2014 Léoville-Poyferré, St-Julien (Pre-Arrival)
SKU #1201285
95 points
Vinous
The 2014 Léoville Poyferré is gorgeous. Dark, sumptuous and ample on the palate, it possesses remarkable depth. Dark cherry, plum, smoke, scorched earth, licorice and menthol all flesh out as this radiant, deeply expressive wine shows off its considerable pedigree. The 2014 is going to need time to fully come together, but it is super-impressive. (AG)
(2/2017)
94 points
Decanter
Still has a tight and clear quality with the essential fruit-tannin-acidity trio in place, plus a lovely persistency. Needs a few minutes in the glass. Emphasis on cassis, giving a beautiful richness through the mid-palate. This vintage has a more classic St-Julien style, though less classically that this château. A little closed right now, this needs another four or five years to open and soften. 2% Petit Verdot makes up the rest of the blend. (JA)
(5/2018)
94 points
James Suckling
A ripe, generous and substantial wine for this appellation with some real concentration. Plenty of beautiful currant and blackberry character, as well as a solid core of ripe, dusty and velvety tannins and enough acidity to carry the long, savory finish.
(2/2021)
94 points
Wine Enthusiast
The wine is concentrated with tannins that come from both the firm fruit and the wood aging. It is packed with blackberry flavors that come through the structure strongly. The velvet texture (that is just a hint at the moment) is going to bring out the richness of this wine produced with consultation from Michel Rolland. (RV)
(2/2017)
93 points
Jeb Dunnuck
A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc and the balance Petit Verdot that wasn’t harvest until the middle of October (this is later than most), the 2014 Léoville Poyferré is a ripe, concentrated, seriously impressive wine in the vintage that offers more exuberance, texture, and character than most. Crème de cassis, graphite, toasty oak, and hints of tobacco all emerge from this purple colored, pure, medium to full-bodied 2014 that has sweet tannin, beautiful purity of fruit, and a great finish. While it doesn’t have the depth of a truly great vintage, it shines for its balance, texture, and sheer charm. Drink this beauty anytime over the coming 15-20 years.
(2/2018)
93 points
Wine Spectator
Very pure, with a beautiful beam of violet and plum sauce carried by a chiseled graphite spine. Gorgeous anise and roasted apple wood notes are inlaid seamlessly on the finish. Shows ample grip and drive. Rock-solid. (JM)
(3/2017)
Jancis Robinson
Deep crimson with some evolution at the rim. Really classy lift on the nose with a suggestion of sandalwood. Smooth as a baby's bottom but with real pace and energy as well as fantastically classic fruit and still quite a bit of tannin in evidence. A combination of St-Julien's immaculate balance with the château's usual extra degree of ripeness. Not flashy. Really very impressive indeed. 17.5+/20 points (JR)
(3/2021)
K&L Notes
95 point Neal Martin for Vinous: "The 2014 Léoville Poyferré has a very complex bouquet with blackberry, bilberry, crushed stone, cedar and hints of violet. It is extremely focused, intense rather than overtly powerful. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, crisp and generous, conveying much more tension and precision than the Léoville Las-Cases. It gradually fans out in the second half with real mineralité, quite profound in the context of the vintage. Outstanding." (03/2018)