Chateau Leoville Poyferre 2016

Of remarkable aromatic class, complex and mineral; powerful yet elegant on the attack, dense, with magnificent, present, seamlessly fine-grained tannins; one of the best wines we have ever tasted here!

Richly layered, with a core of well-steeped plum, blackberry and black currant fruit flavors cruising through, flanked by ganache, sweet tobacco and warm tar notes. There's a plush, toasty coating but the wine's energy and nearly unbridled fruit will easily soak that up. A last echo of violet is further evidence of a lovely evolution ahead. Best from 2025 through 2040. 17,083 cases made.

What a wine – such class from the excellent 2016 vintage. A touch of meatiness to the nose with bacon, green peppers and black pepper. So expansive in the mouth while at the same time seeming a little closed or perhaps on its way to closing down. Soft, fine-grained tannins giving real presence but well integrated. Sophisticated and broad-shouldered, it has a soft attack yet delivers great depth on the mid-palate. Bold, powerful and well presented. A classic expression of claret and the St-Julien signature characteristics of minerality, graphite, slate, wet stone and juicy blackcurrant and plum. Closer to the style of 2010, still very tannic with the chalky, mineral texture standing out. Lovely definition and concentration while being so refined. This will age for decades. 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot. Harvest 5–20 October.

Wow. The power and depth to this wine is superb with a full, fleshy palate. Yet it’s so tight and integrated, with panache and energy. Chewy tannins, yet seamless and melted into the wine. Extremely long and beautiful. Very polished now. This needs at least five to six years to resolve the steely tannins that run through this wine. Take another look from 2024. A blend of 61 percent cabernet sauvignon, 27 percent merlot, eight percent merlot and four percent cabernet franc.

The 2016 Léoville-Poyferré appears to have closed up a bit on the nose, perhaps a little cowed by the strong showing of the 2015 on this occasion. It is very pure and begins to unfurl with aeration, but the aromatics are not coming out to play today. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-boned tannins, beautifully proportioned and symmetrical. The oak is seamlessly integrated with a citrus touch on the finish. This will be awesome, but it will need time in bottle. Tasted at the Léoville-Poyferré vertical at the château with Sara Lecompte Cuvelier.

Still deeply colored, the wine is a bit reticent at the moment and it takes a bit of effort to unfurl before you discover all of its layers of perfectly ripe, deep, rich, lush, polished black and red fruits. The tannins are ripe, but they need at least 5–7 more years before you find all the softness and natural, supple opulence enjoyed in the top vintages of Leoville Poyferre. The wine is powerful, long, deep, concentrated, full-bodied, and intense, with serious depth of flavor from start to finish. Drink from 2029–2060.

Deep ruby with an opaque core. Already approachable. Delicate floral notes underpin dark berry confit and touches of minerality, tangerine zest, and savoury oak. Taut and persistent with powerful black fruit, ripe cassis, and integrated tannins. Already showing good development, it has the potential to age well.

Pure nose of inky dark fruit, stony and gravelly with crushed cassis, plum, sage and tobacco. Very dense palate with fine proportions, ripe but weighty tannins, fine volume with savoury dark fruit, sweet spices and a very long, lingering finish.

Tasted on four separate occasions where this wine rated 97+, 98, 98, and 99, the 2016 Château Léoville-Poyferré is a brilliant bottle of wine and is certainly in the same league as the 2000, 2003, 2009, and 2010. Made from 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, aged in 80% new oak, this brilliantly concentrated, full-bodied, opulent beast of a wine offers a heavenly bouquet of crème de cassis, blackcurrants, smoked earth, tobacco leaf, and ample crushed rocks. It’s certainly one of the most flamboyant and opulent wines in the vintage, yet it remains perfectly balanced, with masses of polished tannins, no hard edges, and a fabulous finish. It will be drinkable in 3-4 years yet keep for 3-4 decades.

60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 44 hl/ha, 55% Grand Vin. Deep purple with a dense core and a violet rim. Concentrated nose with plenty of violet and red cherry, a touch of red currant and raspberry purée. On the powerful palate, a tightly knit, firm body with fleshy extract; a true powerhouse with lots of plum skin and cassis drops, finishing in an endless finale with noticeable astringency. Needs time, but endowed with tremendous potential! 18.5/20

Kunz barrel sample 17: (60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 44 hl/ha, 55% Grand Vin) Deep, velvety, powerful, complex bouquet, black cassis, truffle, cedar, dark tobacco, mint, licorice, Black Currant. Dense, multi-layered, powerful yet elegant palate with concentrated fruit, plenty of fine tannins, compressed, diverse aromatics, a dense, finely muscled structure, and a very long, dense, aromatic finish with many dark after-aromas.

(60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 44 hl/ha, 55% Grand Vin) Deep, velvety, powerful, complex bouquet, black cassis, truffle, cedar, dark tobacco, mint, licorice, Black Currant. Dense, multi-layered, weighty yet elegant palate with concentrated fruit, plenty of fine tannin, compressed, multifaceted aromatics, dense, finely muscled structure, and a very long, dense, aromatic finish with many dark echoes. 19/20 2025 - 2050

An exceptional vintage, and an exceptional wine, punching in quality at the top of the appellation. Beginning to close down at five years old, the fingers of the tannins are closing in, but the bright, succulent berry fruits are fully on display underneath, and this has slate, cigar box, graphite, the full St Julien toolbox, precise but unyielding, supremely confident. 80% new oak. Harvest October 5 to 20.

The 2016 is quite a powerhouse, an intense, ripe, powerful wine with plenty of muscle. It will take time to tame this thoroughbred, whose finish is slightly warm.

Very fresh red-fruit nose, liquorice, vanilla. Broad, fruity palate, generous and indulgent, with a beautiful mouthfeel and elegant, well-coated tannins. Savory finish. A great wine.

What an exceptional wine! The further it progresses, the more reasons it amasses to rank among the greatest successes of the 2016 vintage in Bordeaux. Such fruit intensity and freshness, with notes of blackcurrant, blackberry, peppermint, and a hint of clove. Refined and juicy on the palate. The tannins emerge late. They are coated, silky, and in line with the structure’s vibrancy. Persistent fruity finish.

Beautiful dark, intense color. Refined, intense, fruity and subtle nose. A caressing entry on the palate, then the wine unfolds into a dense, slender body, rather aromatic for the cru at this age, evolving very tastily toward a long, sappy finish. High density and fine grain.

Ripe, bold fruits mark out this opulent wine. Its rich tannins are typical of the estate and of the vintage. Serious concentration is balanced with good acidity to give a generous wine that also has the structure for aging. Drink from 2025.