Château Léoville Poyferré 2011

The year of precision

Precision in working the soil in dry years is essential. Accompanied by leaf thinning, this limits water evaporation from the soil and the vine. Our new optical sorter allowed for precise selection of naturally concentrated grape berries.

The sorter is calibrated for each variety, and is able to eliminate any unripe grapes. Pre-fermentation cold macerations revealed the purity of the fruit and aromas.

Vinifications and pump-overs were adapted to target gentle extractions of tannins and color, while the duration and temperature of vatting optimized the quality of tannins. This vintage is the perfect combination of intensity and delicious fruit.

Press reviews

Decanter – Jane Anson : 95 (01.07.2021)

” Densely structured fruit backed up by firm tannins, not as ready to drink as some other St-Juliens. Give it another three or four years to fully soften, or keep open for a good few hours before drinking. Impressive in delivering both precision and creamy blackberry fruit.”

The Wine Advocate – Robert Parker : 94 (06.05.2014)

“This property, which has been on a qualitative tear over the last generation, has produced one of the most successful wines of 2011….It is broad, rich, medium to full-bodied and dense. It boasts an inky/purple color as well as lots of concentration, silky tannins, and a bigger, richer mouthfeel than any of its St.-Julien peers. The result is one of the stars of the vintage.”

Vinous Media – Ian d’Agata : 92+ (06.04.2022)

“Inky ruby. Exotic, inviting scents of black cherry, cassis, orange zest, coffee and smoky underbrush. Fat, sweet and rich, with lively acidity giving noteworthy lift to its rich dark fruit, pepper and cocoa flavors. Wonderfully delineated Saint-Julien wine with plenty of fleshy substance but more than enough energy to keep it from being weighed down; in fact, this seems almost delicate for such a big wine. Finishes with soft tannins and lingering notes of pepper and violet. This is already fun to drink but ought to evolve gracefully for another decade or so. Should turn out to be one of the stars of the vintage.”