1983 | Château Léoville Poyferré | Saint-Julien

Medium ruby ​​garnet, wider ocher rim. Quite restrained on the nose, reveals very little fruit, delicate tobacco and leafy nuances, fine dried fruit notes. Medium-bodied on the palate, firm tannins, red berries, racy acidity structure, coarse-grained tannins, slightly drying, becomes rather sour and short in the finish.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: One of the superstar 1983s that is not beginning to crack up and decline, Leoville-Poyferre’s effort exhibits a dark garnet color, a sweet nose of plum liqueur intermixed with licorice, black currants, weedy tobacco, and herbes de Provence. The wine is round, seductive, with a certain degree of opulence, low acidity, gorgeous fruit, and a nice layered palate impression. It makes for quite a seductive style of wine.

• Decanter: Now 35 years old, we are getting cloves and white pepper spice — whereas black pepper is more prevalent in Léoville Poyferré wines in the first few decades. The persistency is still remarkable it lingers delightfully. A beautiful wine with whispers of the effortless St-Julien balance that stands true through the decades, all coming through with soft tobacco notes, buttery leather, dried fruits and fire crackle. Remember there is less clay in soils in this appellation compared to Pauillac and St-Estèphe, giving St-Julien finer tannins and finessed aromatics. No alcohol marked on the label from this point, but we can assume it is around 12% abv.

Producer Information

Château Léoville Poyferré is a wine estate in the Saint-Julien appellation of Haut-Médoc wine region, just north of Bordeaux town. It was rated a second growth in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification, and was traditionally the softest of the three Léovilles. However, in the last few decades, the Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant wine has gained weight and density. The estate lies in the heart of the Saint-Julien appellation, with the cellars located in the village of Saint-Julien-Beychevelle, next door to Léoville-Las Cases and just north of Langoa-Barton (where the Léoville Barton wine is produced). All three Léoville vineyards were once part of the same estate which was divided in three on the death of its owner in the mid-18th Century. Léoville Poyferré took its name in the 1840s from Baron Jean-Marie de Poyferré, who acquired the estate through marriage. After a succession of owners, including Edouard Lawton (the wolf of his family crest adorns the Léoville Poyferré labels to this day), the estate was acquired by the Cuvelier family in 1920, with whom it has remained. The 80-hectare (200-acre) estate vineyard is planted 63 percent to Cabernet Sauvignon with 25 percent Merlot, seven percent Petit Verdot and five percent Cabernet Franc. The gravelly soils provide good drainage for the vines, which helps negate disease pressure and leads to concentrated fruit. In the winery, the grapes are cold-macerated for color extract and aromatic purity, and fermented in stainless steel vats before aging. Château Léoville Poyferré is aged in oak barriques for 18-20 months, and the proportion of new oak has increased in the last few decades. The estate also produces Château Moulin Riche, which was once a separate estate but acquired by the Cuveliers as part of the Lawton holdings in 1920. Moulin Riche is made to be more accessible in its youth, but is not considered a second wine to the Léoville Poyferré grand vin. This distinction goes to Le Pavillon de Léoville Poyferré, made from younger vines. Michel Rolland has been a consultant for Château Léoville Poyferré since 1995.

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