CHÂTEAU LÉOVILLE POYFERRÉ
2013 2ème Cru Classé Saint Julien
65 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot. Deep bright purple colour. Feels quite full from the mass of very fine tannins. Pure and linear cassis and faint aroma of wood. Tannins build and thare's a bit of coal-like blackcurrant. Elegant to the end. 2020-2030+ Rating: 92 L&S (Apr 2014)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
The 2013 Léoville Poyferré has more concentration on the nose than the Barton, with brambly red fruit mixed with leather and cedar. The palate is medium-bodied with a relatively sweet entry. There is an underlying sour cherry note here. It's candied on the finish, but it does miss the estate's signature depth and complexity. Drink now. Tasted at Bordeaux Index's 10-Year On tasting. Drinking range: 2023 - 2028 Rating: 88 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Aug 2023)
Grilled cedar, touch of campfire, raspberry and black cherry fruit, this has some form and appeal, is ready to drink. Retains tannic grip on the finish also. 80% new oak. Harvest October 2 to 10. Drinking range: 2023 - 2036 Rating: 91 Jane Anson, Decanter (Feb 2023)
The 2013 Léoville-Poyferré has always been one of the better Saint-Julien’s in a tricky growing season. Light and earthy red fruit on the nose, the palate is balanced with light tannins, sour red cherries with a little more bitterness on the finish than I recall after bottling. But there is no greenness at all and partnered with the right dish at the dinner table, it slips down the throat without fuss. Tasted at the Léoville-Poyferré vertical at the château with Sara Lecompte Cuvelier. Drinking range: 2021 - 2028 Rating: 88 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Sept 2022)
Fleshy and soft brambled fruits, tomato leaf and woodsmoke aromatics, coupled with a sense of freshness. Softens through the finish, but plenty to enjoy. No need to decant, no need to wait. 80% new oak. Harvest October 2 to 10, which is pretty late for a vintage that needed nerves of steel. Drinking range: 2021 - 2032 Rating: 91 Jane Anson, Decanter (Sept 2021)
This wine’s nearly opaque dense ruby/purple color is hardly that of an inferior vintage. The 2013 Leoville Poyferre exhibits a beautiful bouquet of blackberries and creme de cassis. This pure, luscious, long, luxurious (especially for the vintage) 2013 possesses adequate acidity, beautiful purity, and medium- to full-bodied density. One of the superstars of the vintage, it should drink well for 10-15 years. 2014-2029 Rating: 90-92 Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, www.RobertParker.com (Aug 2014)
Saturated ruby. Brooding aromas of black fruits, minerals and coffee; at once medicinal and liqueur-like, but showing more freshness than usual in 2013. Huge but still raw at this stage, with rather large-scaled, mouthfilling flavors (for the year) of dark berries and flinty ripe plum, along with an obvious herbal element. Shows a boatload of chewy tannins but the persistent finish is dry but not parching. Rating: 87-90 Ian d'Agata - Stephen Tanzer website (May 2014)
The nose has a fragrant charm the start of the palate fresh the richer flavours in the middle slightly held back by the firm definite tannins. It is richer at the back some sweet black fruits but the finish is closed at the moment by the tannins. 2018-30 Rating: 90-92 Derek Smedley MW, www.dereksmedleymw.co.uk (May 2014)
In a year when many wines are on the light side, this is a St Julien that needs time in barrel and bottle to soften. It’s dense, firm and a little unyielding at present, but has the structure, concentrated black fruits and tannic core to age better than most. 2020-28 Rating: 92 Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com (May 2014)
Saturated ruby. Brooding aromas of black fruits, minerals and coffee; at once medicinal and liqueur-like, but showing more freshness than usual in 2013. Huge but still raw at this stage, with rather large-scaled, mouthfilling flavors (for the year) of dark berries and flinty ripe plum, along with an obvious herbal element. Shows a boatload of chewy tannins but the persistent finish is dry but not parching. Rating: 87-90 Ian d'Agata, www.vinousmedia.com (May 2014)
(65 Cabernet Sauvignon, 26 Merlot, 6 Petit Verdot, 3 Cabernet Franc) There is an unexpected and rather aggressive finish here. The dry, rasping tannins, which penetrate the cassis fruit throughout the taste, leave the wine tart and as the body is lighter overall it tends to make the whole wine taste rather sour. The nose is discreet and not unattractive, but it will need time to age in order to soften the grainy tannins. They will fade but will this happen when the bright cherry and mulberry fruit has lost its lustre? I think it will be ok, but it will be a close run thing. Rating: 17+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Apr 2014)
Some burnt-fruit character here. And rather grizzly tannins on the palate. Not exactly very welcoming, and doesn’t quite have the fruit flesh to really stand up to the structure. 2018-2028 Rating: 15.5 Richard Hemming MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2014)
Black-red, well-extracted meaty Cabernet fruit, robust but not heavy, good depth and more long term than most. Drink: 2019-2033. Rating: 17.5 Steven Spurrier (Apr 2014)
Features a mix of red currant, raspberry and boysenberry fruit, with a decidedly racy feel as iron and graphite notes emerge on the finish. Solid. Rating: 89–92 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Apr 2014)
A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc, the Grand Vin, there is an almost Burgundy like purity on the nose, evoking a sense of Vosne-Romanée! The palate is full-bodied for the vintage, very concentrated with layers of ripe toasty black fruit. The acidity is well judged and there is good grip on the finish. Powerful and burly, this is a 2013 for those who do not want to compensate on fruit! Rating: 90-92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2014)
This shows a pretty finish with a long, persistent character at the end of the palate. Full to medium body with a cedar, hazelnut and currant aftertaste. Very good fruit-acid balance here. Rating: 90-91 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2014)
Plums, blueberries, cassis, violets and sweet spices meld together nicely in the 2013 Léoville-Poyferré. Many of the signatures are in place in the 2013, they are just present in miniature. The fleshy, textured finish offers plenty of near and medium-term appeal. In a second tasting, the 2013 showed plenty of depth but also imposing tannins. It will be interesting to see how things develop in elevage here. The blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc. Rating: 90-92 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2014)
Château Léoville Poyferré
St Julien Deuxième cru 1855 When Baron Jean-Marie de Poyferré de Cères married the grand-daughter of the Marquis de Las-Cases-Beauvoir, he inherited a portion of the grand old Leoville estate. The Poyferré family owned the estate for long enough to see the granting of Second Growth status in common with the other Leovilles but, in time, oidium and financial difficulties led them to sell Leoville Poyferré. Eventually, it came in to the ownership of the Cuvelier family who own Poyferré to this day. For most of the 20th Century, compared to its namesake neighbours, Leoville Poyferré's fortunes waned as the quality of the wines fell back. Since 1980, however, considerable improvements have been made to the chais and the vineyards. The previously high proportion of Merlot has reduced, whilst the amount of Cabernet Sauvignon has risen to about 65% (Merlot is now a more Médoc-like 25%). Today, Leoville Poyferré can be seen on an equal footing with, at least, Leoville Barton. Grapes are fermented in stainless-steel, and then spend 18 to 20 months in oak (75% new). In the early years on the 20th Century, the cru bourgeois property of Château Moulin Riche was absorbed into Leoville Poyferré. The name was briefly resurrected as the name of Poyferré's second wine, although it is now produced as a wine in its own right from the vineyards of the old château. A second wine of both properties is Pavillon de Poyferré.
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those of the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do call us, but see the 'practical notes' below.
Ordering
Prices are per case as listed 'in bond London'.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment from you to buy the wines you order on release, subject to the price being below the upper price of the estimated band on our website. You may also set your own upper price limit, lower or higher than ours. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability. Providing this firm commitment to us effectively gives you priority.
Wines listed on the website (after any pre-orders and allocations have been fulfilled) can be ordered in the usual way via the website order form or by email or telephone 020 7221 1982, always subject to stock remaining.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are contractually binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of the confirmation date, apart from pre-orders which are binding if the release price is below the top estimate or other price you have set.
Invoices are raised at the In Bond price, excluding any duty and VAT which will become payable at the prevailing rates on arrival of the wine if required duty paid.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or credit transfer. We reserve the right to charge 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
- Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
- Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £1000, orders below this total will be charged £16.50+ VAT when the wine invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery for 2016 Bordeaux primeurs will probably be completed by October 2019, but we make no guarantee as to specific delivery times, and some of the Sauternes may be later.
Practical notes - how it works
We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes) for immediate payment. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option, but do please note that confirmed orders are still binding as above even if the final invoice has not been issued.
When the wine is shipped, unless previously specified we will assume that delivery is to be to bonded storage with Elephant Storage, but in any case, we will contact you requesting any alternative instructions. If you have another bonded delivery address you would like the wine to go to, please tell us at the time of ordering. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue invoices at the rates prevailing at the time for the excise duty (currently £25.98 per case) and the VAT (currently at 20%) on the total of the wine cost and the duty.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the bottle size you want. Even if a wine is only listed in one size, you can order any bottle or case size you want if the property supplies it, but you must order the case/bottle size you require and check that the correct size has been invoiced.
Additional charges are as follows:-
- +£15 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£15 per case of 6 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£35 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£45 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.