Léoville Poyferré 2015

The 2015 Leoville Poyferre is cut from the same cloth as the 2016, yet is more sexy, rounded and opulent. Notes of cassis, licorice, crushed rocks, lead pencil shavings and graphite all emerge from this unctuous, ripe, pedal-to-the-metal beauty that's absolutely loaded with fruit and texture. Reminding me of the 2003, yet only fresher, don't miss this beauty. It should be drinkable in 3-4 years and last for 3-4 decades. 2021 - 2061

Bright and fresh on the nose the palate is richer with ripe blackcurrant and cherry. Mid depth the sweet fruit backed by dark chocolate and coffee but there is an underlying balancing freshness the finish is long and bright.

Ripe and slightly jammy, with lots of oak and tannin, this is a good rather than a great Léoville-Poyferré. There’s a figgy note to the fruit, too, but the underlying structure is good, with freshness on the finish and firm, fine-grained tannins. Drink: 2021-28

They champion Merlot here and while they will have to replace the rootstocks on two plots in the future, this is a wine which benefits from a stunning Merlot component. The ripeness is superb with Cabernet at 12.5% and Merlot at 14.5% but the amalgamation of these two with Petit Verdot for spice is delicious. The tannins are fantastic and very evolved and this wine is very true to the classy ‘house style’, which I adore. I was lucky to taste the 2014 here, too, and they are different but strikingly similar, too, and I like them equally for completely different reasons. Plush 2015 might win the hearts of many but structured 2014 is a star, too.

Bramble tones with gorgeous green pepper Cabernet styling, from the 65% in the blend, alongside chocolate and raspberry and a delicate hint of perfume on the nose too. Crunchy, mouth filling and chewy, such generosity of flavour and texture - really expands in the mouth. It has a spiced touch still, clove and cedar which adds a picquance to the palate and focuses this less on the overt fruit more on the structure and depth of the mid palate where all the flavour lingers and layers up. Such a complex wine, where you can really tell all the different aspects have been well handled. 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot. Harvest 24 September-10 October. (Drink between 2025-2046)

The 2015 Léoville Poyferré has a very backward nose, perhaps with a little more new oak to be subsumed compared to its peers, indicating that this is Poyferré. The fresh, focused palate is very well defined, displaying supple tannin and a fine bead of acidity. The almost understated, lip-smackingly saline finish is pure class. This is a very fine Saint-Julien. Chapeau, Didier Cuvelier. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.

The 2015 Leoville Poyferre had a deep purple/ruby color. The bouquet is very concentrated, more so than its peers but not excessively so, laden with pure blackberry, raspberry and light cassis scents, the new oak (85%) neatly integrated although it will require several years to be completely subsumed. The palate is medium-bodied with impressive weight and presence. It is a voluminous Poyferre with ample ripe blackberry, white pepper and cedar notes, that seam of graphite that I noticed en primeur extant and lending that Pauillac-like personality toward the creamy finish. It is an excellent 2015, although it is going to require longer in bottle to reach full maturity, 8-10 years or so. Anticipated maturity: 2024 - 2050.

The 2015 Léoville Poyferré is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc that was harvested between 24 September and 10 October. The IPT comes in at 80 with a pH 3.69. It has a typical Léoville-Poyferré bouquet at this stage: quite bullish and forthright, packed full of dense black cherries, red plum and cassis, the 85% new oak pronounced, but will be subsumed with bottle age. The palate is full-bodied with mouth-coating tannin: layers of graphite-infused black fruit, cedar and mint, almost Pauillac-like in personality with a sustained graphite finish. This is a sophisticated Saint Julien built for long-term ageing, perhaps less flamboyant than recent vintages, but the terroir shows through. Expect it to land at the top of my banded score, possibly higher. Drink: 2027 - 2050.

A dense and savory red with plenty of phenolic texture and ripe fruit character. Hints of walnut and spice too. Chewy finish. Solid center palate.

The 2015 Leoville Poyferre is deep garnet-purple colored with a nose of grilled meats, baked plums, crème de cassis and baker's chocolate with nuances of dusty soil and iron ore plus a hint of bay leaves. Medium to full-bodied, very firm and muscular in the mouth, it is built like a brick house with a mineral-tinged finish. 2021 - 2038

Very deep crimson indeed. Gloriously polished and exciting on the nose. Racy but rich as well as fresh. Immediate gratification but masses of tannins hidden under here – though no excessive alcohol. Really very impressive indeed. Just what modern claret should be.Drink 2025-2045

Deep crimson. Sweet and round and polished – so extraordinarily different from Léoville Barton! There is some gravelly texture but it's overlaid with fruit and come-hither appeal. Although this is much more restrained than some vintages.Drink 2024-2040

Deep purple. Glowing. Flattering nose but without the undertow of some. Lots of energy and just a hint of sweet oak. A solid performance.Drink 2026-2040