Château Leoville Poyferre 2015

Special Price $126.95 Average US Price $141.00
Pre-Arrival   Usually arrives from France in 1-6 months
SKU
3435-2015
Pre-Arrival Pre-Arrival - See Footnote
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Other Vintages We Offer:

• Domaine: Château Léoville Poyferré
• Appellation: Saint-Julien
• Classification: Second Growth, 2ème Grand Cru Classé
• Origin: Left Bank, Bordeaux, France

At Château Léoville Poyferré the motto is, “The essential is invisible to the eye.”  This esteemed Saint-Julien producer does not believe in the extreme pomp and circumstance of an over-the-top château.  Instead, they believe that true opulence stems from their winemaking team, terroir, and their classically luxurious wines.

This Second Growth Estate has arguably some of the best terroir and is capable of producing some of the most striking wines in Saint-Julien.  Prior to its inception in 1840, Château Léoville Poyferré was a small portion of the vastly enormous Léoville Estate.  Château Léoville was a leader in terms of viticultural innovation.  They allowed for grapes to produce smaller berries which would inevitably yield a richer, more concentrated wine.  They trellised their grapes with pinewood – something that was considered revolutionary at the time.  They also were among the first to age their wine in oak barrels and clean them with a sulfur solution.  These may not seem like major breakthrough ideas in our current era, but in the 1800s they were considered revolutionary.  

Eventually after the French Revolution, the massive Léoville Estate was parceled off into Château Léoville Las Cases, Château Léoville Barton and Château Léoville Poyferré.  Funnily enough, all three estates still share the same parking lot, and the buildings remain connected – just as they were centuries ago.  Château Léoville Poyferré was acquired by Jeanne-Marie Poyferré de Ceres.  After a period of turbulence, the estate was purchased by the Cuvelier family in the 1920s and that’s when Château Léoville Poyferré rose to prominence.  The Cuvelier family had a strong history as négociants, and purchased other successful estates including Château Le Crock in 1903.  In 1979 Didier Cuvelier became the cellar master and took the estate to new heights by implementing a 19-year program to replant the vineyards.  Didier doubled the vineyard from 48 hectares to what it is today, 80 hectares.  The estate is currently managed by his highly gifted niece, Sara Lecompte Cuvelier. 

One might think that with such a “no frills” ethos, the team at Léoville Poyferré may not prioritize having some of the most innovative technology.  This is not the case, and though they are about simplicity, Château Léoville Poyferré vehemently embraces new winemaking technology.  In 2010 Léoville Poyferré renovated their vat rooms with a state-of-the-art underground pipe system to delicately transfer the wine from the tanks to the barrels.   Prior to this ingenious system, the wine was moved by hand and tractors.  

Like any great visionary estate, the team at Château Léoville Poyferré also takes immense pride in sustainability and producing their wines with great responsibility.  Château Léoville Poyferré proudly carries a High Environmental Value (HEV) score of 3.  They are also members of the Environmental Management System of the Interprofessional Council of Bordeaux Wine. The wines they produce are beautiful and elegant, favoring Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller additions of Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc.  Because of their increasing quality with each passing vintage, Château Léoville Poyferré is a producer that should be on everyone’s radar.  

Tasting Notes

"The 2015 Léoville Poyferré is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc that was harvested between 24 September and 10 October. The IPT comes in at 80 with a pH 3.69. It has a typical Léoville-Poyferré bouquet at this stage: quite bullish and forthright, packed full of dense black cherries, red plum and cassis, the 85% new oak pronounced, but will be subsumed with bottle age. The palate is full-bodied with mouth-coating tannin: layers of graphite-infused black fruit, cedar and mint, almost Pauillac-like in personality with a sustained graphite finish. This is a sophisticated Saint Julien built for long-term ageing, perhaps less flamboyant than recent vintages, but the terroir shows through. Expect it to land at the top of my banded score, possibly higher." - Neal Martin, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (4/27/2016, Issue 224), Ratings: 92-94, Drink: 2027-2050

"The 2015 Leoville Poyferre is cut from the same cloth as the 2016, yet is more sexy, rounded and opulent. Notes of cassis, licorice, crushed rocks, lead pencil shavings and graphite all emerge from this unctuous, ripe, pedal-to-the-metal beauty that's absolutely loaded with fruit and texture. Reminding me of the 2003, yet only fresher, don't miss this beauty. It should be drinkable in 3-4 years and last for 3-4 decades." - Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com, Rating: 97, Maturity: 2021-2061

 

More Information
Stock Status Pre-Arrival
Appellation Saint-Julien
Vintage 2015
Brand Chateau Leoville Poyferre
Shipping Weight 3.000000

Footnotes on Futures, Pre-Arrivals, and potential US Tariffs: 

1. As of June 15, 2021, the US and the EU agreed to suspend tariffs resulting from the Boeing-Airbus aircraft trade disputes. Accordingly, such import taxes are now suspended for the next five years.

2. Futures are expected to be available for delivery two years after the sales (e.g., the 2022 vintage, sold in 2023, will be delivered in 2025 mostly, or 2026 if the producer ages the wine longer).

3. Pre-Arrivals are items currently stored in our Bordeaux cellar or in transit from France to the US. It usually takes 1-6 months for Pre-Arrivals to become available for delivery, depending on the stage of the import process.

4. Regarding futures and pre-arrivals, we cannot guarantee specific delivery dates, which factors beyond our control may impact. However, we will notify you once your wine arrives in our cellar.

5. While a buyer of Bordeaux wine futures locks in an allocation of the specified items, the final delivery of the purchased items from France to the US may be impacted by intervening and unforeseeable events. Despite our due diligence, additional costs or delays may be caused by such intervening and unforeseen events and "an irresistible, superhuman cause, or by the act of public enemies of the state of California or the United States."  In such circumstances, if a buyer does not accept unforeseeable costs or delays, the sole and exclusive remedy is a cancellation of the futures order concerned and a refund of the original purchase price. We are NOT liable for any lost profits on a canceled order.

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