2018 Léoville-Poyferré, St-Julien (1.5L)

“Every bit as good as the 2009, and I think better than the 2010 and 2016, the 2018 Château Léoville Poyferré is a total thrill that tops out my scale. Based on 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, its dense purple hue is followed by an incredible, full-bodied monster of a wine that, despite massive amounts of fruit, tannins, and extract, still stays weightless and ethereal, with incredible purity. Loaded with notions of crème de cassis, spring flowers, tobacco, violets, charcoal, and cedar pencil, it's extraordinarily concentrated, flawlessly balanced, and has a finish that won't quit. This is a legendary wine in the making. Give bottles 7-8 years, a decade would be even better, and it will keep for 40-50 years. Hats off to the Cuvelier family for another extraordinary wine!” (03/2021)

“Another opportunity to take a look at this wine, which I tasted earlier this year during the course of my first in-bottle tastings of this vintage. The aromatic profile is appropriately intense and richly perfumed, the damson and blackberry fruits laced with slate and dark chocolate, and lifted with little notes of white peach, white freesia, cranberry and white pepper. This is high class and exceedingly stylish. The palate shows a rich and broad texture, but with an equally confident rich and phenolic frame, within which sits the charged fruit of the midpalate. Plenty of tannic grip here, although it remains thoroughly buried within the wine, showing most clearly at the finish. Fabulously long and gripped, very fine despite its intense style with lingering tannic energy, this is a brooding wine of remarkable potential.” (10/2021)

“Dark cherry, plum, spice and cacao with earthy notes and wood undertones. Cloves, too. Full-bodied, yet in control and poised. Balanced, complex and flavorful. Firm tannins and a long, precise finish. It goes on and on. Structured is the word.” (03/2021)

“A blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc, aged in 80% new oak barriques, the 2018 Léoville Poyferré comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant scents of Morello cherries, plum preserves and blackberry pie, giving way to nuances of cedar chest, unsmoked cigars, vanilla pod and sassafras, plus a waft of crushed rocks. The palate is full-bodied, rich and decadent, delivering hedonic black fruits and lots of spicy accents with a velvety texture and seamless freshness, finishing long and satisfyingly savory. This is a very impressive showing that is delicious out of the gate but has the backbone to give a good 30 years or more of pleasure. (LPB)” (03/2021)

“Léoville-Poyferré is sensational in 2018. There's not much more to say than that. A wine of explosive power and intensity, the 2018 dazzles from start to finish. To be sure, the 2018 is racy and opulent, but all the elements come together so effortlessly. Bright red-toned fruit, mocha, pine and wild flowers all open with a bit of coaxing. The new oak is a bit prominent at this stage, but that will be less of an issue over time. (AG)” (03/2021)

“Richly dense and impressively concentrated, this is a powerful wine. Swathes of black fruits show off the Cabernet structure and dark, ageworthy character of this wine. *Cellar Selection* (RV)” (05/2021)

“Waves of warmed cassis, mocha and warm tar aromas lead the way, while the core of macerated plum, blackberry and blueberry fruit waits its turn, showing admirable breadth and depth when it arrives, with roasted apple wood, bramble and cast iron buried deeply through the finish. This is a powerfully rendered wine with a cashmere scarf as accent. (JM)” (03/2021)

“Gorgeously rich, heady and seductive nose, really expressive - you can sense the concentration in the rich blackcurrant aromas, soft hints of bramble bush, perfume and super soft spicing. Exuberant but with such clarity on the palate - clear power there, richly juicy and mouth filling - tannins are present but soft, they have texture and do grip the tongue but the overall feel is so well balanced and textured. Lovely weight in the mouth with cherry and blackcurrant flavours, some menthol, liquorice tones giving freshness and a cooling touch as well as a soft minerality that comes across as wet stone nuance on the tongue. A gentle spice also runs through the wine, grilled cedar and cinnamon but it also has such a lively juicy quality with tension and concentration. Incredible. Give this at least 10 years before enjoying. 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. Harvest 20 September-12 October. (GH)” (03/2022)

“Concentrated but luscious, has so much character and depth to the fruit, a ton of liqourice, chocolate, blackberry. Smoke and grilled herbs, clear rosemary, tumeric even on the nose. There is higher alcohol than in some vintages, and it leaves a trace, even if a faint one. It needs time - for sure a good decade to really open. Harvest September 20 to October 12. Last tasted November 2020, same score. 80% new oak. First vintage under Sara Lecompte-Cuvelier.” (07/2021)

“A popular wine with the group! Very pleasingly rich but within a (very obvious) tannic framework. Very youthful. Yet very rich. This is glorious! Very, very long. 19/20 points (JR)” (01/2022)