Feel free to enjoy. Not as tannic as other notes say.
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The combination of youth and extraction render this essentially unenjoyable to me currently. At this stage it's like a perfectly landed left hook to the mouth. It doesn't seem shut down but rather a natural born bruiser. Some old world flavors of tobacco and gravel peaking out, but just gobs of blue and red fruits clobber you. I enjoy LP from time to time but I think this one may be a bit much for me. But time will tell. I could be wrong. I'll give one more a shot in a decade.
Massively tannic, extremely dark almost black color. This wine is incredible but undrinkable now—the tannins need time to resolve. Maybe in 3-5 years minimum it can be tasted again. Should be fantastic in future. Even decanted 6 hours it showed little change; on day 2 it started to open up a little bit and shows great promise; still not ready on day 3. On day 4 it is still drinkable and nose opened more.
Appearance: very dark purple, heavy legs and extract.
Nose: first rate, you can tell the complexity in this wine although it seems still a bit closed; bouquet of violets, cherries, black currant, a bit of pear, a bit of rose perfume, damp cloth, Bordeaux funk, tabbaco, pepper, a slight smoked meat note. This will be intoxicating when it opens up a bit more. After a few days, the nose reveals dates and candied fruit.
Palate: blueberries, red cherries, a bit of pepper, wood chips, chalk. Astringent persimmon note. Elegamt mouthfeel but a very strong wine; there is an elegance that is surprising given the tannins. It is like a meal. This reminds me of eating venison in a black currant sauce at my favorite French restaurant (La Chaumiere in DC); it really feels like a meal.
Incredibly long finish with strong alcohol that retains the flavors from the palate: red cherries etc.
Clearly will be excellent. But far far too young now and I honestly regret opening it. This is not a casual wine by any means; it demands full attention. At the $130 we paid this is well worth collecting to age. Will get 2 more bottles. 96-97 pts.
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Opened and recorked 24h in advance. Nose of purple flowers, boysenberry, hints of oak, moderate aromatic intensity. Medium plus bodied, purple fruit, floral. Very tannic with moderate coarseness, medium acidity. Saving the second half for day 3.
This is a fantastic bottle. The tannins are very strong, so if you’re averse I would not open this anytime soon. It seems slightly closed, but still very good. I’m very excited to see where this goes in another 10 years.
I've been enjoying some other very "open for business" 2018 St Juliens lately (Leoville Barton and Lagrange; can't justify the expense for Las Cases anymore, sadly :( so thought we would crack one of these. The wine was decanted for 6-8 hours and then tasted over two consecutive nights ... I wish I could say that I was as enamored of the Poyferre as most other CT folks have been, but in all honesty I have never been that impressed by a Poyferre, and I have sampled a number of vintages over the years. Day one: Out of the gates and with several hours in decanter this shows exactly like a very nice warm vintage Chateauneuf-du-Pape: kirsch, licorice, roasted peanuts, noticeable alcohol. Compressed midpalate. Medium body. And that is about it. Day two: This is more Bordeaux-like now, although honestly it could be a Napa Cab or even a new-wave, new-oak-aged CDP. Still surprisingly red-fruited (cherries) and yet I get peeks of blackcurrant and blueberry but they pop in and out of view mysteriously. More licorice, molasses, and new oak (I think this is slightly over-oaked). Silkier now, but still lacking the midpalate finesse and minerality of the other St Juliens from this vintage I have tried recently. (The Barton was so dark-fruit-juicy and minerally compared with this; the Lagrange more cedary and of its place) The palate is not nearly expansive as the Barton, even after being open for almost 48 hrs. (Anyone who has plenty of both of these 2018 Leovilles should open them side by side in the near future and you'll see what I mean) By the end of day two, I honestly can't pick this out as St Julien. At least it went well with dinner (roast duck, potatoes gratin). This wine has garnered stratospheric scores from all the major critics, and tasters on CT as well, but this bottle was completely blown out of the water by both 2018 Lagrange and especially 2018 Leoville Barton. I'm tempted to call "Emperor's New Clothes" on this one, but that would be disrespectful to all the much more experienced tasters than myself. I will let my remaining bottles age for 10-15 years and hope for some magic ...
With all the press on this wine I had to check in on this purchase. No doubt this is a quality wine with a bright future but I prefer the Calon Segur at this price point today. No doubt a beautiful BDX. Time will deliver complexity and reward restraint in spades. Caulk fine tannins center stage. Over 48 there wasn't much change.
Mouth: Fabulously concentrated: flavors of black currant and black cherry come across focused, on a velveteen frame, just before fanning out into fleshier acai berry and blackberry compote notes. Light alder, black loam and tar kick in from this point on, giving this serious spine as manicured tannins check in.
The fruit is really vivid here, and shows prodigious depth, with beautiful rendering that keeps driving on while staying plush throughout. Also of note is the freshness that undergirds the opulence here, the acidity is lively, giving a solid spine that melds wonderfully into the more rigid parts of the finish. A winner. Drink 2024 - 2041.
More concentrated than the Barton and more extracted. Powerful chocolate, ripe fruits, oaky. Big and full bodied and layered, almost Napa like, in a good way of course.
Owned by the Cuvelier family since 1920, Léoville Poyferré shares a building with its perhaps better-known cousin Léoville Las Cases, though the two estates are markedly different. Poyferré’s vineyard lies across the road, with its 148 acres of vines situated on more clay-based soils that result in a broad, fleshy wine. Sara Cuvelier is the current generation to head the estate, taking over from her cousin Didier during the 2018 vintage. Winemaker Isabelle Davin and consultant Michel Rolland crafted Poyferré’s modern-style grand vin from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, all aged in 80 percent new oak.
Big, punchy cedary nose, very woody but at least it's an interesting array of woody flavors of the spicebox/cigar box variety. It's a big, large-scaled wine though oddly it doesn't feel especially dense, just burly. It's got Poyferre's customary dark-tinted fruit and tannins grainy enough to feel a bit of a stylistic throwback in contrast to the scale and wood treatment which are built for mass appeal. There is a sense in which something more streamlined may be itching to get out like the proverbial sculpture in every block of stone, but looking back on my notes on the 2016 it's apparent that this vintage doesn't have nearly so much of the 2016's detail, dynamism, and energy.
25 wedding aniv with wiffey in Redmond WA. WOW wine, very powerful , rich, supple, hedonistic. Lots and lots of dark chocolate and tobacco. The wine right now is super dry and incredibly young. The wine needs 15 years or so to tame. The wine is fantastic.
Simply beautiful and great value Would rival Lynch Bages on a good day Everything great about St Julienne Structure Balance dark brooding black fruit elegant fine oak tannin for long life but already approachable Suspect 2018 vintage will drink earlier than 2016 or 2009 or 2010 Great buy
A tasting in Bordeaux of 71 wines, some of the best I have ever had and others, umm, well were disappointing. If you read the Tasting story (and my grading history) I think it will do a much better job putting this in perspective.
This was tasted at the chateau immediately upon arriving in Bordeaux after a long day of travel. Our host at the Chateau was very gracious and accommodating with my agenda. As with many wines from this trip, I was previously unfamiliar with the chateau but thanks to JG, I added this to the itinerary and it didn't disappoint.
Some notes of value, at least to me anyway, we tasted 2000, 2003, 2010, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2020 are as follows: a) quality greatly improved in the most recent vintages b) added quality improvement equipment and processes c) the style is on the more opulent side but not over the top or jammy
The 2020 is a continuation of the quality and potential this Chateau can deliver. While it may not live up to the stellar ‘16, it’s no slouch in its own right.
This wine was a great representation of the 2020 vintage and a well put together wine. The wine has great potential and should become a beautiful wine in its own right but needs time to develop before it will show the real potential but it will be a good wine but unsure of how great- but it’s a buy for me, may add more after all is said and done.
Killed it in 1982. Cousin took over more recently.
Bold black earthy aromas with toasty black fruits, charcoal, and slight floral notes. Dark red fruit flavors with nice spice and firm acids. Nice opulent textures. Good fruit to structure. Obviously young, yet already a pretty wine and showy. Nice spicy edge. Quite alluring. Rich, polished, and fruity with very pretty textures. Long complete finish. This is really lovely. 93-95.
Amsterdam UGCB Tasting (Amstel Boathouse, Amsterdam, NL): Well balanced, elegant and generous, comfortable and harmonious, slightly sweet and spicy oak, attractive fluffy fruit, velvety tannins, relaxed and flowing wine, everything in place, delivers what you would expect from Poyferré in 2018.
So velvety yet correct. Balance is impeccable. Just flows. Like black gold. Palate a little hesitant but all the cassis is there on you palate. It must be a bit closed of course, but surprisingly accessible. The vintage or the wine making? It is a joy to drink and if we hadn't been so hungry I would have had the opportunity to follow it over the coming days. It was too delicious.
Wow, if this doesnt knock your socks off I dont know what would. Bam! It snaps your attention to it!
Big, plush and elegant with decadent yet beautifully intense flavors, very fresh and exiciting. Just all around amazing. It is definitely Leoville Poyferre but at its most vivacious quality. Deep plum, dark cherry, chocolate, leather, smoke, tobacco, forest earth, lip smakin' tannins and very long and dramatic finish.
Leoville Poyferre 2018, like many of the great 2018’s, is mind blowingly good. What makes this vintage so mind blowing? The 2018’s are rich, smoky and voluptuous, with maximum enjoyment, while at the same time very fresh and exciting to drink. Smooth and buttery tannins, sometimes cashmere like. Upon reflection, these wines display multi-dimensional and at times kaleidoscopic delineations of beautiful flavors that are pure pleasure.
That is the Leoville Poyferre 2018. It has the distinctive character of Leoville Poyferre amplified to hedonistic levels. And with age I imagine the finely delineated flavor dimensions we can discern when it’s young will meld into a truly gorgeous harmony.
I am a big fan of Leoville Poyferre, and some of the years that stand out to me are 2000 (classic), 2003 (hedonistic), 2009 (a jewel), 2016 (fresh and beautiful). The 2018 may be the best one so far. And the price is quite reasonable for the quality.
For 2018, in addition to Leoville Poyferre, the other knockout 2018s I have tried include Pontet Canet, Smith Haute Lafitte, Cos D’Estournel and Canon. All mind blowingly good in their own ways but Leoville Poyferre is the most voluptuous, lip-smacking delicious wine of that esteemed group.
2018’s are drinking great right now, no need to wait but I would love to be able to taste them 20 years from now. That’s what I think it will take for these to hit another level.
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.
Arvi Bordeaux 2018 Arrivage (Dolder Grand, Zurich): Tasting of 2018 Bordeaux in the bottle. A mixed vintage where St. Emilion often ended up over-ripe and cooked while Pomerol seems to have fared better, as did the left bank. Wine of the tasting was Rauzan Ségla, but the Léovilles (Barton and Poyferré), Pichon Lalande and Clinet presented themselves brilliantly as well.
Tasting note: Dark berries with bramble berry, mineral notes, elements of fresh mint. Intense and fruity palate, muscular yet well balanced - maybe just a tiny acidic overhang - and so dense it appears almost viscous. I was already fond of the barrel sample and this is keeping the promises made then. For me Léoville Barton scored a notch better in the bottle, but for my wife the conclusion was exactly the opposite. Best to own both to avoid arguing.
N: slightly closed. Aromas of berry compote and new oak. P: concentrated high alcohol but in control. Deep, plush, full, dense. Needs time, Long finish.
2018 Bordeaux tasting event (Stockholm): Nice dark deep fruit dominated by cassis. Harsher tannin than Las Cases. Savoury and with good purity and fruit. Rather full and rich though, maybe a bit too much? 93-95p
Tasted next to the 2009. On the nose dark fruit, tobacco, liquorice. Ripe, spicy, sweet. Lots of concentration, good acidity and depth, maybe lacking a bit of elegance. As always a bit more modern than the other Léoville Chateaux. Very long finish. 94-95+
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Barrel sample at Lords en primeur tasting last month. 14.4% is too much alcohol for my taste and whilst there plenty of fruit the tannins were mouth puckering. Will it balance out given (a lot of) time I wonder. The hardest wine of the evening to judge.
Bordeaux 2018 barrel tasting (Papiersaal Sihlcity, Zürich): Barrel sample tasted at a merchant event in Zurich. Out of a sample of 12 wines, my main conclusions were: 1) again a strong vintage as pundits claim with ripe fruit profiles the common theme, and 2) generally elevated alcohol levels proved less of an issue on the palate than I feared with hardly any unwanted heat on the palate. Within this small sample, my highlights were Calon Ségur (98) and Rauzan-Ségla (98) with Pichon Baron (97) not far behind.
Impressive show of force. Intense and ripe berries, herbal and even a few meaty flavors on top. Full body with lots of power. This came as quite a surprise given that I was not particularly fond of the 2015 (88) and 2016 (93) when tasted fresh in the bottle. 95-97.
Bordeaux 2018 I: A first look at the 2018 vintage at a merchant tasting in Zurich with 11 red wines tasted. It might be quite difficult to judge the wines (I don't have 30 years barrel tasting experience) but some relative conclusions still can be made: 1) the best wines are as soft and elegant as the best 2016s (Figeac, Conseillante, Carmes HB, Rauzan Segla); 2) The aromatic complexity and precision of some wines is very exciting (Calon Segur, Figeac, Carmes HB), 3) There are some wines which cannot mask the high(er) alcohol levels (Pavie Maquin, Calon Segur, Leoville Poyferre). Overall, I still think that 2016 will ultimately be the better vintage thanks to lower alcohol levels and a cooler, purer fruit. On the other hand, I see 2018 a tad above 2015.
TN: This wine shows consistent with the 2015 and 2016. This is all about the ripe, borderline jammy fruit, not as cool, fresh and pure as other 2018s (Figeac, Conseillante, Rauzan Segla, Carmes Haut Brion) and not mineralic, cool and elegant as the Leoville Las Cases 2016 (which so far is the best 2016 I‘ve tried). Fat, rich with lots of fruit and some floral aromas, a wall of tannins which don‘t have the luxurious quality of some of the best other wines. In addition there was some heat showing and only time will tell if that wine will better integrated once mature and if it will ever be able to mask the high(er) alcohol.
I see this wine somewhere in the 89 to 93 point range.
Before 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 alcohol. The harvest took place from September 24 to October 12. 97-99 Pts
Geproefd bij UGCB Saint-Julien op Branaire-Ducru op woensdag 03.04.2019. Rijpe en primaire braam neus, sappige aanzet, breed en mond vullend, krachtige afdronk, ingepakte tannines, rijpe tonen, lengte. Mokka toetsen. 95-97
4/12/2024 - PLLU Likes this wine: 96 Points
Tasted at the Chateau
Medium Ruby
Medium + intensity with aromas of black fruit (Blackcurrants, Blackberries, Black plums & cherries. Beautiful integrated oak with flavors of cedar, vanilla, leather & licorice. Still fruit driven in a very balanced way.
On the palate the wine is dry with high acidity and tannins ( integrated and not too tough), high alcohol and full body (although in an elegant way. The intensity is medium + and the finish is long.
The quality is outstanding and will age beautifully. Now there are almost no signs of tertiary flavors.
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11/29/2023 - wren460 Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is sooo good right now but will get MUCH MUCH better in the future with some more time in the bottle. Decanted 6 hours but this baby needs 5 years or more to begin its adulthood. I would like to think based on the structure and masive tanins that this wine will be a candidate for almost perfect scores 10-15 years from today. Have 12 more bottles and will wait a few years to open the next one. NOT READY although extremely delicious
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7/2/2023 - G_H wrote: 94 Points
still in the fruit phase, super approachable, young and sexy.
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7/2/2023 - Artbreadman wrote: 95 Points
This will absolutely live up to the critical reviews. The question is will you be able to keep your hands off it for 10 years?
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6/26/2023 - LuisMaimoni@Yahoo.com Likes this wine:
Yummy good. Worth $150? Maybe! I mean, in my mind, very few wines are worth $150... but this wine is exceptional. If you've got $150 laying around and can't figure out a better use for it... you could do a lot worse.
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6/25/2023 - JustOneMoreGlass Likes this wine: 95 Points
Young and sexy, tight integrated silky tannins. Dark fruit but not overly expressive yet. Balanced structure throughout palate. 95/96
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3/16/2023 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
More dramatic, and of course, tastes more like money.
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3/3/2023 - Sun_Ship Likes this wine: 95 Points
The inky purple, almost black, appearance introduces an intensely deep nose of ripe blackberry, crème de mûre, sweet blueberries, smoked meat, dried floral notes, pencil shavings, bark, leather ... one could get lost for quite a while in here. Velvet in the mouth, with endless juicy dark fruits shrouded in smokey and savoury layers. Shades of Pomerol … or Napa … but staying just the right side of the line. Incredibly fine but powerful tannins envelope smoothly, building to a crushing crescendo. This carries exceptional promise. 95+
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2/25/2023 - englishman's claret wrote: 96 Points
It’s important to give the 2018 Léoville Poyferré plenty of air if you’re tasting it now, because for the first 3 hours the fruit remains in its shell, leaving the nose to the devices of its oak and not showing a proper counterbalance to the alcohol. Yet at hours 3, 4, 5, and 16 the wine simply continues to unfurl and shows what it’s really made of - and what the future holds. Léoville Poyferré has captured the ripeness and luxury of the 2018 vintage while staying just on the right side of the line when it comes to ripeness, sporting an enveloping plummy, mixed berry nose, freshened by pencil shaving and petrichor, with a bit of dark chocolate eventually showing itself. The textures here are really voluptuous and they’re able to balance the 14.2% alcohol pretty well. A very fine vintage here, though admittedly there’s always going to be a little unpredictability with 2018 ABVs as these enter their 3rd-4th decade.
94-97
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1/2/2023 - Spsmatthews Likes this wine: 94 Points
Obviously way too early to open this, but couldn't resist. Decanted 8 hours.
Dense purple. Nose of dark red and black fruits, chocolate, sweet spices / oak. Very concentrated / powerful on the palate. Huge tannins for now. Long finish.
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12/31/2022 - jvwine wrote: flawed
Sediment in bottle
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11/14/2022 - gjv115 Likes this wine:
Pnp. It's young and took a while to open up but when it did it was remarkable. Very Elegant. Dark fruit flavor dominates but there is a lot of complexity. Long finish. An amazing future ahead.
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11/1/2022 - Irish_Wine wrote: 95 Points
Deep ruby.
Lovely nose with black currant, cedar, mint, graphite,
Lovely palate. Ripe fruit. Long finish.
*** Tasted as part of a walkaround 2018 Bordeaux tasting. Not full notes ***
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10/21/2022 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
NY Wine Experience 2022; 10/20/2022-10/23/2022 (Marriott Marquis): Lots of dark fruits and baking spices and while this is incredibly young it seems to have the stuffing to be a long-time wine. Interested to see how it develops with more time. Great price point for the quality of Bordeaux it is.
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9/30/2022 - ayalao3 wrote: 97 Points
This is a great wine. Decanted for 3 hours and it was awesome in the glass for another 5 hours until it was consumed. Crème de cassis and blue fruits. Blueberry pie but without being jammy. Feel free to enjoy. Not as tannic as other notes say.
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9/21/2022 - jeffreylubowski wrote:
The combination of youth and extraction render this essentially unenjoyable to me currently. At this stage it's like a perfectly landed left hook to the mouth. It doesn't seem shut down but rather a natural born bruiser. Some old world flavors of tobacco and gravel peaking out, but just gobs of blue and red fruits clobber you. I enjoy LP from time to time but I think this one may be a bit much for me. But time will tell. I could be wrong. I'll give one more a shot in a decade.
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9/11/2022 - PSanDiego Likes this wine: 97 Points
Wow, I am impressed. First time to taste LP. Thought it would have been closed, but it wasn't. If this is their standard, then I am a fan.
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5/28/2022 - Brendel Likes this wine: 96 Points
Massively tannic, extremely dark almost black color. This wine is incredible but undrinkable now—the tannins need time to resolve. Maybe in 3-5 years minimum it can be tasted again. Should be fantastic in future. Even decanted 6 hours it showed little change; on day 2 it started to open up a little bit and shows great promise; still not ready on day 3. On day 4 it is still drinkable and nose opened more.
Appearance: very dark purple, heavy legs and extract.
Nose: first rate, you can tell the complexity in this wine although it seems still a bit closed; bouquet of violets, cherries, black currant, a bit of pear, a bit of rose perfume, damp cloth, Bordeaux funk, tabbaco, pepper, a slight smoked meat note. This will be intoxicating when it opens up a bit more. After a few days, the nose reveals dates and candied fruit.
Palate: blueberries, red cherries, a bit of pepper, wood chips, chalk. Astringent persimmon note. Elegamt mouthfeel but a very strong wine; there is an elegance that is surprising given the tannins. It is like a meal. This reminds me of eating venison in a black currant sauce at my favorite French restaurant (La Chaumiere in DC); it really feels like a meal.
Incredibly long finish with strong alcohol that retains the flavors from the palate: red cherries etc.
Clearly will be excellent. But far far too young now and I honestly regret opening it. This is not a casual wine by any means; it demands full attention. At the $130 we paid this is well worth collecting to age. Will get 2 more bottles. 96-97 pts.
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4/16/2022 - Dwongl Likes this wine: 97 Points
Dark cherries, red fruits and pencil shavings on the nose. Fabulous structure, great intensity with tight tannins, very long finish.
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3/13/2022 - Thek wrote: 95 Points
Opened and recorked 24h in advance. Nose of purple flowers, boysenberry, hints of oak, moderate aromatic intensity. Medium plus bodied, purple fruit, floral. Very tannic with moderate coarseness, medium acidity. Saving the second half for day 3.
This is a fantastic bottle. The tannins are very strong, so if you’re averse I would not open this anytime soon. It seems slightly closed, but still very good. I’m very excited to see where this goes in another 10 years.
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2/16/2022 - Everything Ahead wrote: 90 Points
I've been enjoying some other very "open for business" 2018 St Juliens lately (Leoville Barton and Lagrange; can't justify the expense for Las Cases anymore, sadly :( so thought we would crack one of these. The wine was decanted for 6-8 hours and then tasted over two consecutive nights ...
I wish I could say that I was as enamored of the Poyferre as most other CT folks have been, but in all honesty I have never been that impressed by a Poyferre, and I have sampled a number of vintages over the years.
Day one: Out of the gates and with several hours in decanter this shows exactly like a very nice warm vintage Chateauneuf-du-Pape: kirsch, licorice, roasted peanuts, noticeable alcohol. Compressed midpalate. Medium body. And that is about it.
Day two: This is more Bordeaux-like now, although honestly it could be a Napa Cab or even a new-wave, new-oak-aged CDP. Still surprisingly red-fruited (cherries) and yet I get peeks of blackcurrant and blueberry but they pop in and out of view mysteriously. More licorice, molasses, and new oak (I think this is slightly over-oaked). Silkier now, but still lacking the midpalate finesse and minerality of the other St Juliens from this vintage I have tried recently. (The Barton was so dark-fruit-juicy and minerally compared with this; the Lagrange more cedary and of its place) The palate is not nearly expansive as the Barton, even after being open for almost 48 hrs. (Anyone who has plenty of both of these 2018 Leovilles should open them side by side in the near future and you'll see what I mean)
By the end of day two, I honestly can't pick this out as St Julien. At least it went well with dinner (roast duck, potatoes gratin).
This wine has garnered stratospheric scores from all the major critics, and tasters on CT as well, but this bottle was completely blown out of the water by both 2018 Lagrange and especially 2018 Leoville Barton. I'm tempted to call "Emperor's New Clothes" on this one, but that would be disrespectful to all the much more experienced tasters than myself. I will let my remaining bottles age for 10-15 years and hope for some magic ...
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12/25/2021 - MJP Hou TX Likes this wine: 95 Points
With all the press on this wine I had to check in on this purchase. No doubt this is a quality wine with a bright future but I prefer the Calon Segur at this price point today. No doubt a beautiful BDX. Time will deliver complexity and reward restraint in spades. Caulk fine tannins center stage. Over 48 there wasn't much change.
Patience will be reward. 95+
Hold till 2028
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12/3/2021 - RoyaltyCoins wrote: 98 Points
Deep ruby.
Nose: Fruitcake, melted baking chocolate, pencil lead, cool crushed black cherry. Really complete aromatics.
Mouth: Fabulously concentrated: flavors of black currant and black cherry come across focused, on a velveteen frame, just before fanning out into fleshier acai berry and blackberry compote notes. Light alder, black loam and tar kick in from this point on, giving this serious spine as manicured tannins check in.
The fruit is really vivid here, and shows prodigious depth, with beautiful rendering that keeps driving on while staying plush throughout. Also of note is the freshness that undergirds the opulence here, the acidity is lively, giving a solid spine that melds wonderfully into the more rigid parts of the finish. A winner. Drink 2024 - 2041.
98.
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11/25/2021 - Orange Tsian Likes this wine: 93 Points
香气讨喜，起头就带有浓重的奶油味，黑樱桃、黑莓等黑果之中透露出一些晶莹的红色光泽，还有些苹果汁的味道，玫瑰和紫罗兰花瓣勾勒出一些丰腴的质感，蓬松中内核紧实，中后段多石墨、巧克力、香草奶油以及香料等味道。入口结构较大，集中度较高，质地比较绵软，但有一道线条贯穿前后。黑醋栗、黑樱桃等果味并不太坚固，柔软丰富，花瓣、烟草碎、细细的矿物质地绵绵，较为享乐，余味较长。93/100
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11/25/2021 - wineappellation Likes this wine: 93 Points
More concentrated than the Barton and more extracted. Powerful chocolate, ripe fruits, oaky. Big and full bodied and layered, almost Napa like, in a good way of course.
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11/16/2021 - Laz4wine wrote:
#7 WS 2021 Top 100 - Félicitations!
Owned by the Cuvelier family since 1920, Léoville Poyferré shares a building with its perhaps better-known cousin Léoville Las Cases, though the two estates are markedly different. Poyferré’s vineyard lies across the road, with its 148 acres of vines situated on more clay-based soils that result in a broad, fleshy wine. Sara Cuvelier is the current generation to head the estate, taking over from her cousin Didier during the 2018 vintage. Winemaker Isabelle Davin and consultant Michel Rolland crafted Poyferré’s modern-style grand vin from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, all aged in 80 percent new oak.
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11/15/2021 - Philippe_C wrote: 94 Points
Nose of leather, wet wood, cigar box, cèpes de Bordeaux... Tannin soyeux, fruits rouges, sappy!!
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10/16/2021 - Keith Levenberg Likes this wine: 91 Points
Big, punchy cedary nose, very woody but at least it's an interesting array of woody flavors of the spicebox/cigar box variety. It's a big, large-scaled wine though oddly it doesn't feel especially dense, just burly. It's got Poyferre's customary dark-tinted fruit and tannins grainy enough to feel a bit of a stylistic throwback in contrast to the scale and wood treatment which are built for mass appeal. There is a sense in which something more streamlined may be itching to get out like the proverbial sculpture in every block of stone, but looking back on my notes on the 2016 it's apparent that this vintage doesn't have nearly so much of the 2016's detail, dynamism, and energy.
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10/13/2021 - wren460 Likes this wine: 96 Points
25 wedding aniv with wiffey in Redmond WA. WOW wine, very powerful , rich, supple, hedonistic. Lots and lots of dark chocolate and tobacco. The wine right now is super dry and incredibly young. The wine needs 15 years or so to tame. The wine is fantastic.
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8/10/2021 - LStaples wrote: 96 Points
Simply beautiful and great value
Would rival Lynch Bages on a good day
Everything great about St Julienne
Structure
Balance dark brooding black fruit elegant fine oak tannin for long life but already approachable
Suspect 2018 vintage will drink earlier than 2016 or 2009 or 2010
Great buy
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7/23/2021 - LiteItOnFire Likes this wine: 93 Points
A tasting in Bordeaux of 71 wines, some of the best I have ever had and others, umm, well were disappointing. If you read the Tasting story (and my grading history) I think it will do a much better job putting this in perspective.
This was tasted at the chateau immediately upon arriving in Bordeaux after a long day of travel. Our host at the Chateau was very gracious and accommodating with my agenda. As with many wines from this trip, I was previously unfamiliar with the chateau but thanks to JG, I added this to the itinerary and it didn't disappoint.
Some notes of value, at least to me anyway, we tasted 2000, 2003, 2010, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2020 are as follows:
a) quality greatly improved in the most recent vintages
b) added quality improvement equipment and processes
c) the style is on the more opulent side but not over the top or jammy
The 2020 is a continuation of the quality and potential this Chateau can deliver. While it may not live up to the stellar ‘16, it’s no slouch in its own right.
This wine was a great representation of the 2020 vintage and a well put together wine. The wine has great potential and should become a beautiful wine in its own right but needs time to develop before it will show the real potential but it will be a good wine but unsure of how great- but it’s a buy for me, may add more after all is said and done.
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7/11/2021 - KenK Likes this wine: 94 Points
Vinous Bordeaux Series with Galloni and Martin.
Killed it in 1982. Cousin took over more recently.
Bold black earthy aromas with toasty black fruits, charcoal, and slight floral notes.
Dark red fruit flavors with nice spice and firm acids. Nice opulent textures. Good fruit to structure. Obviously young, yet already a pretty wine and showy. Nice spicy edge. Quite alluring. Rich, polished, and fruity with very pretty textures. Long complete finish. This is really lovely. 93-95.
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6/21/2021 - FransS wrote: 95 Points
The 2018 UGCB tasting Amsterdam 6/21/2021 (Amsterdam, Amstel Boathouse): From nose to finish absolutely lovely. hints of mocha, but missing the complexity and the refined dimensions of Léoville-Barton, but, for sure, a very good L-P.
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6/21/2021 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 93 Points
Amsterdam UGCB Tasting (Amstel Boathouse, Amsterdam, NL): Well balanced, elegant and generous, comfortable and harmonious, slightly sweet and spicy oak, attractive fluffy fruit, velvety tannins, relaxed and flowing wine, everything in place, delivers what you would expect from Poyferré in 2018.
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5/29/2021 - JBL19 wrote: 93 Points
Audience u Mičky 2021
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5/3/2021 - Eriklainen wrote:
So velvety yet correct. Balance is impeccable. Just flows. Like black gold. Palate a little hesitant but all the cassis is there on you palate. It must be a bit closed of course, but surprisingly accessible. The vintage or the wine making? It is a joy to drink and if we hadn't been so hungry I would have had the opportunity to follow it over the coming days. It was too delicious.
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4/30/2021 - Pianojim wrote: 99 Points
Wow, if this doesnt knock your socks off I dont know what would. Bam! It snaps your attention to it!
Big, plush and elegant with decadent yet beautifully intense flavors, very fresh and exiciting. Just all around amazing. It is definitely Leoville Poyferre but at its most vivacious quality. Deep plum, dark cherry, chocolate, leather, smoke, tobacco, forest earth, lip smakin' tannins and very long and dramatic finish.
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4/17/2021 - Pianojim wrote: 99 Points
Leoville Poyferre 2018, April 16 and 17, 2021
Leoville Poyferre 2018, like many of the great 2018’s, is mind blowingly good. What makes this vintage so mind blowing? The 2018’s are rich, smoky and voluptuous, with maximum enjoyment, while at the same time very fresh and exciting to drink. Smooth and buttery tannins, sometimes cashmere like. Upon reflection, these wines display multi-dimensional and at times kaleidoscopic delineations of beautiful flavors that are pure pleasure.
That is the Leoville Poyferre 2018. It has the distinctive character of Leoville Poyferre amplified to hedonistic levels. And with age I imagine the finely delineated flavor dimensions we can discern when it’s young will meld into a truly gorgeous harmony.
I am a big fan of Leoville Poyferre, and some of the years that stand out to me are 2000 (classic), 2003 (hedonistic), 2009 (a jewel), 2016 (fresh and beautiful). The 2018 may be the best one so far. And the price is quite reasonable for the quality.
For 2018, in addition to Leoville Poyferre, the other knockout 2018s I have tried include Pontet Canet, Smith Haute Lafitte, Cos D’Estournel and Canon. All mind blowingly good in their own ways but Leoville Poyferre is the most voluptuous, lip-smacking delicious wine of that esteemed group.
2018’s are drinking great right now, no need to wait but I would love to be able to taste them 20 years from now. That’s what I think it will take for these to hit another level.
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3/9/2021 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
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.
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11/2/2020 - sirpat00 wrote: 95 Points
Arvi Bordeaux 2018 Arrivage (Dolder Grand, Zurich): Tasting of 2018 Bordeaux in the bottle. A mixed vintage where St. Emilion often ended up over-ripe and cooked while Pomerol seems to have fared better, as did the left bank. Wine of the tasting was Rauzan Ségla, but the Léovilles (Barton and Poyferré), Pichon Lalande and Clinet presented themselves brilliantly as well.
Tasting note:
Dark berries with bramble berry, mineral notes, elements of fresh mint. Intense and fruity palate, muscular yet well balanced - maybe just a tiny acidic overhang - and so dense it appears almost viscous. I was already fond of the barrel sample and this is keeping the promises made then. For me Léoville Barton scored a notch better in the bottle, but for my wife the conclusion was exactly the opposite. Best to own both to avoid arguing.
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10/13/2020 - R J Lewis wrote:
N: slightly closed. Aromas of berry compote and new oak.
P: concentrated high alcohol but in control. Deep, plush, full, dense. Needs time, Long finish.
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10/3/2019 - Mascarello59 Likes this wine: 94 Points
2018 Bordeaux tasting event (Stockholm): Nice dark deep fruit dominated by cassis. Harsher tannin than Las Cases. Savoury and with good purity and fruit. Rather full and rich though, maybe a bit too much? 93-95p
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7/3/2019 - rossi.wine wrote: 95 Points
Tasted next to the 2009. On the nose dark fruit, tobacco, liquorice. Ripe, spicy, sweet. Lots of concentration, good acidity and depth, maybe lacking a bit of elegance. As always a bit more modern than the other Léoville Chateaux. Very long finish. 94-95+
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6/10/2019 - wineforth Likes this wine: 93 Points
Barrel sample at Lords en primeur tasting last month. 14.4% is too much alcohol for my taste and whilst there plenty of fruit the tannins were mouth puckering. Will it balance out given (a lot of) time I wonder. The hardest wine of the evening to judge.
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5/9/2019 - sirpat00 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Bordeaux 2018 barrel tasting (Papiersaal Sihlcity, Zürich): Barrel sample tasted at a merchant event in Zurich. Out of a sample of 12 wines, my main conclusions were: 1) again a strong vintage as pundits claim with ripe fruit profiles the common theme, and 2) generally elevated alcohol levels proved less of an issue on the palate than I feared with hardly any unwanted heat on the palate. Within this small sample, my highlights were Calon Ségur (98) and Rauzan-Ségla (98) with Pichon Baron (97) not far behind.
Impressive show of force. Intense and ripe berries, herbal and even a few meaty flavors on top. Full body with lots of power. This came as quite a surprise given that I was not particularly fond of the 2015 (88) and 2016 (93) when tasted fresh in the bottle. 95-97.
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5/9/2019 - Cailles wrote: 91 Points
Bordeaux 2018 I: A first look at the 2018 vintage at a merchant tasting in Zurich with 11 red wines tasted. It might be quite difficult to judge the wines (I don't have 30 years barrel tasting experience) but some relative conclusions still can be made: 1) the best wines are as soft and elegant as the best 2016s (Figeac, Conseillante, Carmes HB, Rauzan Segla); 2) The aromatic complexity and precision of some wines is very exciting (Calon Segur, Figeac, Carmes HB), 3) There are some wines which cannot mask the high(er) alcohol levels (Pavie Maquin, Calon Segur, Leoville Poyferre). Overall, I still think that 2016 will ultimately be the better vintage thanks to lower alcohol levels and a cooler, purer fruit. On the other hand, I see 2018 a tad above 2015.
TN: This wine shows consistent with the 2015 and 2016. This is all about the ripe, borderline jammy fruit, not as cool, fresh and pure as other 2018s (Figeac, Conseillante, Rauzan Segla, Carmes Haut Brion) and not mineralic, cool and elegant as the Leoville Las Cases 2016 (which so far is the best 2016 I‘ve tried). Fat, rich with lots of fruit and some floral aromas, a wall of tannins which don‘t have the luxurious quality of some of the best other wines. In addition there was some heat showing and only time will tell if that wine will better integrated once mature and if it will ever be able to mask the high(er) alcohol.
I see this wine somewhere in the 89 to 93 point range.
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4/19/2019 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
Before 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 alcohol. The harvest took place from September 24 to October 12. 97-99 Pts
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4/3/2019 - dvansteenderen Likes this wine: 96 Points
Geproefd bij UGCB Saint-Julien op Branaire-Ducru op woensdag 03.04.2019.
Rijpe en primaire braam neus, sappige aanzet, breed en mond vullend, krachtige afdronk, ingepakte tannines, rijpe tonen, lengte. Mokka toetsen. 95-97
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