Château Léoville Poyferré 2015

Subtle, elegant aromas of cassis, forest berries and blackberries, with notes of vanilla, smoke and tobacco. On the palate, densely woven, with polished tannins and a juicy acidity. Long-lasting finish.

Dark plum cake, blueberry reduction and açaí berry fruit tilt this to the exotic side of the ledger, with warm ganache, melted black licorice and tar notes providing the spine through the lush finish. Displays some serious latent grip, so there's no rush despite the showy fruit. Best from 2022 through 2040. 18,439 cases made.

Bramble tones with gorgeous green pepper Cabernet styling from the 65% in the blend, alongside chocolate and raspberry, and a delicate hint of perfume on the nose too. Crunchy, mouth-filling and chewy, with such generosity of flavour and texture—it really expands in the mouth. It still has a spiced touch—clove and cedar—adding piquancy to the palate and shifting the focus away from overt fruit towards the structure and the depth of the mid-palate, where all the flavour lingers and layers. Such a complex wine, where you can clearly tell that all the different elements have been expertly handled. 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot. Harvest 24 September–10 October.

A rich and intense red with blackberries, tar and spices. Black tea and blueberries. Full-bodied, very layered and multi-dimensional. Very long and flavorful. Such great texture. A dynamic and superb red. Drink in 2023.

Tasted blind. Glowing garnet. Very slightly sweaty, indistinct nose. Beefy. Not the subtlest but it has heft. Chewy, drying, sudden finish. (JR)

Showing just a hint of lightening in the color, the wine is showy from the get-go with nuances of black and red currants, spice, flowers, creme de cassis, thyme, smoke, and licorice on the nose. 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.

Deep ruby with an opaque core, purple reflections and subtle rim brightening. Discreet touch of oak, fresh black cherry, tobacco nuances and a mineral touch. Taut, tightly meshed, dark wild berry fruit, vivid tannins, delicate vegetal savouriness, salty finish, seems a bit green.

The 2015 Leoville Poyferre is cut from the same cloth as the 2016, yet is more sexy, rounded, and opulent. Notes of cassis, licorice, crushed rocks, lead pencil shavings, and graphite all emerge from this unctuous, ripe, pedal-to-the-metal beauty that's absolutely loaded with fruit and texture. Reminding me of the 2003, yet only fresher—don't miss this beauty. It should be drinkable in 3–4 years and last for 3–4 decades. The blend of the 2015 is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, and 3% Cabernet Franc.

Deep purple-garnet, dense at the core, with violet highlights on the rim. Spicy bouquet with great drive, peppery notes, fine woods, tobacco, and fruit nuances ranging from red to blueberry. On the palate, rich, with plenty of meaty substance, generous extract, gripping astringency, and a still sandy-mealy flow. It stays true to itself and will always remain on the more masculine side. One of the most powerful Grand Crus in its category.

Deep purple-garnet, dense at the core, with lilac highlights on the rim. Spicy bouquet with plenty of drive, peppery notes, fine woods, tobacco and fruit nuances ranging from red to blueberry. On the palate, rich and fleshy with plenty of substance, generous extract, demanding astringency, the flow still sandy-mealy. It stays true to itself and will always remain on the more masculine side. One of the most powerful Grands Crus in its category. (18/20). 18: Deep purple with a ruby-violet rim. The bouquet first appears quite sweet, showing pastry notes (barrique toasting), wild cherries, delicate hints of vanilla and a Burgundian aromatic touch on the nose. The attack is slightly lactic (typical 2015!). Fleshy, almost coarse-grained flow, currently still rather abrasive and very demanding. It doesn’t quite have the finesse of the two rivals (Ducru & Barton), but compensates with its rustic power. Has room to improve. Was clearly identifiable as Léoville-Poyferré in this blind flight. (18/20).

(65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc) Dense, profound, dark bouquet: cassis, currants, cedar, vanilla, fine mocha, truffle. Powerful, dense, classical, concentrated palate with compact fruit, robust dark aromatics, muscular structure, plenty of fine tannin, very long, dense, well-dry finish. 18/20 2025 - 2050

Cumin, smoked cinnamon, blackberry and cassis, with a slate scrape of tannins; plenty of estate signature, rising above the shortcomings of 2015 in this corner of the region. You can find more concentrated Poyferrés in the estate’s back vintages, but that makes this a great moment to start drinking. Remarkably similar to the last time I tasted it two years ago, suggesting it’s very much at peak drinking and will continue to deliver for at least the next decade. Harvest September 24 to October 10. 80% new oak for ageing.

The 2015 Leoville Poyferre is medium to deep garnet colored. It needs a fair bit of coaxing to unlock notes of blueberry pie, kirsch, and blackcurrant pastilles, plus touches of garrigue, potpourri, and dusty soil. The medium-bodied palate is very tightly wound and youthful still, delivering a frame of firm, ripe tannins and tons of freshness, finishing long and earthy.

A very complete great wine, confirming the promises shown in barrel, with a magical texture that puts it on a par with the greatest vintages of the past. Wait another ten years.

Black robe with an opulent nose of a powerful Merlot. The wine is broad, unctuous, rich and full—perhaps not the most subtle, but with generous oak, hints of overripeness, and leather notes that were more commonly found about a decade ago.

Superb, very aromatic wine with a smooth, even slightly tender palate profile, finishing very long on fine tannins.

The 2015 Léoville Poyferré is a delightful Saint-Julien that instantly has you smitten. Vivacious red fruit, briary and orange pith aromas unfold in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with svelte tannins (as before). It is very harmonious and poised with a finish that just sashays along without a care in the world. Wonderful. Tasted at the 2015 Ten-Year-On tasting at Bordeaux Index.

Well-constructed, with straightforwardness and a classic palate, supported by noble tannins. A solidly built wine, yet not lacking in finesse, with a very promising evolution ahead.

Following the style that this estate has now adopted, this is an ultrarich, concentrated wine. However its acidity and bright black-currant fruits contrast well with this solid base. Drink this impressive wine from 2026.