Leoville Poyferre 2021 (750ML)

96 VM / 96 JS / 95 JA / 95 DE / 94 WCI  / 94 JD / 94 FS / 93 WI / 16+ JR

#71 James Suckling Top 100 France 2024

The 2021 Léoville-Poyferré has developed into a fabulous wine. Surprisingly rich, the 2021 possesses notable depth. Kirsch, blood orange and wildflowers open first, lending a decidedly exotic, perfumed quality. On the palate, the 2021 is fleshy and expressive. There's a bit of new oak that needs to integrate. Otherwise, the 2021 is impeccably balanced. Tasted two times. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

Excellent depth and complexity with a nice modern touch of cocoa powder to the black olives, pencil shavings, cassis, violets, black mushrooms and dark earth. Full-bodied palate with fresh, vertical tannins and lots of juicy fruit that seamlessly dissolve into the flavorful, persistent finish. Refined power with real length. Drink or hold. - James Suckling

Vivid plum colour, not quite inky but certainly one of the deeper of the vintage, and this is well extracted, carefully done, balanced with cloves, sage and white pepper spice, blueberry fruit, with coffee and cocoa bean, with silky tannins. Good ageing potential. Michel Rolland consultant, 45% new oak, 45% 1st wine, 24hl/h yield. Harvest September 28 to October 12. Tasted twice, absolutely one to look out for, one of the wines of the vintage, to lay down but not for as long as in a normal year. A great example of where 2021 can really offer something worth taking up. - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

Beautifully fragranced on the nose - floral-edged ripe bramble fruits. Nicely detailed and presents, despite a clear youthful tannic structure this has layers of flavour with ripe and sweet fruit nuances balanced by a mineral grip, salty touches and cool fresh mint leaf notes. It's more of a contemplative wine, needing a few minutes and several tastes for the flavours to expand in the mouth, gaining in density yet keeping a lightness of touch and refinement. Such finesse going on here. The austerity is balanced with the ripe fruits so you're getting so many elements at play at once. This is complex and sensuous, you have the precise defined and well-worked fruit, so clear with poise, then the tannic strength though fine texture and a long, lifted finish. This has real class, and such estate signature with dark sweet liquorice touches at the end too. Really very captivating and a success. 5% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Julien Viaud consultant. Tasted twice. 3.84pH. Ageing 18 to 20 months in oak barrels, 80% new, 20% one year. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter

Licorice, tobacco leaf, chocolate, espresso, black cherries and smoked peppery notes create the perfume. On the palate, the wine is soft, polished, fresh, elegant and fruity with sweetness to the red fruits and a creamy-texture to the finish. The wine blends 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2026-2055.-Jeff Leve, Wine Cellar Insider

The Grand Vin 2021 Château Léoville Poyferré from this brilliant estate checks in as 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot. It has a serious, concentrated, inward style as well as impressive red and black currant-like fruit supported by notes of graphite, smoked tobacco, spicy oak, and chocolate. With terrific richness, a layered, concentrated mid-palate, and fine tannins, this is clearly one of the gems in the vintage. It needs to be forgotten for just 4-5 years, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it evolve for over two decades. - Jeb Dunnuck

Dark ruby core, purple reflections, subtle brightening on the rim. Delicate herbal-spicy-tobacco aromas support black cherry fruit with a hint of cassis, liquorice and hints of tangerine zest. Juicy red cherries and elegant blackberry fruit concentration on the palate with vivid, ripe tannins and elegant savouriness on the finish. Tightly meshed and taut with a significant length. Highly impressive with great ageing potential.-Peter Moser, Falstaff

A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot, the 2021 Leoville Poyferre has a deep garnet-purple color. Notes of blackberries, warm cassis, and kirsch jump from the glass, opening out to an undercurrent of fragrant soil, charcoal, and cinnamon stick. The medium-bodied palate delivers an impressive intensity of vivacious red and black berry flavors, with a fine-grained texture and plenty of freshness, finishing with great length and a compelling perfume.-Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Independent

Mid-deep ruby. Quite a wild nose of balsamic, lifted red fruits and liquorice. Plump for the vintage and fairly extracted, this has a chewiness seldom seen this year. The fruit is dark and has exotic spices around it, making this quite a flashy wine in the context of the vintage.-Tom Parker MW, JancisRobinson