CHÂTEAU LÉOVILLE POYFERRÉ

The mix of black fruits on the nose gives lots of interest with the cassis tending to dominate. The palate is full of ripe fruit a good depth of flavour the fruit underpinned by coffee and liquorice. The finish is lighter long and stylish. 2014-26 Rating: 92 Derek Smedley MW, www.dereksmedleymw.co.uk (Dec 2013)

Red-ruby. Aromas of mulberry, redcurrant, mocha, sassafras and spicy oak, with an attractive floral topnote. Juicy, suave and fine-grained, with a repeating floral quality giving the wine lovely inner-mouth perfume. Very sexy oak here. Finishes with firm but suave tannins and excellent dusty persistence. Rating: 91 Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (Jul 2011)

(64% cabernet sauvignon, 26% merlot, 5% cabernet franc and 5% petit verdot; from a yield of 43 hl/ha) Inky, glass-staining ruby. The nose initially showed weedy and smoky beef notes, then opened to reveal balsamic cocoa and spicy plum aromas. A rich, deep wine of considerable power and grip, with loads of plum and blackcurrant fruit flavor. Finishes long, with hints of cedar and truffle and very good grip. There's just a hint of youthfully harsh tannins at the back, but they will resolve with bottle age. Rating: 89-92 Ian d'Agata - Stephen Tanzer website (May 2009)

(64% cabernet sauvignon, 26% merlot, 5% cabernet franc and 5% petit verdot; from a yield of 43 hl/ha) Inky, glass-staining ruby. The nose initially showed weedy and smoky beef notes, then opened to reveal balsamic cocoa and spicy plum aromas. A rich, deep wine of considerable power and grip, with loads of plum and blackcurrant fruit flavor. Finishes long, with hints of cedar and truffle and very good grip. There's just a hint of youthfully harsh tannins at the back, but they will resolve with bottle age. Rating: 89-92 Ian d'Agata, www.vinousmedia.com (May 2009)

This powerful, dense, full-bodied 2008 is still backward and unevolved, but it possesses a dense purple color as well as sweet aromas of creme de cassis, vanillin, crushed rocks, and flowers. With high but ripe tannin and a long finish, this wine will benefit from 5-8 years of cellaring, and should keep for three decades thereafter. Rating: 92-94 Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, www.RobertParker.com (Apr 2009)

Dark crimson. Rather raw on the nose – some underripe fruit? Sweet start then a bit rhubarby – smashed fruit. Fades very fast. 2013-19 Rating: 16- Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2009)

Dark crimson. Rather raw on the nose – some under ripe fruit? Sweet start then a bit rhubarb – smashed fruit. Fades very fast. Rating: 16 Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2009)

There's beautiful purity of fruit in this young wine, with blackberry and raspberry on the nose and hints of toasty oak. Full-bodied, with a solid core of fruit and silky tannins. Turns fresh and lively, with sweet fruit on the finish. Rating: 90-93 James Suckling, The Wine Spectator (Apr 2009)

A blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. Ripe saturated blackberry on the nose with touches of cedar and smoke all in Poyferre’s usual extrovert style. The palate has very good fruit concentration with pure blackberry, blueberry, boysenberry and cedar. Good sense of mineralité and tension on the finish. Great length. Much improvement over the 2007. Excellent. Rating: 91-93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2009)

Black-red, rich, plummy and smoky blackcurrant fruit, well-concentrated, fleshy ripeness, broad and fresh, with firm tannins and inherent class is evident in the quality of the fruit. Drink 2017-30. Rating: 17.5**** www.decanter.com (Apr 2009)