Château Leoville Poyferre 2016

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.  

"Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Léoville Poyferré hits the ground running with intense cassis, violets, dark chocolate, menthol and fragrant earth notions complemented by nuances of cigar box and smoked meats. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is charged with energetic, super intense black fruit and floral layers, beautifully supported with super firm, ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness. This liquid is simply alive in the mouth, culminating in an epically long finish that will leave your mouth practically tingling. WOW!" - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate (11/30/2018, Interim Issue), Rating: 97+, Drink from: 2021-2050

"The 2016 Leoville-Poyferre is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Didier Cuvelier told me that color leeched out naturally and he conducted an 8 day pre-fermentation maceration. Matured in 80% new oak with some malolactic in barrel, it has a typical bouquet for this estate with opulent but neatly controlled, billowing scents of black cherries, black plum, crème de cassis and violets. The palate is beautifully balanced with fine tannin, a killer line of acidity and perhaps one of the most harmonious Poyferré that I have encountered at this juncture. It just glides across the mouth and slips down the throat with consummate ease. Superb." - Neal Martin, The Wine Advocate (4/28/2017, Issue 230), Ratings: 95-97, Drink: 2024-2060

"Tasted on four separate occasions where this wine rated 97+, 98, 98, and 99, the 2016 Château Léoville-Poyferré is a brilliant bottle of wine and is certainly in the same league as the 2000, 2003, 2009, and 2010. Made from 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, aged in 80% new oak, this brilliantly concentrated, full-bodied, opulent beast of a wine offers a heavenly bouquet of crème de cassis, blackcurrants, smoked earth, tobacco leaf, and ample crushed rocks. It’s certainly one of the most flamboyant and opulent wines in the vintage, yet it remains perfectly balanced, with masses of polished tannins, no hard edges, and a fabulous finish. It will be drinkable in 3-4 years yet keep for 3-4 decades." - Jeb Dunnuck, Jebdunnuck.com, Rating: 98, Maturity: 2022-2062