2006 CHÂTEAU LÉOVILLE POYFERRÉ 2ème Cru Classé Saint Julien

Deep colour, concentrated, quite wild/gamey nose, ripe briary fruit, high acidity and high tannins, but enough natural fruit to carry it through to the long term. 2015-35   ****

Solid core of fruit. Full-bodied, with big, chewy, slightly austere tannins. Lots of currant, mineral and blackberry on the finish. A little more on the midpalate would push it up a notch.   89-91/100

Lovely deep, dark crimson. Sweet and ripe on the nose - something of woodland about this on the nose. Definite vegetal freshness. Hint of molasses and a slightly green, fine note on the finish. Bit of a ballerina - leaner than some though very fine tannin management. Bravo! More elegant than usual. 2013-20   17

Full ruby-red. Ripe aromas of currant, milk chocolate and smoky oak. Lush, sweet and full, with superripe yet backward flavors of dark berries, dark chocolate and minerals. Wonderfully layered, structured wine whose excellent vinosity and firm tannins call for several years of patience.   91/100

A superb Poyferré from Didier Cuvelier. This is very ripe on the nose, good lift but it has a lot of oak at the moment, with black plum, cassis, orange sorbet and subtle honeyed aromas. The palate is full-bodied, decadent, grippy tannins that coat the mouth, very primal, dense blackberry, cassis, tar and cedar, weighty on the finish. This needs serious time to mellow out, but it is unequivocally a class act.   93/100

Château Léoville Poyferré was similar in style [to Léoville Las Cases], rather plump with rounded, toasty fruit, more forward than I was expecting with a plush velvety texture although another bottle at the UGC was showing a little more tannic backbone. This is still a sumptuous Poyferré that should come into its own after bottling.A deep purple/black hue. The nose wafts from the glass and caresses the olfactory sense: blackberries, cherry, cold steel and lots of sweet vanillary new oak. The palate is full-bodied, beautifully balanced, and very pure with plump, Rubenesque, rounded fruit. A voluptuous Poyferré, soft and showy, lush and sensuous. A second bottle at the UGC was showing a little more structure and backbone. A medium- rather than long-term wine that is pretty irresistible.   91-93/100

Beautiful, vibrant, black raspberry and cassis fruit, fresh acidity, medium to full body, superb ripeness, melted tannins, and a long, savory, expansive mouthfeel are found in this top-notch St.-Julien. Friendlier than the more backward, tannic 2005 Leoville-Poyferre, the 2006 should be at its finest between 2011-2028.   91-93/100