Chateau Leoville Poyferre   Leoville Poyferre

2015 Leoville Poyferre

By Chateau Leoville Poyferre

2015 Leoville Poyferre from Chateau Leoville Poyferre, St-Julien, Bordeaux, France

The splendid 2015 Leoville Poyferre marks another exquisite chapter in the chronicle of this esteemed Chateau. Embracing the climatic generosity of St-Julien in that year, the bottling is a testament to the masterful touch of both viticulturist and vintner. My extensive exploration into Bordeaux's offerings has seldom revealed a vintage with such eloquent expression of place and time as this.

 

Resilience and Reward: St-Julien's Triumph

The 2015 growing season in Bordeaux was one for the books—with an arid summer followed by timely rain, coaxing the vines into yielding fruit of outstanding calibre. Leoville Poyferre adeptly captured the essence of this serendipitous weather pattern, crafting a wine that melds potency with poise—imbued with the sort of depth that investors long for in their cellars.

 

An Assemblage of Excellence

Conjuring up a blend honouring the truest traditions of Bordeaux, this vintage unites Cabernet Sauvignon’s sturdy backbone with Merlot's succulent flesh; Petit Verdot adds whispering accents of complexity to the conversation. On opening, the 2015 Leoville Poyferre enchants with an aromatic profusion of cassis, violets, and a sophisticated dab of oak. To sip is to uncover layers—ripe black fruits dovetailing with an earthy minerality, all carried by suave tannins to a finish that is both persistent and transformative.

 

Cultivating Finesse: A Connoisseur's Investment

One must remark upon its inimitable combination of immediacy and potentiality. While immensely enjoyable now, those patient enough to allow this vintage to evolve will be richly rewarded, as it unfurls over decades. For fine wine investors looking towards encapsulating an exceptional Bordeaux vintage within their portfolio—the 2015 Leoville Poyferre from Chateau Leoville Poyferre stands out as a paragon choice.

A sumptuous addition to any collection, the 2015 vintage eagerly awaits those discerning enough to recognise its allure. Curated for enjoyment and contemplation alike, it continues to appreciate both on the palate and in value—a splendid symphony from St-Julien that resonates with each passing year.

Current market price

$1,285.36

12x75cl

Highest score

94

POP score

55

Scores and tasting notes

92-95

This features depth and focus, with a really solid core of currant and blackberry lined with ample iron and briar notes. Not shy with the toast, but the finish is energetic, and everything is pulling together.—J.M.

Wine Spectator - James Molesworth - winespectator.com

94

The 2015 Leoville Poyferre is deep garnet-purple colored with a nose of grilled meats, baked plums, crème de cassis and baker's chocolate with nuances of dusty soil and iron ore plus a hint of bay leaves. Medium to full-bodied, very firm and muscular in the mouth, it is built like a brick house with a mineral-tinged finish.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Advocate, 21 February 2018

93

Ripe and slightly jammy, with lots of oak and tannin, this is a good rather than a great Léoville-Poyferré. There’s a figgy note to the fruit, too, but the underlying structure is good, with freshness on the finish and firm, fine-grained tannins. Drink: 2021-28

Tim Atkin - timatkin.com

92-94

The 2015 Léoville Poyferré is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc that was harvested between 24 September and 10 October. The IPT comes in at 80 with a pH 3.69. It has a typical Léoville-Poyferré bouquet at this stage: quite bullish and forthright, packed full of dense black cherries, red plum and cassis, the 85% new oak pronounced, but will be subsumed with bottle age. The palate is full-bodied with mouth-coating tannin: layers of graphite-infused black fruit, cedar and mint, almost Pauillac-like in personality with a sustained graphite finish. This is a sophisticated Saint Julien built for long-term ageing, perhaps less flamboyant than recent vintages, but the terroir shows through. Expect it to land at the top of my banded score, possibly higher.

Neal Martin - eRobertParker.com, #224, April 2016

16.5++

Deep purple. Glowing. Flattering nose but without the undertow of some. Lots of energy and just a hint of sweet oak. A solid performance.

Jancis Robinson - jancisrobinson.com

Vintage performance