Ch.Leoville Poyferre 2019 ex-ch 1500ml

Wine Advocate #Week 1, Jul 09, 2020 by Lisa Perotti-Brown
Casting a deep garnet-purple color, the 2019 Léoville Poyferré charges out of the gate with alluring notes of chocolate-covered cherries, blueberry pie, dried mulberries and blackcurrant cordial plus suggestions of camphor, espresso, spice cake and oolong tea. The medium to full-bodied palate reveals bags of freshness and a suitably approachable texture, supporting the decadent blackberry preserves and exotic spice layers, finishing on a stewed tea note. An already incredibly impressive wine, I imagine by the end of barrel aging the tannins will be fully brought into line here and the fruit will emerge singing of even more nuances.

During the French Revolution, Marquis de Las Cases Beauvoir was forced to flee France and as a consequence the Leoville estate was broken up. This gave birth to the 3 separate Chateaux Leoville Barton, Leoville Las Cases and Leoville Poyferre.

Léoville Poyferré, a 2ème Cru Classé, has been owned by the Cuvelier family since 1921, yet it was not until the 1970s, when Didier Cuvelier took control at the château, that quality began to improve. In the last 20 years, Didier, with the assistance of Michel Rolland since 1995, has turned Léoville-Poyferré into one of St-Julien's finest estates.

Léoville Poyferré has 80 hectares of vineyards planted with Cabernet Sauvignon (65%), Merlot (25%), Petit Verdot (8%) and Cabernet Franc (2%). Léoville Poyferré traditionally produced the softest and most supple wine of the 3 Léovilles, yet in the last decade the wines have definitely put on weight and body. This is largely due to the grapes being harvested riper and later and because of the increased exposure to new oak in the maturation process.

Meats, Beef and Venison