Didier Thomann, Léoville Poyferré’s cellar master for almost 20 years, has just returned from a visit to Orion, the historic cooperage and long-standing partner of Léoville Poyferré. In this workshop in Tarn-et-Garonne, where the oak wood becomes the barrel, the gestures are precise, almost choreographed. There is no room for approximation.
Didier, the first cellar master of a Grand Cru Classé to place his trust in Orion, cultivates with them, as with our other partners, a complicity forged by exacting standards. A true dialogue is established between the cellar master and the cooper, and each barrel becomes a concentrate of mastery and intuition. “You can feel it”, admits Didier, with a discreet pride in his voice. Nothing is left to chance: the origin of the wood, the fineness of the grain, the degree of toasting. Every detail counts. These rigorous choices contribute to the signature of Léoville Poyferré’s wines: sensual, lively and precise.
Once installed in the cellars of Saint-Julien, the barrels do not simply contain the wine. They interact patiently. The tannins soften, the aromas unfold and the wine finds its balance. But Didier insists that their role goes beyond that. Each barrel adds an invisible but essential dimension, that ‘extra soul’ that defies any technical explanation.
