CHÂTEAU LÉOVILLE POYFERRÉ

This has lower alcohol than usual, but doesn't sacrifice the mouthfeel. There's a succulent damson and cappuccino expression through the finish here, along with tautly constructed, bouncy tannins that are both expressive and powerful. It's one of the more rich and round wines in St-Juliens, as fits the house style. Extremely accomplished, it's powerful and will clearly age well. It's somewhere between 2014 and 2015 in quality, but not touching the majestic 2016. A success in the vintage, underlining again that St-Julien has had an extremely lucky 2017. Drinking range: 2026 - 2038 Rating: 95 Jane Anson, Decanter (Apr 2018)

Château Léoville-Poyferré has been on a roll for over a decade now, and they’ve produced a terrific, fruit-forward, pleasure-bent 2017 that readers should snatch up. A blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it was harvested between September 20th and October 6th, and is aging in 80% new French oak. Awesome crème de cassis, violets, spice box, and crushed rock-like minerality all emerge from this dense, medium to full-bodied, sexy 2017 that has sweet tannin and an expansive, opulent texture. I love the depth of fruit, and where too many wines in the vintage can be straight and a touch charmless, this beauty dishes out tons of pleasure! Don’t miss it. Rating: 93-95 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (Apr 2018)

Very tight and energetic finish to this young, new red with currant and blackberry character. Hints of crushed stones. Dense and four-square with a chewy tannin structure and a long finish. Very muscular. Serious encore to the 2016. Same level? Rating: 95-96 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2018)

Warm, displaying a slightly rounded feel for the vintage, this sports plum, cassis and blackberry compote flavors. A mouthwatering anise edge shows on the polished finish, with a well-buried graphite spine. Rating: 92-95 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Apr 2018)

Didier Cuvelier was grateful for his vines having escaped the frost in the 2017 vintage. After a benevolent growing season he delayed picking only a day or two longer than his peers, starting with the Merlot harvest on September 20th, finishing on September 26th. Then, as was commonplace in this vintage (although rare in most years), the Cabernet Sauvignon harvest began without a break, running from the 26th until October 3rd. The Petit Verdot was picked on the 28th and the 30th, while the Cabernet Franc came in last of all, on the 3rd. Even with this ‘delay’, this was still the earliest harvest here since 2011. The blend is 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, while the alcohol is 13.2%, total acidity 3.3 g/l and the IPT 77. It has a really focused style on the nose, with a lifted, chalky, limestone perfume, over lightly desiccated blackcurrant and black cherry fruit. The palate shows a quite charming texture, broad, supple at its heart, but with a nicely defined grip to it, and a frame which keeps the wine upright and vigorous through to the end of the palate. The finish is confident, with a flourish of chalky tannin, and the whole being seems complete and composed. Overall very elegant, charming, with a creamy concentration. I love the understated tannic backbone it possesses. 93-95/100 Rating: 93-95 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2018)