Château Léoville Poyferré - Saint-Julien 2009

Wine Advocate

93 / 100

par Neal Martin le 01/01/2013

Served blind at the Southwold 2009 tasting. The Leoville Poyferre 2009 has a very pure, lifted, almost Margaux-like bouquet with blackberry, raspberry leaf and crushed stone - a certain coolness that is very appealing. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins. It is quite compact in the mouth, but it is very well focused and displays poise and tension towards the composed finish. Excellent - this is a Saint Julien that is beginning to shed its puppy fat and find its "groove". Tasted January 2013.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

95 / 100

par Stephen Tanzer le 31/07/2012

(a blend of 62.5% cabernet sauvignon, 29% merlot, 6% petit verdot and 2.5% cabernet franc): Bright medium ruby. Classic Saint-Julien aromas of cassis, licorice, tar, minerals and dark chocolate. Lush, sweet and powerful, with a superb glyceral texture to the dark berry and dark chocolate flavors. Huge wine but not at all heavy. The extremely long, echoing finish features utterly noble tannins that saturate the front teeth. Offers a show-stopping combination of sweetness and structure. Built for three decades of life in bottle.

Wine Advocate

100 / 100

par Robert Parker le 29/02/2012

One of the more flamboyant and sumptuous wines of the vintage, this inky/purple-colored St.-Julien reveals thrilling levels of opulence, richness and aromatic pleasures. A soaring bouquet of creme de cassis, charcoal, graphite and spring flowers is followed by a super-concentrated wine with silky tannins, stunning amounts of glycerin, a voluptuous, multilayered mouthfeel and nearly 14% natural alcohol. Displaying fabulous definition for such a big, plump, massive, concentrated effort, I suspect the tannin levels are high even though they are largely concealed by lavish amounts of fruit, glycerin and extract. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2040.

Jamessuckling.com

96 / 100

par James Suckling le 15/02/2012

Gorgeous aromas of blueberries and blackberries, with flowers and minerals. Full body, with silky tannins and a bright acidity on the finish. Tangy and chewy. Muscular. Try in 2018.

Wine Spectator

93 / 100

par James Molesworth le 11/01/2012

Solid notes of steeped black currant, ganache-coated fig and plum eau de vie pump along in this very dark red, but with well-integrated structure. Long and winey through the finish, with the grip extending everything. Best from 2016 through 2026.-J.M.

Le Figaro

94-96 / 100

par Bernard Burtschy le 30/06/2010

Robe très sombre. Nez de mûre et de cassis. En bouche, le vin est dense et souple, joli milieu de bouche harmonieux, grande matière veloutée, la finale est suave. Comme d’habitude, il prendra sa complexité au vieillissement et surprendra tout le monde par sa classe dans dix ou vingt ans.

timatkin.com

97 / 100

par Tim Atkin MW le 30/06/2010

13% alcohol. 60CS, 29M, 5CF, 6PV Often considered the least impressive of the three Léoville properties, this has outshone its neighbours in 2009, just as it did in 2005. Tightly wound, gutsy wine with dense tannins and a touch of meaty reduction. The fruit underneath is polished and sweet, with lovely balance and perfume. If it develops in the bottle as well as the 2005 has, this is a wine to buy. 15+ years.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

92-95 / 100

par Ian D'Agata le 30/06/2010

(a blend of 60% cabernet sauvignon, 29% merlot, 6% petit verdot and 5% cabernet franc; 13.95% alcohol; pH 3.76; 88 IPT) Inky purple. Brooding, masculine nose offers black plum, chocolate liqueur, orange peel and espresso. Soft and supple on entry, then a bit youthfully aggressive in the middle, but with a distinctly chewy texture supporting the ultraripe black plum and chocolate flavors. Finishes with building, slightly dry tannins and hints of Oriental plum liqueur and peppery soy sauce. Always a sexy wine, this Leoville Poyferre has excellent balance and is more discreet than some other vintages of the last 20 years. It may still be a little short on finesse, but it's hard to argue with its almost decadent, voluptuous appeal. Very well done, and likely to be one of the ch a teau's most successful wines ever.

La Revue du Vin de France

18-19 / 20

le 31/05/2010

L'assemblage final comporte 60% de cabernet sauvignon, 29% de merlot, 6% de petit verdot et 5% de cabernet franc. Le 2009 est très massif et concentré, tout en muscles et en retenue, ce qui lui permet d'absorber le haut niveau alcoolique. Il évoque un 1982, avec davantage de richesse et de puissance. La finale déourle des flots de tanins et affiche un bel éclat. Elle s'étire longuement sur des notes de fruits noirs.

Le Point

17,5-18 / 20

par Jacques Dupont le 06/05/2010

Fruits noirs, mûre, épices, bouche ovale - aussi longue que ronde - , très moeilleuse, tanins gras en milieu de bouche, long, tendu, plein, très frais, nerveux en finale. Belle matière, tanins vibrants en finale, sans dureté. O=2015 G=25 ans

Falstaff

92-94 / 100

par Peter Moser le 30/04/2010

Dunkle Beeren, starke Röstaromen, zarte Selchnote, darunter florale Nuancen, reife Zwetschkenfrucht. Kraftvoll, präsente Tannine, etwas Bitterschokolade, leicht adstringent im Finale, gute Länge, extraktsüßer Nachhall, hat Potenzial.

TAST

18,5 / 20

par Bettane & Desseauve le 30/04/2010

L’échantillon n’a pas la perfection formelle de celui de Gruaud : il délivre la même sensation de masse colossale de matière que Barton, mais avec un tanin pour le moment un peu plus brut et une sensation d’extraction un rien trop marquée. Très grand avenir. Avec un cru de ce calibre, il faudra naturellement se refaire une opinion dans un an.

Wine Advocate

92-94 / 100

par Neal Martin le 30/04/2010

A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc, this has a beautifully defined bouquet, adeptly containing the 13.9% alcohol. The Cabernets were picked between 2nd and the 12th October, dense black fruits, touches of date and fresh fig, certainly more exotic than the Leoville Barton tasted just before. With aeration, there is a hint of Japanese nori. The palate is rounded and voluptuous, very well balanced with smooth, sensuous tannins, the acidity less marked than Barton, caressing towards the lush, but delineated finish. A powerful, quite sexy Poyferre by Didier Cuvelier. Tasted March 2010.

Wine Enthusiast

93-95 / 100

par Roger Voss le 30/04/2010

Firm, solid, densely packed with tannins, new wood and a fine concentrated texture. It is big, balanced, the only default being a high toast element.

Wein Wisser

19 / 20

par René Gabriel le 30/04/2010

60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc. Fast 14 Vol.-% Alkohol! Extrem dunkles Purpur mit lila und violetten Reflexen. Wildes Cabernet-Sauvignon-Bouquet, ein Hauch Napa-Eukalyptus in der schokoladig-brombeerigen Nase, frisch gebrochener schwarzer Pfeffer. Am Gaumen mit recht viel Schmelz und noch pikanter Schärfe, aber auch enormer Konzentration und Kraft. Ein Power-Poyferré, der erst in 10 Jahren eine erste Reife erlangen wird, aber auch dann noch als eine Art »Amboss-Terminator » auftreten dürfte. 2020–2045

Wine Advocate

97-100 / 100

par Robert Parker le 28/04/2010

One of the stars of the vintage, it will be interesting to see if Poyferre ultimately eclipses Las Cases as the finest of the three Leovilles. The 2009 is even better than the 2000, 2003, and 2005. Its inky/purple color precedes a wine filled with extraordinary opulence, voluptuous texture, and sweet tannin. It offers both intellectual and hedonistic pleasure with layer upon layer of ripe fruit. Yields were 43 hectoliters per hectare, the blend is more than two-thirds Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot, and the natural alcohol is the highest ever measured at this estate, 13.95%. The high alcohol is not the least bit noticeable because of the extraordinary concentration and freshness possessed by most 2009s - a vintage characteristic that will serve these wines for decades to come. This is a wine to purchase by the case-load. It should drink well for 4-5 years. (Tasted three times.) Drink 2010-2015. (97-100*) points

Periodic Review of Wine

94-96 / 100

par Alan Duran le 28/04/2010

This offering from Poyferré is even better than the amazing 2008! It's a superb, full-bodied, full-throttled, intense wine! While still incredibly young, it boasts a densely saturated ruby/purple hue followed by complex perfumes of wet-stone, crème de cassis, blueberry liqueur, damp flowers, and graphite dust. There is a big presence on the palate along with an intricate structure, an astonishing expanse, broad-shouldered richness, and beautiful nuances. This is meant for the next four decades considering its potent fruit and big tannin. In 2009 its structure is of first-growth quality. Past vintages, such as the 2005, 2003 and 2000 prove that huge promise this estate offers each year. Maturity period 2018-2045+

Anthony Rose

93-95 / 100

par Anthony Rose le 26/04/2010

Very good youthful ruby colour, quite quiet on the nose at this stage, a hint of smoky bacon oak, powerful densely concentrated sweetly ripe opulent fruit with quite firm, musculur tannins and a touch of dryness on the back palate, but very good vibrant fresh acidity, ending very juicy; rather masculine in style overall, and needing time, but classic Pauillac, even if it is St.Julien.

Wine Spectator

93-96 / 100

par James Suckling le 09/04/2010

Wonderful aromas of currant and blackberry, with black olives. Full-bodied, with a mouth-coating palate of supersoft tannins that go on and on. Solid and polished. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.

Decanter Magazine

18.5 / 20

par Steven Spurrier le 09/04/2010

Black red, rich and very impressive concentration of Cabernet cassis, robust and vigourous, seductively succulent fruit with superb natural tannin back up, a very exciting wine. Drink 2016-35

Jancis Robinson

17,5 / 20

par Jancis Robinson le 07/04/2010

Very dark crimson. Very grown-up and intense. Luscious fruit and top quality savoury oak. Very sweet start – really quite unusually sweet for a St-Julien. Very complete, lip-smacking and satisfying. Glamorous, polished. Long. Quite complex. Drink 2018-2032