Château Léoville-Poyferré, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, 2006

Overview of the Wine
Due to a division of the large Léoville estate, Chateau Léoville Poyferré was created in 1840 and included as a Second Growth in the famous 1855 Classification. In 1920, the Cuvelier family purchased the estate and Didier Cuvelier has been in charge since 1979.

Major investments were made to bring out the best in the vineyards, and the cellars were also renovated. In 1994, noted consulting oenologist Michel Rolland began to offer his precious winemaking advice. The final blend is made after many careful tastings. Chateau Léoville Poyferré is aged in oak barrels, 75% of which are new every year. It is an extremely well-balanced wine with a great deal of finesse and excellent aging potential.

Grape / Blend
65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc

Origin
Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
Very deep, dark color. Brilliant. On the nose, very fresh, spicy, empyreumatic (hints of coffee). The attack is powerful and fleshy. On the palate, there is plenty of freshness, beautifully fine and elegant tannins. Really persistent and powerful, reminiscent of the great vintages to keep.

93 Points - Wine & Spirits
Poyferré produced a shimmering, polished Cabernet in 2006, supple and more harmonious than many in the Médoc. Rich new oak lends the wine opulence and darkens the graphite mineral character of the tannins with an espresso-roast blackness. The fruit has dimension, balanced between plump blueberry and a more restrained vegetal note. Satisfying and delicious as a young wine, this should age with grace.

93 Points - Wine Enthusiast
Beautifully dense, this generous, rich wine combines great fruit with a firm but sweet structure. The new wood element is still prominent, but this is now beginning to blend well with the ripe fruit. To finish, the tannins reassert themselves.

92 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 
Tasted at Bordeaux Index's annual 10-Year On tasting in London. The 2006 Château Léoville Poyferré has one of the most harmonious and complete bouquets from Saint Julien: very well-defined blackberry, briary and chalky scents, real focus and delivery here. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, ripe tannin matched with well-judged acidity. Like the 2006 Léoville-Barton, it is stubborn and backward, but there is clearly harmony and focus on the finish, the new oak deftly assimilated in the fabric of the wine. This is a lovely wine from Didier Cuvelier.

91 Points - Vinous
The 2006 Léoville-Poyferré has an impressive Cabernet driven nose, almost Pauillac-like with pencil box and mint aromas infusing the vivacious black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, very smooth in the mouth although not amazingly complex. Perhaps here it has lost some of its youthful zest, though there is impressive muscle with plenty of cedar-infused red fruit laced with white pepper on the finish.

90 Points - Wine Spectator
Blackberry, licorice and blueberry aromas lead to a medium- to full-bodied palate, with fine tannins and a clean finish. Firm and attractive.

90 Points - Decanter
Wonderful aromatics that display beautiful aromas of bramble fruits, evolving with age into glowing embers without sacrificing fruit. A rich smoked chicory note is evident that sets Léoville Poyferré apart from the other two Bordeaux Léovilles. Still young and crackling with life with undeniable exoticism. There is a real sense of lift through the palate and excellent persistency.

Product size: 750ml