Château Léoville Poyferré, 2ème Cru Classé, St Julien, 2018
Produced from 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, the Leoville Poyferre 2018 is the first full vintage of the new Cuvelier regime. Sara has taken over from Didier, but the house style is still very evident. Another large-scale effort, with plush fruit and a big, burly tannic profile. Of the three Leoville estates, this appears to be the least composed, although Leoville Poyferre rarely disappoints. The bouquet is lavish and expressive; notes of Chambord, spicy perfume, liquorice, mint and dark chocolate. There's really good energy and a sense of thrust - lots of distinguished material here: cherry, cassis, crème de mûre and cool loganberry – ripe, detailed fruit. The tannins rise up in a powerful if slightly rustic way. This is an energetic, muscular style with lots of structure; it finishes with fruit, toast and spice. A little loose, but it should come together during élevage.
critic reviews
The 2018 Léoville-Poyferré performs similarly to the bottle tasted a few weeks earlier in the UK for my in-bottle round-up, although here I sense more opulence on the nose, perhaps more florality. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe tannins, broad and sensual, plummy with that beguiling symmetry on the finish. It needs several years in bottle but it will be well worth the wait. Tasted at the Léoville-Poyferré vertical at the château with Sara Lecompte Cuvelier.
Composed of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Leoville Poyferre was aged in 80% new oak barriques. Deep garnet-purple colored, it barrels out of the glass with bold notes of prunes, baked black currants and stewed blackberries, plus hints of Chinese five spice, iron ore and wood smoke with a touch of rose oil. Full-bodied, firm, and grainy in the mouth, it features bags of savory and mineral layers among the concentrated, opulent black fruit preserves flavors, finishing with fantastic persistence.