Château Léoville Poyferré, 2ème Cru Classé, St Julien, 2009
One of the highest performing chateau in recent years at Southwold, Leoville Poyferre is on a fine run of form, and is frequently amongst the top wines of St Julien. Sara Lecompte Cuvelier describes 2021 as a "victorious vintage" one that required, "patience, endurance, determination, adaptation", but ultimately ended in "reward". They only achieved yields of 24 hl/ha, but the sacrifices were worthwhile, they have been compensated with a really handsome, chiselled grand vin. Opening with a delightful, gentle perfume of dried flowers, cherry fruit, graphite and spices. This has a lovely sense of detail and fine structure, although the core is plump with a quite modern profile. The palate is superb: taut, vibrant, pure, bright and very seductive, with well integrated oak. Another highly successful Poyferre. 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 9% Cabernet Franc.
critic reviews
Intense and concentrated, these were the years when Poyferré was turning up the exuberance, and this is intense but clearly great quality. You'll find crème de cassis, star anise, incense, cigar box, cassis and blackberry. Unusually for 2009, this is not yet ready and needs another four or five years to fully soften and open, but has got so much life ahead of it. Harvest September 29 to 12 October. 80% new oak.
The 2009 Léoville-Poyferré is intense but beautifully controlled on the nose with an enticing but not exotic mélange of red and black fruit laced with pencil box and smoke. Superb intensity. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannins, brisk and spicy, brimming with energy and fanning out gloriously towards the finish. There is nothing overblown or extravagant, yet it harnesses the precocity of the vintage to glorious effect. Drinking supremely well now and for a number of years. Tasted at the Léoville-Poyferré vertical at the château with Sara Lecompte Cuvelier.
The 2009 Leoville Poyferre is medium to deep garnet-brick in color. It bursts from the glass with bombastic notions of kirsch, raspberry preserves, warm cassis, and stewed plums, plus suggestions of Ceylon tea, candied violets, and Indian spices. Medium-bodied, the palate is soft, plush, and seductive, delivering seamless freshness to lift the perfumed fruit to a long finish.
Having retreated into its shell, the deep garnet colored 2009 Leoville Poyferre gives up slowly revealing notions of cigar boxes, pencil lead, charcoal, rose hip tea and fragrant earth with a core of preserved plums, creme de cassis, espresso and Indian spices. Full, rich, seductive and voluptuously fruited in the mouth, the palate features firm yet beautifully velvety tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and spicy.