Chateau Leoville Poyferre2014
RED WINE
- Producer Chateau Leoville Poyferre
-
Blend
3% Cabernet Franc
60% Cabernet Sauvignon
35% Merlot
2% Petit Verdot - Country France
- Region Bordeaux
- Appellation Saint-Julien
- UPC 0 15643 47434 7
Reviews
Jeb Dunnuck 93
A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc and the balance Petit Verdot that wasn’t harvest until the middle of October (this is later than most), the 2014 Leoville Poyferre is a ripe, concentrated, seriously impressive wine in the vintage that offers more exuberance, texture, and character than most. Creme de cassis, graphite, toasty oak, and hints of tobacco all emerge from this purple colored, pure, medium to full-bodied 2014 that has sweet tannin, beautiful purity of fruit, and a great finish. While it doesn’t have the depth of a truly great vintage, it shines for its balance, texture, and sheer charm.
by JD, Jeb Dunnuck , 2018
James Suckling 94
A ripe, generous and substantial wine for this appellation with some real concentration. Plenty of beautiful currant and blackberry character, as well as a solid core of ripe, dusty and velvety tannins and enough acidity to carry the long, savory finish. Slight lean now.
by JS, James Suckling , 2021
Vinous Media 95
The 2014 Leoville-Poyferre is one of the standout Left Bank wines of the vintage. Demonstrating outstanding clarity and freshness on the nose, this seems to just "leap" out of the glass like an over-excited Yorkshire terrier. The palate is medium-bodied with lithe tannins, silky smooth in texture, a perfect line of acidity and a harmonious finish that slips down the throat. This is going to be irresistible for the next 20 years.
by NM, Vinous Media , 2021
Wine Enthusiast 94
The wine is concentrated with tannins that come from both the firm fruit and the wood aging. It is packed with blackberry flavors that come through the structure strongly. The velvet texture (that is just a hint at the moment) is going to bring out the richness of this wine produced with consultation from Michel Rolland.
by RV, Wine Enthusiast , 2017
Wine Spectator 93
Very pure, with a beautiful beam of violet and plum sauce carried by a chiseled graphite spine. Gorgeous anise and roasted apple wood notes are inlaid seamlessly on the finish. Shows ample grip and drive. Rock-solid.
by JM, Wine Spectator , 2017
Wine Advocate 93+
The 2014 Leoville-Poyferre was surprisingly backward and tight on the nose (usually it is the most expressive and generous Léoville in its youth). The precision and focus is intact, but it is broody and sultry at the moment. The palate is medium-bodied with firm structure, which suggests that it has turned volte face since its opulent showing in barrel. Overall, this comes across as perhaps a slightly more austere and masculine wine from Didier Cuvelier, though that is not a criticism, just an observation. I would like to see a little more persistence on the finish, but the tidings bode well for this mercurial and fascinating Léoville-Poyferre. I can see it improving with bottle age, hence the plus sign against my score.
by NM, Wine Advocate , 2017
Technical Details
Estate
With origins dating back to 1638, Leoville was the largest vineyard in the Medoc region at the time of the French Revolution. Leoville Poyferre springs from various divisions and successions in 1840. Its outstanding quality wines gained early recognition when it was ranked 2nd Growth in the 1855 classification. Chateau Leoville Poyferre was acquired in 1920 by the Cuvelier family.The various divisions throughout the history of the estate have split the vineyard of Leoville Poyferre into five large areas. They include all the main types of gravelly soil present in Saint Julien. This diversity contributes to the amplitude and complexity of the Leoville Poyferre wines.
Tasting notes
Colour: deep and bright.Nose: subtle and complex. It reveals notes of red fruit, spices and liquorice upon swirling.
Palate: The attack is fresh and intense
It is fruity and fleshy on the palate.
The finish is supported by fine, racy tannins that are long and integrated, and beautiful volume in the mouth.
2014, a harmonious vintage.
Vintage
A prodigious succession of mild weather, humidity, heat and sunshine characterizes the 2014 vintage. The Indian summer helped promote perfect ripeness of the grapes.The winter was exceptionally mild and characterized by high humidity (only 7 days of frost). The beginning of spring was sunnier than usual. Temperatures went up slowly and bud break was early. The vines grew steadily thanks to regular temperatures and rainfall. Flowering was also early, occurring over a period of temperature fluctuations and light rain. June finally experienced a real warming (with peaks above 30 Celsius from the first two days of summer) and even beat the records for temperature and sunshine since 1920 ! With constant heat, July was significantly warmer than June, and recorded only 51mm of rain throughout the month. August was a little cooler, the first half marked by light, regular rainfall. The incredible sunshine in September totaling 265 hours, +31% compared to the average of the last 30 years, gave the vintage all its qualitative potential.
The magnificent late season associated with constant care and attention in the vineyard gave birth to this successful vintage. Its quality is the reward for energy invested, and approaches that of great classic vintages.