An extremely captivating Poyferré this year. Beautiful vivid and vibrant colour in the glass with soft rose and violets on the nose. Juicy and alive, immediately so charming, chewy, fleshy but cool and stony. Mouthfilling with licks of liquorice, tobacco, cola and hints of clove. I love the restraint on show – this is still a powerful wine but so much more relaxed than it could have been. Graceful yet impactful, full of ripe fruit with such a generous and happy attitude. I love it. Potential upscore in bottle. A yield of 20hl/ha, one of the smallest yields. Owner Sara spoke of lower fermentation temperatures, shorter macerations and shorter pumping-over to keep soft tannins. No deleafing, kept cover crops and used cold rooms to let grapes cool before optical sorting, especially for the more fragile Petit Verdot. Julien Viaud consultant. 5% Petit Verdot completes the blend.

Deep dark ruby garnet, opaque core, violet reflections, delicate rim brightening. Fine precious wood, cherries, a hint of cassis and black berries, inviting bouquet. Juicy, elegant and well-balanced, fresh heart notes, ripe, melting tannins, sweet extract and long-lasting, sure development potential.

(96-98 points) Ripe, sexy amounts of red, black, and blue fruits, smoke, tobacco, and scorched earth all define the 2025 Château Léoville Poyferré, a blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot. It's full-bodied on the palate, with a round, layered, exuberant mouthfeel, plenty of velvety tannins, and ample mid-palate depth. It's a ripe, opulent, beautifully balanced 2025 in the making.

(96-98 points) Tobacco leaves, smoke, flowers, cherries, chocolate, licorice, currants, and espresso beans create the aromatic profile. The palate is even better with its lusciously-textured wealth of sweet, vibrant, and pure, red, with black fruits. There is freshness, vivacity, and creamy tannins which all go together creating a complete, and balanced wine. The finish meshes chocolate with currants, spice and herbs that start off strong, and keep on going. The wine blends 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot. 13.5% ABV, 3.71 pH. Yields were only 20 hectoliters per hectare. Harvesting took place September 8 - September 23. Along with 2022, this is the earliest harvest in the history of the estate. The wine is aging in 80% new, French oak barrels. Drink from 2030-2065. Read more at:https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/search-wine-tasting-notes/?szSearch=2025%20poyferre

(96-98 points) I find a beautifully dark and saturated hue in the glass, a dense black tulip hue, and the nose is no less convincing or expressive, lifting this well up above the level of the second wine, with layer upon layer of crushed stone, perfumed balsa wood, black bean, sweet black cherry, coffee bean and violets. The palate is fresh, polished, supple and succulent, with a finely polished core of rather plush yet savoury black fruits, set in a velvety texture but framed by a dark and dense tannic structure, which comes with a fresh acid lift as well. Deliciously dark, textured, structured and long, with superb tannins pushing into the finish here, the length a melding of dark and savoury fruits with compact tannins, this is a superb St Julien. Tasted twice. The grand vin from Sara Lecompte-Cuvelier and team is a blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, this being one of two noteworthy estates in the appellation which continue with a significant percentage of Merlot in the blend. The yield was just over 20 hl/ha in this vintage. The alcohol is 13.5% on analysis. 96-98/100

(95-97 points) (Saint-Julien; 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot; a final yield of 20.4 hl/ha; pH 3.71; IPT 88; 13.5% ABV; tasted three times with similar notes). Soft, seductive, succulent and sumptous in texture, this is both a colossal wine (with incredible mid-palate density) but also one that is remarkably accessible at this early stage, such is the quality of the tannin management (for the IPT count is considerable). Lush, plump and pulpy on the attack with a very generous black cherry and bramble fruit, with a little hint of sweet spice and finely but freshly crushed black peppercorns, this is a triumph. 95-97

(96-97 points) Beautiful on the nose. Stylish and concentrated, medium- to full-bodied, with freshness and a savory note in the finish. Cohesive and precise, with fine-grained, focused tannins. Very structured at the end. A solid and bracing Medoc.

Luscious, fabulous construction and grip, a true slow unroll, with waves of orange peel minerality, cocoa bean and espresso, silky texture, great quality, squid ink, yield extremely low at around 20hl/ha but manages to retain an opulent drinkability once you give it time in the glass. An easy one to recommend, and this has so many hidden depths. Harvest September 8 to 23. 3.73 pH. 20.38 hl/ha. 80% new oak. 3.71 pH. Harvest September 8 to 23. Old vines at Poyferre naturally low yields, and with the dry summer, this was the first year since 2011 to do no saignee at all during fermentation because already such natural concentration.

(94-97 points) Deep, intense and fruity, crispy and concentrated with lots of cassis and deep inky cassis-like fruit. Still a bit closed and very massive, this vintage of Leoville Poyferre will require 5-6 years of cellaring as this otherwise well composed wine comes together and matures. A classic Poyferre with great freshness and juiciness.

(95-97 points) Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2025 Léoville Poyferré pops from the glass with energetic notes of freshly crushed black currants, fresh plums, and boysenberries, leading to suggestions of mint tea, iris, and charcoal with a waft of mossy tree bark. Medium-bodied, the palate vibrates with energetic black and red berry flavors, supported by super-plush tannins and a lively backbone, finishing long and perfumed. Gorgeous!

The 2025 Léoville-Poyferré was picked from September 8 to 23 at just 20.3 hl/ha, undergoing a six-day cold pre-fermentation maceration and matured in 80% new oak. This is quintessential Poyferré on the nose, quite sensual and pure in style, with layers of ripe black fruit, black plum, a hint of camphor and violet. Wonderful delineation. The palate is framed by fine tannins, beautifully balanced, again quite minerally in style, with a precise and persistent graphite-tinged finish. If you love Poyferré, then you are going to adore this. - By Neal Martin on May 2026

(91-93 points) Shy and introverted at this stage, the 2025 Léoville Poyferré reveals a somber bouquet of oak, spice, licorice and ripe dark berries. Medium- to full-bodied, dense and deep, it’s broad-shouldered and structured, built around a creamy new-oak mid-palate framed by an abundant tannic chassis that carries through to a spicy, oak-influenced finish.