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.

Our tasting notes – 2022

The 2011 vintage of Château Léoville Poyferré displays an intense garnet color and purple reflections. The wine remains bright and limpid, a sign that it continues to flourish.

Starting to show some evolution, expressive notes of black fruit, oak and spice meld together in this beautiful 2011 vintage, intensifying with light aeration.

This Saint-Julien is fine and elegant with a juicy tannic structure.  Aromas of black fruit and spices dominate, revealing notes of liquorice on the persistent finish.

Press reviews

Decanter – Jane Anson : 94 (12.07.2018)

“Controlled power, gorgeous complexity are a really beautiful wine. The tannins feel fine, well expressed and well balanced, holding the fruit without strangling it, with a gorgeous touch of St-Julien flair and finesse. An underrated vintage that is displaying some 2001 character and it’s currently showing even better than the 2009 vintage. It has long life ahead but it could also be enjoyed along the way. There was plenty of natural concentration in the grapes at harvest and although it remains a little strict right now boy will it age.”

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.”