Léoville Poyferré 2006

Full ruby-red. Ripe aromas of currant, milk chocolate and smoky oak. Lush, sweet and full, with superripe yet backward flavors of dark berries, dark chocolate and minerals. Wonderfully layered, structured wine whose excellent vinosity and firm tannins call for several years of patience.

Beautiful, vibrant, black raspberry and cassis fruit, fresh acidity, medium to full body, superb ripeness, melted tannins, and a long, savory, expansive mouthfeel are found in this top-notch St.-Julien. Friendlier than the more backward, tannic 2005 Leoville-Poyferre, the 2006 should be at its finest between 2011-2028.

Tasted at the château. A deep purple/black hue. The nose wafts from the glass and caresses the olfactory sense: blackberries, cherry, cold steel and lots of sweet vanillary new oak. The palate is full-bodied, beautifully balanced, and very pure with plump, Rubenesque, rounded fruit. A voluptuous Poyferré, soft and showy, lush and sensuous. A second bottle at the UGC was showing a little more structure and backbone. A medium- rather than long-term wine that is pretty irresistible. Tasted April 2007.

Deep ruby-red. Plum, currant and sexy cedary oak on the nose. At once sweet and vinous, with juicy acidity giving lift to the flavors of currant, licorice and minerals. Finishes firm and long, with a note of licorice and a slight dryness to the firm tannic spine. This has the energy and backbone for a long, slow evolution in bottle and will require patience.