Château Léoville Poyferré 2012

A more compact, angular, more austere Léoville Poyferré, even a bit rough-edged and robust, and surprisingly rich: needs time to mature.

A solid, muscular version, with a slightly chewy feel along the edges, while the core of steeped plum, anise and blackberry paste waits in reserve. Reveals ample graphite details on the finish, with a warm fruitcake note chiming in. Just needs some cellaring to lose the burly edge. Best from 2017 through 2024. 15,405 cases made.

94–96. Barrel sample. This very ripe, full-bodied wine is powered by sweet blackberries and solid tannins. It is a full, concentrated and complex wine that has a great future.

Tight, tannic – this is not yet resolving itself. Once again the quality of the fruit is clear in the sheer beauty of its delivery, enrobed by plump tannins, with a striking sense of vibrancy to the cassis notes. Gourmet and mouth-watering as it opens in the glass; this is a good quality 2012 in what was a tough vintage in Bordeaux. Eucalyptus and menthol notes particularly strong here, but well handled and with the gloss that you want and expect from Château Léoville Poyferré.

Really beautiful now with blackcurrant, licorice and red-berry aromas, following through to a full body with layers of fine tannins and a beautiful finish. It’s really starting to drink nicely. Drink or hold.

The 2012 Léoville-Poyferré has quite an atypical strict bouquet with blackberry, melted tar, graphite and crushed stone aromas. This opens very nicely in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy notes on the entry, fairly saline with good tension, superb backbone and density on the finish. This is very promising, but it may require more bottle age just to smooth out its edges. Tasted twice at Bordeaux Index's Ten Year-On tasting and blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.

This wine is clearly at the start of its maturity curve, yet it is already a real pleasure to drink today. Medium-bodied, soft and supple, it is sweet and vibrant. Classic in style, it offers chewy tannins, crisp red fruit, herbal notes and a finish lifted by peppery spices. The blend is 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot.

Pure, intense and floral, with notes of bitter chocolate and dark berries (cassis, blackberry), a fine balance between juice and extract, ripe tannins, excellent purity, definition and length: a great wine with classic elegance and luscious fruit.

One of the more stacked, ripe and rockingly textured wines from the left bank, the 2012 Léoville Poyferré sports a deep ruby/purple color to go with terrific notes of crème de cassis, graphite, lead pencil shavings and violets. Rich, full-bodied, supple and forward, with low acidity and ripe tannin, give bottles 4-5 years (although it dishes out ample pleasure even today) and enjoy through 2037.

62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot. Extremely dark purple with lilac and violet highlights. Smoky bouquet with plenty of cedarwood, graphite notes, red plum skins, Dominican tobacco, and ground pepper. On the palate it’s demanding, with gripping astringency; the tannins feel almost more like a Saint Estèphe than a Saint Julien—far more power than charm. This could stay tough with age. It needs time, and a bit of hope too. The barrels will surely bring some much-needed roundness as élevage continues. Can it still improve?

62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot. Extremely dark purple with lilac and violet highlights. Smoky bouquet with plenty of cedarwood, graphite notes, red plum skins, Dominican tobacco and ground pepper. On the palate, it is demanding with its grippy astringency; the tannins feel almost more like a Saint-Estèphe than a Saint-Julien, with more power than charm. This may turn tough with age. It needs time—and a bit of hope. The barrels will certainly bring the sought-after richness to the wine as ageing continues. Can it still gain in depth?

(62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot) Deep, dense, tight, dark bouquet: black berries, tobacco, fine woods, mocha, currants, truffle. Dense, classic, powerful palate with good, ripe, dark aromatic expression, plenty of fine tannins, a masculine structure, and a very long, dense, powerful finish. 18/20 2021 - 2045

Poyferré keeps its generous spirit at 10 years old and has a lovely rich body with raspberry coulis, blackberry and density through the mid palate. The oak majors on grilled cedar and almond, a little dominant and closes things down on the close of play, not quite smoothed out yet suggesting that although you can begin drinking now, it will benefit from another few years in bottle. Harvest October 8 to 19. 80% new oak.

The 2012 Leoville Poyferre is medium to deep garnet colored. It features notes of cassis, blackberry preserves, and prunes with touches of fallen leaves, cedar chest, lavender, and pencil lead. Medium-bodied, the palate is firm and grainy, with plenty of black fruit preserves in the mid-palate and a long finish with loads of mineral sparks. It needs time!

Léovolle-Poyferré 2012 is a lovely wine, elegant and fresh, with good length, pretty spicy notes and fine tannins, still a little less flamboyant than its neighbours at this stage.

Purplish ruby-red. Notes of cocoa and licorice. A fine balance between fruit and oak aging. On the palate, the attack is juicy and elegant. A nicely dense body with a fruity character, supported by very sound, fine tannins. These emerge late and show lovely persistence. They are needed, moreover, as the structure is lively. A very successful wine.

Logo on the cork: LBG Dark, beautiful, youthful color. The nose is a little discreet, but with a smooth, fruity character. Delicious, fragrant palate, pleasingly textured, with real class in its overall style. Don’t hesitate to serve it.