Château Léoville Poyferré 2001

Sweet notions of plums, black currants, caramel, and spicy oak are provocative and alluring. Subtle but substantial, layered, and textured, with medium body as well as sexy, up-front flavors, low acidity, and ripe tannin, this beauty is among the most evolved and flamboyant of the appellation. Nevertheless, it should age well. Anticipated maturity: now-2016.

Smoky and rich with lots of spice and berries. Medium- to full-bodied, with very good tannins with soft and silky texture and a medium finish. Not as impressive in bottle as barrel, but outstanding. Best after 2008. 20,000 cases made.

The completeness of 2001, with its miraculous balance, is present in this wine. The acidity and ripe blackcurrant notes sit comfortably atop dry tannins, with the fruit’s fleshiness softening the tannins’ edge. It seems to bring out the structure, the fruit and the refreshing acidity of a great Cabernet.

The finesse of St-Julien comes through clearly in the glass, heightened by both bottle age and the character of the 2001 vintage itself. Expect cured leather, baked earth and cigar box spice, with softened blackberry and bilberry fruits. Totally moreish. 80% new oak.

The 2001 Léoville Poyferré, which I had not tasted for a decade, is very harmonious on the nose and features slightly darker fruit than the 2000, offering blackberry, cedar, fresh tobacco and smoke aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with rounded, lithe tannins, fresher than the 2000 and more backward. It has a disarming velvety texture and turns spicy toward the finish. Hints of clove and bay leaf linger on the aftertaste. Excellent.

Tobacco, cigar box, earth, mocha, espresso and blackberry aromas are right there when you want them. On the palate, the wine is soft, lush, silky, expressive and clean, plus it's drinking today.

Rich, dense purple with violet highlights. A powerful, fleshy bouquet with an intense Cabernet character, subtle glutamate notes and very high concentration. Firm, fleshy palate with a full-bodied build, again showing terrific aromatics, a play of red fruits and blueberries, finely gripping tannins, still a little woody, pointing to considerable potential.

02: Deep, dense purple with violet highlights. Powerful, fleshy bouquet with intense Cabernet character, subtle glutamate notes, very concentrated. Firm, fleshy palate, full-bodied build; again terrific aromatics with a red- and blue-berry interplay. Finely roughening tannins that still feel a little woody, showing considerable potential (17/20). 05: Drunk in Bora Bora with Lucien Schmidlin. The nose is surprisingly open, lots of smoky notes, black peppercorns, leather and cinnamon. On the palate masculine, arrogant, packed with power. Not for finesse seekers—but for everyone else! Could gain another point over the next 5 years. (17/20). 08: Bright ruby with a lilac sheen. Lots of ripe red cherries and light coffee notes, rose perfume and a hint of pepper. Plenty of substance and an acidity still slightly prominent, not yet fully integrated into the rather grainy extract; shows lots of power and confirms its consistently high quality level. For lovers of big, powerful wines. 09: It feels a bit dull and cellar-like and needs a lot of air. Could it be that this great wine is slightly contaminated? 11: A radiant magnum. Dark-berry notes mixed with hints of deerskin leather, the first very fine terroir notes in the background. Powerful and fleshy on the palate. A truly great Bordeaux—no ifs or buts. (18/20). 11: Deep, dense garnet with a slightly cloudy sheen. The compact nose feels quite dry and starts a touch sweaty, with animal hide, suede, a hint of Malaga raisins and coffee—rather reductive and currently a bit aloof. On the palate it brings a very fleshy body, full of character, with grainy, demanding tannins. As always, it comes across much more rustic than its neighbors. A kind of steak grand cru! (18/20). 15: Sparkling garnet, medium density. Floral bouquet, a slightly cool Cabernet hint at first, Madagascar pepper. Still very young and only slowly unfolds with air. On the palate, refined, lots of cedar; again a subtly cool aura, tannins marked, balance perfect, long aromatic finish. A great, uplifting, quietly spoken Bordeaux. 16: Medium garnet. Peppery bouquet; at first it somehow has a Napa touch with fine eucalyptus and black pepper notes, then blackberries and cherries—still showing plenty of fruit. Powerful on the palate, with length and breed. Not a finesse Saint-Julien, but then it never was. For power drinkers! (18/20). 16: Medium garnet. Peppery bouquet; at first it somehow has a Napa touch with fine eucalyptus and black pepper notes, then blackberries and cherries—still showing plenty of fruit. Powerful on the palate, with length and breed. Not a finesse Saint-Julien, but then it never was. For power drinkers! (18/20). 17: Medium-dark garnet, showing fine mature tones at the rim. Gently earthy bouquet, meat trimmings, cooking-chocolate notes from ripening Merlot; it feels deep, but the nose lacks a bit of clear direction. Very fleshy on the palate; with the tannins, the astringency is felt not only on the sides of the throat but also on the somewhat gritty tongue. Comes across as impetuous and rather hard, especially compared with the much more delicate Barton 2001. It didn’t blow me away. The initial score was 17/20. Air helped, though, and after half an hour it could add another point. (18/20). 18: Still powerful, flexing its muscles. (17/20). 20: Medium purple, little in the way of mature tones. Intense, wild Cabernet bouquet. Turns slightly toward Napa: medicinal, petrol-like and herbal. Aromatically it still feels very young. On the second pass it becomes darker-berried and deeper. Powerful on the palate; the tannins—after almost 20 years—still seem rather arrogant. Not a Saint-Julien charmer, but a demanding food wine. Its rugged power will remain, which will prevent lasting finesse from emerging. Decanting definitely does it a lot of good! (18/20). 21: Medium wine-red with a brightening rim, showing the faintest mature glint. Open bouquet, leaning more toward red-berry fruit: dried goji berries, plums, cedar, sawdust and light pepper notes; layered and quite elegant at first. On the palate it comes across as medium-bodied, letting its slightly sinewy texture show. There are still some tannin reserves. The finish is stocked with classic Bordeaux aromas, and the final notes recall pencil lead. This exceptionally elegant Poyferré can, unusually, be considered mature—rightly so after 20 years of evolution. (18/20).

Fragrant, sweet, powerful bouquet with notes of blackcurrant, cherry, cedar, tobacco and leather. Dense, elegant, fresh palate with fine tannins, a rich, creamy structure, good dark fruit, intense aromatics and a long, fresh finish. 18/20 drink – 2035

Soft and gentle leather, earth and spice, this is beautiful and balanced, with grilled cedar, soot, softened blackberry and bilberry notes, just a great reflection of St Julien finesse. A touch of bottle variation in the examples of this wine that I have tried over the past few years, but when they are good they are great. Lilting, juicy, a long slow burn, totally moreish. 80% new oak.

A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot, the 2001 Leoville Poyferre has a deep garnet-brick color. It starts with notions of sweaty leather and iodine, before opening out to underlying hints of kirsch, prunes, and dusty soil, plus a touch of dried Mediterranean herbs. Light to medium-bodied, the palate is chewy and savory, with just enough acidity and a rusticity on the finish.

The wine is very delicate, with notes of pencil lead, tobacco, and fruit in brandy. The palate is refined and long.

The nose is aromatic, revealing lovely fine-grained tannins, power (yet with great finesse) and precision. It shows notes of blackberry, crushed small black fruits and, more subtly, black pepper and blueberry, with hints of crushed raspberry, small blue fruits, as well as delicate touches of lilac, gravelly/mineral notes, white pepper and a subtle hint of truffle. The palate is elegant and refined, offering well-controlled power, minerality, concentration and a fine structure. On the palate, the wine expresses notes of juicy raspberry, juicy tangy blackberry and, more subtly, juicy tangy cherry and tangy plum, alongside touches of blueberry and fleshy small berries, as well as delicate hints of nutmeg, toasted almond, a subtle touch of vanilla and a very discreet hint of truffle in the background.

A very beautiful deep dark red. Intense nose. Ripe. Refined. Creamy. With swirling, intense. Refined. Complex. On the palate, the wine is almost creamy, rounded, becoming more sappy from mid-palate onward. A lovely finish, ripe, fresh and sappy, with a structure different from 2002. More flesh and power.