Château Léoville Poyferré 2008

Impressively racy, with firm, fresh, crunchy tannins and a long, fruity finish. Beautifully made, confirming the excellent impression from the en primeur tasting.

One of the finest over-achieving efforts in this vintage as well as a “best buy” for a top-flight St.-Julien, this 2008 is an irresistible success. It reveals an opaque ruby/purple color, lots of unctuosity and a boatload of sweet cassis and black cherry fruit intertwined with notions of licorice, smoke and oak. Full-bodied, remarkably concentrated and stunningly pure and textured, this sensational wine is already drinking well, and will be even better with 2-3 years of cellaring. It should last for 20-25 years. Bravo!

Very direct, with black currant and fig paste jumping out and driving all the way through the lightly muscular finish, where extra iron, espresso and charcoal notes fill in. An iron edge lingers. This needs a little time. Best from 2013 through 2019. 18,330 cases made.

Generous and ripe, obviously extracted, this is a wine that is packed with tannins sharpened with black fruits. Spice, wood and acidity add to the depth of flavor.

You get the aged, mature aromas: cola, toffee, caramel, vanilla and blackcurrant. The palate is slightly subdued; still tightly knit but beautifully structured, this will age for years to come. Flavours flood the mouth—soft and succulent—while velvety tannins bring texture and grip, with lingering spice on the finish: clove and liquorice, plus a touch of dark cocoa powder. A true gastronomic wine, calling for a delicious dish to soften and broaden the different facets at play. Still juicy and mouth-watering, with mature notes coming through yet retaining concentration and elegance. A great effort from the difficult 2008 vintage. 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot. Harvested 6–18 October.

Chewy and rich, with blackberry, mineral and dark chocolate character. Full body, with polished tannins and a long finish. Give it three to four years of bottle age before opening.

The 2008 Léoville-Poyferré has long been one of the best Saint-Julien’s of the vintage. It has a vibrant, exquisitely delineated bouquet with precise black fruit, cedar and hints of liquorice that unfold seductively. The oak here is beautifully enmeshed. The palate is medium-bodied with melted tannins, a fine bead of acidity, very harmonious with pure red fruit laced with allspice, clove and bay leaf towards the finish. A brilliant wine from former winemaker Didier Cuvelier. Tasted at the Léoville-Poyferré vertical at the château with Sara Lecompte Cuvelier.

With just a hint of age in its color, the wine is all about the cedar, tobacco, forest, licorice and dark red berry aromatics and concentrated, core of dark fruits, plush but firm tannins and chocolate. Even though you find some secondary development, this is still youthful, so allow it a few more years to develop before popping a cork.

Deep, dense purple color with violet highlights. Very spicy, profound Cabernet Sauvignon bouquet with blackberry and blackcurrant notes, underpinned by black peppercorn. A fleshy, compact palate, showing muscle and plenty of power, with a finish that is still quite firm and appropriately astringent.

Rich, dense purple with violet highlights. A very spicy, profound Cabernet Sauvignon bouquet with blackberries and blackcurrant, underlined by black peppercorns. A fleshy, compact palate with well-judged astringency, showing muscle and plenty of power in a finish that is still rather firm.

Classic, balanced, restrained, everything is knitted down and concentrated, with tannins that have grain and grip and will age for decades. Liqourice, chocolate shavings, cassis, enjoyable wine with edges of gourmet richness that become clear with time in the glass. Clearly one of the best of a vintage that was difficult for much of the season but enjoyed late season sun - something that is clear through the harvest dates, that stretched from October 6 to 18 (exactly the same dates as followed at neighbouring Léoville Las Cases). 80% new oak.

A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot, the 2008 Leoville Poyferre has a deep garnet-brick color. It comes tearing out of the glass with ready-to-go notes of blackcurrant cordial, stewed plums, and Indian spices, leading to touches of dried sage, cigar box, and mossy tree bark. The medium-bodied palate displays a sweet spot between evolved/tertiary characteristics and plenty of vibrant black fruits, framed by lightly chewy tannins and bags of freshness, finishing on a lingering mineral note.

Blue-purple color, great vitality, unmistakable class; it dominated our local blind tasting.

The nose remains generous, broad and fruity, with an intensely fruit-driven opening, and above all a delicate velvety texture and a remarkable length.

Supple on the attack, with a charming mid-palate but a little light-bodied, and of medium length.

Garnet-red with violet highlights. A complex bouquet revealing notes of grilled bacon and cocoa beans. The tannins are well integrated and supple. A lively structure that perfectly supports the fruit, carrying through to the finish. The finish is long and, beyond the fruit, also marked by chocolate aromas. A pleasant wine.

Intense, vibrant colour. Highly aromatic nose—intense, refined, fruity, toasty and deep. Juicy from the attack, very fruity and smooth on the mid-palate, full-bodied, with good structure and a fine tannic framework; the finish brings inky notes reminiscent of Cabernet Sauvignon and tannins that are still young but a touch marked. Good length.