Léoville Poyferré 2009

The nose is very firm at the moment the tannins rather holding back the fruit. Although the palate has structure there is mass of black fruit enriching, very much dominated by blackcurrant but blackberry and fresher bilberry are both there. There is an attractive sweetness that shows itself towards the back. Drink 2022-2050.

Often considered the least impressive of the three Léoville properties, this has outshone its neighbours in 2009, just as it did in 2005. Tightly wound, gutsy wine with dense tannins and a touch of meaty reduction. The fruit underneath is polished and sweet, with lovely balance and perfume. If it develops in the bottle as well as the 2005 has, this is a wine to buy. 15+ years.

Black red, rich and very impressive concentration of Cabernet cassis, robust and vigourous, seductively succulent fruit with superb natural tannin back up, a very exciting wine. Drink 2016-35.

Ripe and creamy but also refined and lively, this is a beautiful 2009 Medoc, the fine tannins adding a lot to the long and silky finish. The obvious bitter chocolate note will either delight you or be a touch too much. Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)

One of the more flamboyant and sumptuous wines of the vintage, this inky/purple-colored St.-Julien reveals thrilling levels of opulence, richness and aromatic pleasures. A soaring bouquet of creme de cassis, charcoal, graphite and spring flowers is followed by a super-concentrated wine with silky tannins, stunning amounts of glycerin, a voluptuous, multilayered mouthfeel and nearly 14% natural alcohol. Displaying fabulous definition for such a big, plump, massive, concentrated effort, I suspect the tannin levels are high even though they are largely concealed by lavish amounts of fruit, glycerin and extract. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2040.

One of the stars of the vintage, it will be interesting to see if Poyferre ultimately eclipses Las Cases as the finest of the three Leovilles. The 2009 is even better than the 2000, 2003, and 2005. Its inky/purple color precedes a wine filled with extraordinary opulence, voluptuous texture, and sweet tannin. It offers both intellectual and hedonistic pleasure with layer upon layer of ripe fruit. Yields were 43 hectoliters per hectare, the blend is more than two-thirds Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot, and the natural alcohol is the highest ever measured at this estate, 13.95%. The high alcohol is not the least bit noticeable because of the extraordinary concentration and freshness possessed by most 2009s - a vintage characteristic that will serve these wines for decades to come. This is a wine to purchase by the case-load. It should drink well for 30-45 years. (Tasted three times.) Drink 2015-2050.Robert Parker added an asterisk to this wine score to signify that it is a wine he considers has the finest potential of all the offerings he has ever tasted from this estate in nearly 32 years of barrel tasting samples in Bordeaux.

The 2009 Léoville Poyferré has an outstanding bouquet with blackberry, mint and cedar aromas, almost Pauillac in style, very dense and with plenty of horsepower. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, saturated tannins that frame layers of blackberry infused with graphite and white pepper. I love the symmetry and control of this Poyferré, in particular its persistent finish. This is a magnificent wine from Didier Cuvelier. 2021 - 2045

A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc, this has a beautifully defined bouquet, adeptly containing the 13.9% alcohol. The Cabernets were picked between 2nd and the 12th October, dense black fruits, touches of date and fresh fig, certainly more exotic than the Leoville Barton tasted just before. With aeration, there is a hint of Japanese nori. The palate is rounded and voluptuous, very well balanced with smooth, sensuous tannins, the acidity less marked than Barton, caressing towards the lush, but delineated finish. A powerful, quite sexy Poyferre by Didier Cuvelier. Tasted March 2010.

From Robert Parker's Hong Kong Tasting, 8th Nov 2011:Intense aromas of blackberries and licorice with tar undertones. Very perfumed. Blueberries too. Full bodied, with ultra fine yet chewy tannins and hints of green coffee bean and berries. Subtle yet intense. Try after 2020.

Wonderful aromas of currant and blackberry, with black olives. Full-bodied, with a mouth-coating palate of supersoft tannins that go on and on. Solid and polished. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.

Having retreated into its shell, the deep garnet colored 2009 Léoville Poyferré gives up slowly revealing notions of cigar boxes, pencil lead, charcoal, rose hip tea and fragrant earth with a core of preserved plums, crème 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. 2022-2058

Very dark crimson. Very grown-up and intense. Luscious fruit and top quality savoury oak. Very sweet start - really quite unusually sweet for a St-Julien. Very complete, lip-smacking and satisfying. Glamorous, polished. Long. Quite complex. Date tasted 1st April 2010. Drink 2018-2032.