Anne Cuvelier
Leoville Poyferre has been in the hands of the Cuvelier family since 1920. There are 80 ha planted with 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, and 5% Cabernet Franc. Vines are, on average, 38 years old.
It is a pretty funny experience to find out where the cellars and offices of Leoville Poyferre are when you arrive for a visit, as they share the same drive-in with Leoville Las Cases. For those wanting to go right, Leoville Lascases' buildings are on the left side, while Leoville Poyferre's are on the right.
Leoville Poyferre has always been one of the top performers in Bordeaux under Anne Cuvelier and her cousin Didier Cuvelier's excellent management. After vintage 2017, Didier Cuvellier retired, and his niece Sara Lecompte Cuvelier took over managing the property and family's other estates, Moulin Riche in Saint-Julien and Le Crock in Saint Estephe. Sara Lecompte Cuvelier's sister, Anne Cuvelier, oversees visitors' reception and events organization.
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Leoville Poyferre 2022 (barrel sample) 98p
Tasted in April 2023. 58% C. Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 4% C. Franc and 4% P. Verdot. 14.4% alcohol. Rich and elegant, with concentrated blackcurrants, graphite, and tobacco leaves on the nose, splendid on the palate with vibrancy and complexity, refined, silky tannin, superb structure, and vibrant. Long, mineral finish. Exceptional effort.
Leoville Poyferre 2021 (barrel sample) 94p
Tasted in April 2022. Potent with concentrated redcurrants, coffee beans, and tobacco leaves on the nose, splendid on the palate with vibrancy and energy, refined, silky tannin, superb structure, and complexity. Long and persistent finish. Excellent effort.
Leoville Poyferre 2020 97p
Tasted in December 2022. 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. 13.5% alcohol. It is a perfect mix of 2018's concentration, multiple layers, and 2019's creaminess, elegance, and finesse. An intense nose of blackcurrants and sweet tobacco garnished with black truffle. It is dense with plenty of black fruit and fat tannin, complexity, and a long finish. Modern style but not too trendy. This wine is simply enthralling!
Leoville Poyferre 2019 (barrel sample) 95-96p
Tasted in June 2020. 67% C.Sauvignon + 27% Merlot + 3% Petit Verdot + 2% C. Franc, 14.18% alcohol, 80% new oak. Modern style means more "attacking" fruit and tannin. Aromatic nose of crushed blackcurrants, splendidly constructed with creamy fruit and sweet tannin, energetic, great complexity, and excellent persistent finish. You can always rely on this property - it's stable and makes excellent wines.
Leoville Poyferre 2018 96-97p
Tasted twice - last time in December 2020. Consistent notes. 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 3% C. Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. I was enjoying a very dense nose of intense blackcurrants and tobacco leaves. Exquisitely concentrated and multilayered, with plenty of black fruit and fat tannin, great depth, complexity, and length, firm structure, and a long finish. This wine is just so, so sublime.
Leoville Poyferre 2016 95+p
Tasted twice - last time in May 2019. Consistent notes. This wine was very complex, big succulent, silky structure, velvety fruit, tannin, refined, and a long aftertaste. Great effort, indeed.
Leoville Poyferre 2015 95p
Tasted three times - last time in April 2023. Consistent notes. Stylish and classy wine, well-packed with perfectly ripe fruit and tannin, well-structured and complex, long finish. It was a tremendous effort for the vintage. It was a tad closed in April 2023.
Leoville Poyferre 2014 93+p
Tasted three times - last time in April 2023. Consistent notes. Refined aromas of red fruit on the nose, firm structure and backbone, pleasing complexity, depth, and length. Fine effort. This wine needs several years to open.
Leoville Poyferre 2013 (barrel sample) 91p
Tasted in March 2014. Potent, oaky, and well-packed with fruit. Silky tannin and a meaty finish. It was challenging to make an excellent wine under difficult weather conditions.
Leoville Poyferre 2012 93p
Tasted twice - last time in September 2019. Consistent notes. Great complexity, length, delicate balance, and plenty of aromatic black fruit. Splendid effort and heartbreaker wine.
Leoville Poyferre 2011 94p
Tasted three times - last time in March 2015. Consistent notes. It is very complex and long on the nose and palate. Aromatic black fruit, well-balanced, excellent structure, and long, firm aftertaste. Excellent for the vintage. All the promises from the barrel sample have been transferred to the bottle.
Leoville Poyferre 2010 97p
Tasted three times - last time in March 2015. Consistent notes. This wine outshines, in my opinion, 2009, being a strong and potent wine with gobs of perfectly ripe black cherries and fat, ripe tannin, silky texture, excellent balance, and an imposingly long finish. Stunning effort.
Leoville Poyferre 2009 95p
Tasted twice - last time in October 2012. Not consistent notes. It had more power and stuffing than in 2011 and 2008, much better fruit ripeness, and more complexity. I remember this wine being not that impressive from the barrel, but it changed dramatically for the better while aged in oak. There's present more strength, bigger depth, and a longer finish. Fabulous stuff
Leoville Poyferre 2008 93p
Tasted in October 2012. Low yield - only 28 hl/ha. This wine was almost the same style as 2011, more developed, with a strong backbone and long finish. Excellent effort for the vintage.
Leoville Poyferre 2007 88p
Tasted in September 2012. It is a lovely, attractive, and charming wine with good stuffing, light-footed fruit and tannin, and a soft finish. It's delightful to drink right now.
Leoville Poyferre 2005 95+p
Tasted twice - last time in March 2015. This wine has an excellent nose of black cherries and blueberries, which are intense and fragrant. Long on the palate with a strong structure. Silky fruit and tannin. It has a long, fruity finish. Fabulous wine.
Leoville Poyferre 2003 92p
Tasted twice - last time in April 2023. Powerful and tightly structured wine. You can feel the heat of the vintage with warm plums on the nose, but they're neither stewed nor cooked. You can also feel the heat of the vintage on the palate, meaning the tannin is relatively dry on the finish. It's a bit controversial, but the quality is fine. This was in September 2012. Almost eleven years later, when tasted at the property, it maintained its fine quality and wasn't in regression.
Leoville Poyferre 2002 91p
Tasted twice - last time in April 2007. Consistent notes. This wine is one of this vintage's best and most exciting efforts - delicious, round, and seductive.
Leoville Poyferre 2001 92p
Tasted three times - last time in September 2009. Consistent notes. It is a catchy and aromatic wine with a great deal of finesse. Gentle and beautifully balanced. It is a joy to drink.
Leoville Poyferre 2000 97+p
Tasted in September 2012. It is a powerful wine that possesses excellent structure and stunning balance. It is tightly built with great intensity, perfect balance, and a powerful finish. This wine has a lot of potential, which means a great future. This was the first vintage in which LP's present oenologist, Isabelle Davin, participated.
Leoville Poyferre 1999 88p
Tasted in September 2012. Considering this vintage's problems, LP has made a nice wine. However, the fruit is less ripe than in 1996, and other ingredients are light. Ready to drink.
Leoville Poyferre 1996 92p
Tasted in September 2012. It's an elegant and well-shaped wine with soft and round tannin. Aromatic and tasty ripe fruit and charming fruity finish. It is approachable now, indicating that this wine is at its peak.
Leoville Poyferre 1989 93p
Tasted in September 2012. From magnum. Intense truffles on the nose with soft fruit and tannin, round and very well put together, with a lot of finesse and superb balance. Delicious and excellent wine.
Leoville Poyferre 1983 92p
Tasted in July 2015. Dusty, warm vintage, sweet fruit, smooth and elegant with delicate balance and a fruity aftertaste. It has kept well.
Leoville Poyferre 1982 94p
Tasted in December 2007. Dense, black-red, incredibly concentrated with glorious blackcurrant fruit, firm structure, and a long aftertaste. There is great complexity and style here. Awesome wine.