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Léoville Poyferré 2012

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > St Julien
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyCabernet Sauvignon/Merlot
Also available in the following mixed case:

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

Label

Tasting Notes

A dark, fleshy wine, the Léoville Poyferré 2012 is round, succulent and deeply expressive. Dark red cherry, plum, mocha, graphite and lavender are fused together in an effortless, silky Saint-Julien built on texture. Striking and totally beautiful, the 2012 will be ready to deliver its charms early. All the elements are in the right place. This is a gorgeous showing from Léoville-Poyferré. The 2012 is perhaps not an epic wine, but is gorgeous today and should provide considerable pleasure over the next 15-20 years. The blend is 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot.

94
Antonio Galloni, vinous.com, January 2016

Owned by the Cuvelier family since 1920, this property over the last 20 years has made some great wines in the Médoc. The 2012, a blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc, is opaque purple, thick-looking, and from bottle much more impressive than it was from barrel. This very extracted, rich, full-bodied, masculine Léoville Poyferré needs a good 5-8 years of bottle age and should evolve well for at least 20-25 years. Loads of blackberry and cassis, crushed rock and graphite notes are present in this medium to full-bodied, impressively concentrated and pure wine. Forget it for a while, as this is one of the bigger, richer Médocs. Drink: 2020 - 2045.

92+
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (218), April 2015

Tasted twice with consistent notes, the Grand Vin is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot (there is no Cabernet Franc unlike in 2011.) It was picked between 8th October and 19th October at 36hl/ha, when there was a torrential downpour and two plots were spoiled. The grapes were sorted on an Italian optical sorting machine. There is certainly impressive purity and intensity on the nose with ripe blackberry dark plum and touches of vanilla, a little more exotic than the 2011 this time last year. The palate is medium-bodied with ripe sweet tannins. It is typically relatively modern in style, quite opulent for a 2012 with a rounded, velvety finish with plush new oak (85%). Very fine. Tasted April 2013.

91/93
Neal Martin, RobertParker.com, May 2013

On the nose and palate this red suggests red and black plums with cedar notes and hints of cloves. Full body, firm tannins, fresh acidity and an intense finish. Minerally, too. Polished tannins. Drink in 2020.

92
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, February 2015

Poyferré keeps its generous spirit at 10 years old and has a lovely rich body with raspberry coulis, blackberry and density through the mid palate. The oak majors on grilled cedar and almond, a little dominant and closes things down on the close of play, not quite smoothed out yet suggesting that although you can begin drinking now, it will benefit from another few years in bottle. Harvest October 8 to 19. 80% new oak.

94
Jane Anson, JaneAnson.com, March 2022

Dark purple. Some real energy hidden in this, not desperately expressive wine. Voluptuous on the palate. Gosh what a lot of effort has gone into this. Full marks for effort… Lots of lusciousness and then it's drawn to a dry close like someone tightening a purse string. Though I'd guess not too much purse-string tightening while making this… Appealing freshness.

17.5
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2013

Like its neighbour Léoville Barton, Poyferré is always very good value for money when first offered en primeur (compared with Lascases anyway!). The consistently high quality and modest price mean that Poyferre is always a wine to consider purchasing en primeur as mature vintages tend to be much more expensive. Consultant oenologue Michel Rolland produces wines with a smoother, more fleshy character than the seriously structured wines of its neighbours. The result is a delicious St Julien that can usually charm early in its life and can stand the test of time. The blend here this year is 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot. Dark colour with sweet black fruit on the nose. Multi-layered on the palate with black cherry ripeness, warmth, good density and a polished sheen. A very good Leoville Poyferre that reminds us of the great 2001.

94
Farr Vintners, March 2013

There is a lot happening on the nose the richness of cassis underpinned by fresh bilberry. The fruit on the mid palate is ripe enriching with rounded tannins helping the fleshiness. The back palate has depth of fruit brooding black fruits and liquorice layers of flavour. 2020-30

90/93
Derek Smedley MW, May 2013
Read more tasting notes...

This wine seemed primary and not totally filled out or complete. No doubt it will put on some weight given the significant Merlot content in the final blend. There is a certain firmness, stiffness and lack of intensity on the mid-palate, and some tannins kick in in the finish. Nevertheless, there is more to this wine than first meets the palate. It is medium to full-bodied with an opaque color, good ripeness and some attractive weight, but is closed and hard. It needs time to pull itself together, and it should turn out to be an excellent, possibly outstanding effort.

89/91
Robert Parker, RobertParker.com, April 2013

This is chewy with a balanced and polished tannin structure. Full body, with very good depth. Long finish. It keeps going on and on. Very well done. Better than 2011. 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, and 6% Petit Verdot. Merlot made it happen here.

92/93
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, April 2013
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.