Farr Vintners Logo

Léoville Poyferré 2003

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > St Julien
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyCabernet Sauvignon/Merlot

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Château Léoville Poyferré

Label

Tasting Notes

The spectacular 2003 Leoville Poyferre exhibits a dense purple color with a touch of lightening at the edge as well as notes of creosote, barbecue smoke, jammy black currants, licorice and spice box. This intense, voluptuously textured, full-bodied St.-Julien possesses low acidity and ripe tannin. Still fresh and exuberant, it is just entering its plateau of full maturity where it should remain for 10-15+ years. Drink 2014-2029

96
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (214), August 2014

The 2003 Leoville Poyferre is medium garnet with a touch of brick. It sashays out of the glass with a beautiful nose of kirsch, raspberry pie, Black Forest cake, and chocolate box plus hints of wilted rose petals, garrigue, fertile loam, and cigar box. Medium to full-bodied, firm, chewy, and savory in the mouth, it has a long, earth-laced finish.

93
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent, June 2022

Smells really lovely, you get that burnt caramel note, cola, sour cherry, some bramble blackcurrant and dried flowers in the background. Really chewy and mouth filling, I love the texture - tannins, fruit and acidity are well integrated and gently mouth filling - a charming success without the markers of the hot vintage. You get the minerality on the tongue, the soft cinnamon and turmeric spice with blackcurrant and blackberry fruits and a cooling, lifted finish. Excellent expression. A joy to drink now, and perfect with food. A fantastic 2003. 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot.

94
Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com, March 2022

Pure cassis on the nose. Impressive. Full-bodied, thick and powerful, with loads of fruit and big, velvety tannins. Goes on for minutes on the palate. Huge wine. Very, very impressive. One of the big surprises of the vintage. Best after 2012.

James Suckling, Wine Spectator Insider, March 2006

Sweet and round. Big and broad shouldered. Not the most classical or finest but lots of sweet substance. (Average group score: 16.1)

16
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, October 2010
94
Farr Vintners, Southwold Bordeaux Tasting, January 2007

Sitting between the acclaimed Léoville Las Cases and Léoville Barton, Poyferré has long been the overlooked middle child, thanks to decades of inconsistent wines. No longer. After years of work by managing director Didier Cuvelier and the help of enologist Michel Rolland, the estate produced its highest scoring wine ever in 2003. Cuvelier worked diligently, rebuilding his chai, increasing the amount of Cabernet Sauvignon in his blend and upping the quotient of new oak. The 2003 is the payoff. 19,165 cases made.

95
-, WineSpectator.com (Top 100), December 2006

Very good indeed.

17
Michael Schuster, The World of Fine Wine (1), April 2004
Read more tasting notes...

I have had this wine three times out of bottle, rating it 97 once and 98 twice. It is a colossal success and a potential legend in the making. Its saturated, dense inky/blue/purple color offers up notes of crushed rocks, acacia flowers, blueberries, black raspberries, and creme de cassis. A synthesis of power and elegance, this multi-layered wine has spectacular concentration, sweet but high tannin, and low acidity A stunning effort that showcases this legendary terroir, it is a brilliant, brilliant success. The quintessential Leoville Poyferre? Anticipated maturity: 2009-2030.

98
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (164), April 2006

One of the vintage’s superstars and a candidate for the finest St.-Julien of the vintage, the 2003 Leoville Poyferre rivals the 2000, 1996, and 1990 as one of the best Poyferres ever made (although the 1982 seems to be gaining in stature every time I go back to it). With a dense purple color to the rim, an extraordinary nose of pure cassis and raspberries, enormous body, great richness, high tannin, and low acidity in a voluptuous, almost opulent style, this will be a sensational wine that should hit its accessibility point in about 3-5 years and then evolve slowly for 25+. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2025.

94/96
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (158), April 2005

A huge success for Poyferre, this 2003, tasted three separate times with similar notes, reveals a saturated ruby/purple color, explosive aromatics, and ripe yet remarkably fresh, vibrant flavors that cascade over the palate with enormous concentration, depth, and precision. The wood, acidity, tannin, and alcohol are all beautifully integrated in this fabulous effort. It is reminiscent of the compelling 1990. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2025.

94/96
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (152), April 2004
95
James Suckling, Wine Spectator, March 2006

Impressive and huge. Pure cassis on the nose. Thick and powerful, with loads of fruit. A big surprise of the vintage.

95
James Suckling, Wine Spectator, February 2006
89/91
James Suckling, Wine Spectator (April 04), April 2004

Very dark crimson. Very sweet, almost coconut notes. Rich, opulent with lovely freshness underneath - fine-grained tannins giving real zip to the wine. There is energy here and great sweetness initially but eventually a nice dry finish.

18
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com (April 04), April 2004
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.

Back to Wine List