Château Léoville Poyferré 2020

Supple and generous with mouthwatering acidity, though really quite tannic at this point which does cover up some of the nuance. I like the texture, the frame and the weight; it's clean, polished and well worked, not overdone at all, but this has a sense of potent seduction in the flavours: rich blackcurrant, perfumed and scented. Detailed, with lots of stony, slate and wet-stone elements giving a wonderful terroir influence. It's not as immediately charming as the 2019, the tension still prominent, but this will be brilliant in 5–10 years.

This is really floral on the nose with violets and roses, and some black berries and dark cherries. It’s medium- to full-bodied with firm and polished tannins, and plenty of hazelnut and milk chocolate. Structured, yet so finely textured. So attractive and enticing now but needs three or four years to show what it has. Try after 2026.

Cask sample. Juicy blackcurrant fruit, lots of tannic fur on the palate. Tight, giving little away. Not sure if this will ever lose its reticence. Seems a bit mean. (RH)

The 2020 Léoville Poyferré is quite backward on the nose, gradually unfurling with aeration to reveal introspective black fruit, licorice and touches of bay leaf. Returning after 20 minutes the aromatics develop life-affirming pixelation. The palate is medium-bodied with fine delineation—very pure and silky in terms of texture. This is lavished in some high-quality new oak, but there is plenty of fruit underneath. It will take several years to fully cohere, but it should be worth waiting for. This is stunning. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

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 equally dark-fruited profile centered on blackberries, black cherries, black plums, spices, espresso, and dark chocolate. The wine is deep, rich, concentrated, and lush, yet fresh, silky, vibrant, long, and focused. The finish leaves layers of sweet, ripe black and blue fruit, chocolate, espresso, and a touch of spice that arrives at the end of the silky finish. The blend is 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2026–2055.

Dark garnet, purple reflections, deep core, ochre brightening on the rim. Delicate cassis nuances in the background with vanilla and liquorice, black forest berries, notes of fine oak, candied orange zest. A substantial, elegant and complex palate with fine expression of ripe cherries, supporting tannins, subtle nougat. Mineral with good freshness and length, well balanced, has certain ageing potential.

The nose offers ripeness and purity with vigorous young fruit, cassis and dark berries, with discreet notes of oak, sage and tobacco. The palate is structured yet elegant, with fine proportions, rounded tannins, a fresh backbone and unctuous fresh fruit flavours. Dense, muscular finish with great persistence.

Densely interwoven bouquet, dark precious hardwood, chocolate truffle, graphite and refined cassis spice. On the sublime palate, a silky texture, cocoa-like tannic frame, balanced verve and a well-trained, defined body. In the concentrated finish, wild cherry, Brazilian tobacco and elevated astringency. WOW!

Kunz barrel sample 2021: deep, powerful, dark, velvety bouquet, cassis, black berries, cedar, black pepper, licorice. Densely knit, multi-layered, powerful, massive palate with intense dark fruit, plenty of fine tannins, a velvety, finely muscled structure, varied, robust aromatics, and a very long, dense, full finish with many lingering flavors.

Excellent quality, head and shoulders above most of the vintage even in Saint-Julien. Blackberry, black truffle, damson, liquorice, pencil shavings and crushed rocks throughout. Great stuff. Harvest September 14 to 30, 35 hl/ha yield, pH 3.8. Consultant Michel Rolland, winemaker Isabelle Davin, 80% new oak. A special bottle as this vintage marks 100 years with the Cuvelier family.

The cru sports a “collector” bottle to mark 100 years of the Cuvelier family’s presence at the château. The wine is flamboyant, with a style that’s a touch more opulent and rich than its neighbors, yet with plenty of depth and delicious appeal. The palate is radiant and finishes with a very long, elegant length.

A lofty nose that promises much to come, highly perfumed, where opulent fruit aromas—cherry and orange—mingle, lifted by refreshing notes of gillyflowers and leafy nuances. Then a divine palate, silky and sumptuous, with notes of coffee, spices, and tobacco, a mouthwatering saline backbone, and a very long finish of dark chocolate.

The bouquet of Léoville Poyferré sets the initial markers. It is clearly fearless, yet self‑possessed enough not to reveal everything at once. It unfolds a wealth of nuances with notes of pepper, licorice, and red and black berries, along with classic markers such as graphite and cedar. I also note the subtle alliance of charm and power on the palate. I’ve often felt that at Poyferré one walks a tightrope, expecting the whole to tip into sweetness… and yet harmony always prevails. The wine has fine, dense, powdery tannins and, above all, a life‑saving freshness—perhaps one of the essential keys to balance. A powerful, serene, deep, and long wine. In short, truly great!

Showy and very hard to resist, this gushes with velvety plum and boysenberry reduction flavors, along with melted black licorice and violet hints along the way. This has a very cold cast iron note buried deeply on the finish, too, to keep it grounded. A very distinctive house style. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2030 through 2038.

Deep, powerful, dark, velvety bouquet: cassis, black berries, cedar, black pepper, licorice. A densely woven, multi-layered, powerful, massive palate with intense dark fruit, plenty of fine tannins, a velvety, finely muscular structure, diverse, robust aromatics, and a very long, dense, full finish with many lingering flavors. 19/20 2028 - 2050

96–98. Barrel Sample. Rich, luscious and replete with dark plum and dark chocolate flavors, this wine shows great power as well as aging potential. Its richness is balanced by the fresher edge of acidity that stands the wine in good stead as it ages.