Area under vines: 80 hectares
Soils: Garonne gravel, clay and sand
Average age of the vines: 25 years
Production: 220,000 bottles a year
Ageing: in 80% new oak barrels for 18 to 20 months
Grape varieties:
Second wine: Pavillon de Leoville Poyferre
Other wine: Chateau Moulin Riche
Learn more about Château Léoville Poyferré
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56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc. 18-20 months in French oak, 80% new. Malo in barrel. pH 3.62. Lower proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon than in most vintages. Deep garnet with ruby rim and opaque core. Funnily enough this smells very Cabernet. Lots of blackcurrant and cedar but with air this shows itself to be rather ripe and decadent with a touch of damson fruit, even dried fruits. Very little evolution in the aroma just ripeness and power. The flavour is showing a more tertiary character with just the start of undergrowth and little bit leathery. Powerful and chewy in texture but just a little bit rustic. A big rather than an elegant wine. Powerful, thick tannins but I am not sure the fruit has the freshness and vibrancy for a very very long life, despite my general expectations of the vintage. Tails away a little on the finish. (JH)
Anticipated maturity: 2022-2035
Deep garnet in color, the 2010 Leoville Poyferre opens with notes of sauteed herbs and pencil shavings on the nose, giving way to scents of redcurrant jelly, baked plums and cedar chest plus a waft of cassis. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has pleasant energy and well-played, lightly chewy tannins with compelling freshness on the finish.
Anticipated maturity: 2020-2044
Good deep ruby-red. Blueberry, crushed cassis and graphite minerality on the youthfully medicinal nose. Plush, broad and deep, but with tangy acidity giving shape and lift to the dark berry and violet flavors. This spreads out to saturate every square millimeter of the palate. As dominated by its tannic structure as this is today, it’s a remarkably civilized wine. Give it a decade in the cellar and then enjoy it over the following 20 years.
