2005 Château Léoville-Poyferré

Description

95   Neal Martin
“The Château Léoville-Poyferré 2005 has a rich and opulent bouquet with lavish ripe black cherries and wild strawberry, just a touch of licorice rendering its even more extravagant. The palate is full-bodied with ripe, rounded tannin, touches of licorices and glycerin on the mid-palate with savory notes flourishing towards the finish. This is almost a brash, hubristic Saint Julien, one for those who prefer a more opulent style of Bordeaux while maintaining complexity.” (02/2015)

95   Jane Anson for Decanter
“A gorgeous wine; mouthwatering, clear black fruits but with feathery touches of dried sage and chargrilled oak. The embers are still burning and the whole thing is just gearing up to its drinking window. Still fairly closed, this is a long-ageing vintage that is just starting to soften at 13 years old. I love how the tannins are so effortlessly soft and elongated, while still making their presence felt. It dances across the palate and, like the 2011 vintage, feels very much a reflection of its appellation.” (1/2018)

94   James Suckling
“Lots of sexy, exotic aromas to this wine in addition to flamboyant floral undertones. It’s full-bodied with a cold tannic texture and flavor that gives the wine a very graphite-like undertone.” (1/2015)

94   Roger Voss for Wine Enthusiast
“Hugely concentrated and packed with tannins, this wine shows considerable amounts of dark, extracted fruit. It wins out on impressive power, driving the fruit through the tannins, giving great richness.” (1/2008)

93   Robert Parker for Wine Advocate
“Léoville Poyferré’s dense ruby/purple 2005 is soft, round and juicy, with lots of blackcurrant fruit, plum and Asian spice. It is medium to full-bodied and, along with Léoville Las Cases and Saint-Pierre, probably one of the best St.-Juliens I tasted in this retrospective. It is surprisingly supple and accessible.” (1/2015)