Léoville Poyferré - Saint-Julien 2022

Alexandre Ma

95

byAlexandre Mathe3/10/2025

In the 2022 vintage, Château Léoville Poyferré masterfully achieved a harmonious palate, owing to its delicate maceration process. For a winery renowned for its opulent style, it is an impressive feat to create a fluid and potent structure, and they made it. Since 2019, I have noticed that Château Léoville Poyferré possesses the ability to unveil its “smile” even in its youth, a characteristic that is remarkably evident in the 2022 vintage. n my view, this vintage resembles a 100% dark chocolate mousse cake, with a center of wine-soaked cherry filling. If only the finish could present a more vivacious fruitiness, and the tannins were further refined, it would be truly outstanding.

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

98

byJane Ansonthe3/7/2025

Intense, powerful, delicious, creamy raspberry and black cherry fruits, textured and confident in its tannic grip, with a freshness that runs from opening to close of play. Underlines just how well St Julien delivered in 2022. Sara Lecompte-Cuvelier director and co-owner.

The Wine Cellar Insider

98

byJeff Levethe3/4/2025

Léoville Poyferré, Château

Jeb DUNNUCK

100

byJeb Dunnuckthe2/28/2025

Reminding me of the 2018 (as well as the 2009), if not slightly more concentrated, the 2022 Château Léoville Poyferré is one of the most opulent and flamboyant wines out of the Médoc in 2022, and it has incredible intensity while staying light on its feet and graceful. Its dense, glass-staining purple hue is followed by a sensational perfume of crème de cassis, graphite, darker chocolate, scorched earth, and flowers. Full-bodied on the palate, it brings extravagant levels of fruit as well as a seamless mouthfeel, beautifully integrated oak, tannins, and acidity, no hard edges, and a gorgeous finish. It shines even today, yet it has beautiful underlying structure and will evolve gracefully over the coming 30+ years. The 2022 is based on 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and 4% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, aged 18-20 months in 80% new oak.

Yvesbeck.wine

98

byYves Beckthe2/25/2025

58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot Superbe bouquet tant sur le plan de l'intensité que de la pluralité. Il commence par souligner sa fraîcheur avec des parfums de menthe poivrée ainsi que des nuances florales précédant des notes de myrtilles et de sureau ainsi qu'une touche de graphite. Crémeux en attaque, le vin se distingue par son harmonie, par ses côtés suaves et soyeux ouvrant la voie à des tannins puissants et compacts ainsi qu'une saine austérité qui assure la fraîcheur, la salinité et la persistance de la finale. Un très grand Poyferré qu'il faudra savoir attendre ! 2029-2054 98/100

Vinous

96,5

byNeal Martinthe2/12/2025

The 2022 Léoville-Poyferré showed a lot of potential from barrel and it does so now in bottle. Interestingly, it bursts out of the blocks aromatically for a minute then settles down, gaining delineation and refinement. It is less full-throttle than other vintages and neatly hides the 14.24% alcohol. The palate is medium-bodied with a velvety-smooth entry. There is such purity here, with fine-boned tannins and nicely judged acidity, all harmonious with a peacock's tail on the finish. Controlled from start to finish, if you are a fan of "LP," you're gonna love the 2022.

Jamessuckling.com

99

byJames Sucklingthe2/3/2025

A mind-blowing Leoville Poyferre, probably one of the best for a long time. Huge depth and structure, showing a deep matrix of fruit full of fresh blackberries and a dash of ink and lead pencil. Such verticality on the full-bodied palate with beautiful balance and a clear finish that goes on and on for more than a minute. Great potential ahead. This was tasted at the UCGB tasting and was one of the best wines of the day. Drink after 2028. It should improve in the next 10 to 15 years.

Vinous

96

byAntonio Gallonithe1/28/2025

The 2022 Léoville-Poyferré is super-exotic. Dense and pliant, with striking mid-palate depth and exquisite balance, this is pure sensuality. Red cherry, apricot, blood orange, wildflowers and spices all meld together as the 2022 opens in the glass. Seamless, refined tannins extend the mid-palate and finish. The purity of the fruit is remarkable. I also find the new wood imprint—long a signature here—much less evident than in the past. Earlier picking in the Merlot today yields a wine with more red fruit tones than in the past, when Léoville-Poyferré was a darker wine. It will be interesting to see if these are long-term trends. Tasted three times. Stellar.

Wine Spectator

95

byJames Molesworththe1/27/2025

Solid, dark and winey, with a well-structured core that holds blackberry and plum reduction notes in a tightly knit mix of apple wood, licorice root and warm cast iron. The long and direct finish throws off hints of violet and ink. For the cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2027 through 2042.

Decanter.com

96

byGeorgina Hindlethe5/25/2023

Another excellent showcasse for this estate run by Sara Lecompte Cuvelier. Supple, lively, fresh and round, a nice controlled core of red and black fruit - blackcurrants, cherries and violets with juicy acidity and lean tannins that are fine and well integrated. This feels powerful and concentrated no doubt but the strength comes underneath the fruit and acidity, like a creeping tiger waiting to pounce. Lovely frame and execution, feels on the more opulent and potent side but the acidity and tannin definition is brilliant and this has a really drinkable and moreish quality. 4% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 3.87pH. 9% press wine. A yield of 33.4hl/ha. 75% grand vin production. Julien Viaud consultant. Tasted three times and was impressed each time. Ageing 18-20 months in French oak barrels, 80% new, 20% second fill.

Alexandre Ma

94-95

byAlexandre Mathe5/17/2023

In the 2022 vintage, Château Léoville Poyferré masterfully achieved a harmonious palate, owing to its delicate maceration process. For a winery renowned for its opulent style, it is an impressive feat to create a fluid and potent structure, and they made it. Since 2019, I have noticed that Château Léoville Poyferré possesses the ability to unveil its "smile" even in its youth, a characteristic that is remarkably evident in the 2022 vintage. In my estimation, this particular year is akin to a sumptuous 100% dark chocolate mousse cake with a wine-infused cherry core. If only the finish could present a more vivacious fruitiness, and the tannins were further refined, it would be truly outstanding.

Vinous

95-97

byNeal Martinthe5/17/2023

The 2022 Léoville Poyferré was picked 8 to 28 September at 33.4hL/ha and matured in 80% new oak. It has a high IPT of 93 and 14.4% alcohol (half a degree less than the 2018). It is quintessentially LP on the nose, with those extravagant and sensual black and blueberry fruit, intermingling with crushed violet and iris. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, very harmonious and focused, perhaps more linear than expected with a velvety-smooth finish. This is a very classy, sophisticated Saint-Julien that may well rest at the top of my banded score once in bottle.

The Vintage Journal

95-96

byAndrew Caillard MWthe5/17/2023

Deep crimson. Dark cherry, dark plum, praline aromas. Buoyant, sweet and savoury wine with abundant dark berry fruits, lovely chocolaty textures and underlying marzipan vanilla notes. Very good richness and volume. (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc. Aroudn 80% new oak)

matthewjukes.com

19,5

byMatthew Jukesthe5/15/2023

The Wine Independent

96-98

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe5/15/2023

The 2022 Leoville Poyferre is made from 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot, with a yield of 33.4 hl/ha. It bursts onto the scene with gregarious scents of blackcurrant preserves, wild blueberries, and rose oil, leading to wafts of candied violets, licorice, and crushed rocks with a hint of cinnamon stick. The medium to full-bodied palate is rich, plush, and impactful, delivering beautiful tension and very respectable, fine-grained tannins, finishing long and opulent. This is a show-stopper! pH 3.87, TPI 93.

Yvesbeck.wine

96-98

byYves Beckthe5/10/2023

Très invitant de par sa pluralité et son charme, le bouquet de Poyferré révèle des parfums de sureau, de réglisse et de graphite ainsi qu'une touche de lavande. En bouche le vin surprend par sa délicatesse et son tempérament, respectivement par la symbiose qui en résulte. Le vin me semble prudent et conquérant à la fois. On relèvera également la symbiose entre la tension de la structure acide avec des tannins puissants est convaincante. J’y vois une forme de sagesse. Tout s’installe lentement, le côté crémeux assure une certaine ampleur tandis que les tannins se révèlent sans éclat mais avec vigueur.

Bettane & Desseauve

97

by Bettane & Desseauvethe5/10/2023

Grand vin riche et raffiné, continuant à progresser dans l’expression inimitable du cabernet-sauvignon de son secteur. On est ici pratiquement au niveau d’un premier cru.

Jeb DUNNUCK

97-100

byJeb Dunnuckthe5/10/2023

I was blown away by the 2022 Château Léoville Poyferré, which is a classic blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and 4% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Harvest spanned from the 8th to the 28th of September, the vinification is in tronconique tanks (parcel by parcel), and the élevage will span 18-20 months in 80% new barrels. This inky hued beauty offers that rare mix of power and elegance and offers ample cassis and assorted blue fruits, full-bodied richness, an opulent, concentrated, yet flawlessly balanced mouthfeel, velvety tannins, and plenty of classic Saint-Julien violets, espresso roast, and crushed stone-like minerality. Despite its incredible concentration and depth, it stays beautifully balanced. In a region that seems to only talk about finesse and elegance, it's a relief to still have producers such as this producing powerful, intense, singular wines. Hats off to the Cuvelier family and their team.

Vinous

94-96

byAntonio Gallonithe5/9/2023

The 2022 Léoville-Poyferré is unctuous, deep and super-expressive, but not at all over-done. There's tremendous energy driving through a core of red/purplish fruit. Deceptively medium in body, the 2022 is a potent, statuesque Léoville-Poyferré that will offer many years of exceptional drinking. Drinking window : 2030-2052

The Wine Cellar Insider

97-99

byJeff Levethe5/5/2023

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.

Wine Advocate

94-96

byWilliam Kelleythe5/2/2023

The 2022 Léoville Poyferré has turned out very nicely, offering up aromas of crème de cassis, cherries, violets and creamy new oak, followed by a medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy palate that's ripe but lively, with supple tannins and a long, vanillin-inflected finish. This year, the team began picking their Merlot comparatively early and didn't perform a saignée (tank bleed), given the natural concentration of the vintage, though it remains the most flamboyant and demonstrative of the three Léoville estates, seeing some 80% new oak with malolactic fermentation in barrique for the new barrels. It will be a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

Jamessuckling.com

96-97

byJames Sucklingthe4/19/2023

A very solid LP with black berry, blackcurrant, crushed stone and lavender character. Full and really well structured with a linear length to it. Focused and so polished. Thoughtful. 58% cabernet sauvignon, 34% merlot, 4% cabernet franc and 4% petit verdot.