Chateau Leoville Poyferre 2016

ANTONIO GALLONI: "The 2016 Léoville-Poyferré is fabulous. Rich, ample and dramatic in bearing, the 2016 possesses striking intensity and vertical lift. The tannins certainly need at least a few years in bottle to soften, but there is so much to look forward to. Graphite, menthol, lavender and licorice complement the inky blue/purplish fruit beautifully. The bottled wine has a bit more Cabernet Sauvignon and less Merlot than the en primeur sample. I tasted the 2016 three times. It's least favorable showing was at the château. For readers and proprietors who think wines always taste better on site...they don't."

DECANTER: "This is a fine example of the Léoville Poyferré style, voluptuous and spicy. Despite Michel Rolland's enthusiasm for late harvesting, there is no overripeness. Sumptuous nose, with lush blackberry fruit, opulent and generous on the palate with superb black fruits and robust tannins. Vibrant and spicy, it’s hedonistic but at present lacks a little nuance and complexity. They should emerge with time."

FALSTAFF: "Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, dezente Randaufhellung, zart floral unterlegtes schwarzes Beerenkonfit, mineralischer Anklang, ein Hauch von Mandarinenzesten, feine Edelholzwürze. Kraftvoll, angenehme schwarze Frucht, reifes Cassis, feine Extraktsüße, integrierte Tannine, straff und anhaltend, gutes Entwicklungspotenzial."

JAMES SUCKLING: "Wow. The power and depth to this wine is super 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 a look from 2024. A blend of 61 per cent cabernet sauvignon, 27 per cent merlot, eight per cent merlot and four per cent cabernet franc."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc.Very deep, glowing, purplish crimson. Muted but very intriguing nose; this is clearly a superstar. Beautiful balance between smooth texture and crunchy, fresh, attention-grabbing, pure fruit. This is really very exciting indeed. Almost electric! The subtle fruit almost disguises the considerable ripe tannins underneath. Lovely balance and a magnificent expression of St-Julien. Admirable restraint."

JEB DUNNUCK: "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."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Starting to tighten up here, still, it is impossible not to be wowed by the wine with all its richness, elegance, soft, supple tannins and layers of perfectly ripe red fruits. Full-bodied and loaded with layers of sweet red fruits with the perfect amount of freshness to keep it interesting, my bet is, once the wine has filled out and softened, it will score at a higher level as it is only starting to get going."

THE WINEADVOCATE: "Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Léoville Poyferré hits the ground running with intense cassis, violets, dark chocolate, menthol and fragrant earth notions complemented by nuances of cigar box and smoked meats. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is charged with energetic, super intense black fruit and floral layers, beautifully supported with super firm, ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness. This liquid is simply alive in the mouth, culminating in an epically long finish that will leave your mouth practically tingling. WOW!"

WEINWISSER: "60 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 33 % Merlot, 5 % Petit Verdot, 2 % Cabernet Franc, 44 hl/ha, 55 % Grand Vin. Tiefes Purpur mit satter Mitte und violettem Rand. Konzentrierte Nase mit viel Veilchen und roter Kirsche, etwas rote Johannisbeere und Himbeermark. Am kräftigen Gaumen mit engmaschigem, festem Körper und fleischigem Extrakt, ein Powerhouse mit viel Pflaumenhaut und Cassisdrops, das im nicht enden wollenden Finale mit spürbarer Adstringenz ausklingt. Braucht Zeit, ist aber mit gewaltigem Potenzial ausgestattet!"

WINESPECTATOR: "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."