Chateau Leoville Poyferre 2009

JEB DUNNUCK: "The greatest wine I’ve ever tasted from this address is the 2009 Léoville Poyferré, which is a step up over both the 2000 and the 2010. A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and the balance Cabernet Franc that hit 13.9% alcohol, it offers everything you could ask of a wine and reveals a saturated purple color as well as incredible notes of crème de cassis, blueberries, lead pencil, exotic Spices, and dried flowers. Incredibly full-bodied, super concentrated, deep, and opulent, yet still pure, fresh, and lively, it has sweet tannin and a hedonistic vibe that hides its underlying structure. Drink it anytime over the coming three decades."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Having retreated into its shell, the deep garnet colored 2009 Léoville Poyferré gives up slowly revealing notions of cigar boxes, pencil lead, charcoal, rose hip tea and fragrant earth with a core of preserved plums, crème de cassis, espresso and Indian spices. Full, rich, seductive and voluptuously fruited in the mouth, the palate features firm yet beautifully velvety tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and spicy."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "The 2009 Leoville Poyferre is medium to deep garnet-brick in color. It bursts from the glass with bombastic notions of kirsch, raspberry preserves, warm cassis, and stewed plums, plus suggestions of Ceylon tea, candied violets, and Indian spices. Medium-bodied, the palate is soft, plush, and seductive, delivering seamless freshness to lift the perfumed fruit to a long finish."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "I have tasted this almost every year since it was in barrel and it has always shown extremely well with remarkable consistency. A contender for the best vintage of Leoville Poyferre produced yet, the wine is full-bodied, concentrated, lush, opulent, velvety and yes, down-right sexy. While still on the youthful fruit stage, the wine feels so good on your palate, it is impossible not to be thrilled by what's in your glass, finish it, and ask for another pour. The wine is made from blending 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc."

JAMES SUCKLING: "Beautiful blueberries and blackberries with some blackcurrants and flowers on the nose. Some black olives and crushed stones, too. Full-bodied with creamy tannins and lovely depth. The tannins are so integrated and plush, but fine-grained. Persistent finish. A red that gives wonderful pleasure now, but will continue to do so for decades ahead."

WEINWISSER: "60 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 29 % Merlot, 6 % Petit Verdot, 5 % Cabernet Franc. Fast 14 Vol.-% Alkohol! Extrem dunkles Purpur mit lila und violetten Reflexen. Wildes Cabernet-Sauvignon-Bouquet, ein Hauch Napa-Eukalyptus in der schokoladig-brombeerigen Nase, frisch gebrochener schwarzer Pfeffer. Am Gaumen mit recht viel Schmelz und noch pikanter Schärfe, aber auch enormer Konzentration und Kraft. Ein Power-Poyferré, der erst in 10 Jahren eine erste Reife erlangen wird, aber auch dann noch als eine Art »Amboss-Terminator» auftreten dürfte."

DECANTER: "Rich, exotic and generous, this is still young and firm but light on its feet, dancing through the palate. There's lovely depth to the fruit, with a great silky texture. Those tannins bite in all the right places. Very good indeed. Drinking Window 2019 - 2040"

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "An immensely structured wine, packed with dark tannins promising aging potential. It is complex, powerful, layered with new wood and concentration, finishing with dark plum fruits and acidity."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Kandierte Orangenzesten, reife dunkle Beerenfrucht, Brombeeren und Cassis klingen an, zarte Edelholzwürze, feines Nougat. Kraftvoll, stoffig, reife Kirschen, präsente, reife Tannine, schokoladig und gut anhaftend, mineralischer Touch und würzige Nuancen im Abgang, schokoladig im Rückgeschmack, nähert sich einer ersten Trinkreife an, ein, zwei Jahre Geduld wären noch gut, ein komplexer Speisenbegleiter."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Solid notes of steeped black currant, ganache-coated fig and plum eau de vie pump along in this very dark red, but with well-integrated structure. Long and winey through the finish, with the grip extending everything nicely. Best from 2016 through 2026."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Deep garnet with ruby rim. Cedar, cassis and spice dominate here on the nose – I thought it would smell riper than this but as it opens this side is revealed. Very Cabernet in its aroma even though there is quite a dollop of Petit Verdot that adds its own perfume. Smells generous and forthcoming. On the palate there are more tertiary flavours, a definite mature taste of undergrowth, unexpected freshness and a slight suggestion that the tannins are gaining ground on the fruit but currently showing finesse. This gives the impression of firm extraction in the dry, grainy finish but it’s still clearly in balance for quite a bit longer in bottle. Rather leathery on the finish."