CHÂTEAU LÉOVILLE POYFERRÉ

2020 2ème Cru Classé Saint Julien

EN PRIMEUR

Market Insight: A very high score from Neal Martin gave the 2019 some push, but only up to £325, with a damper opinion from Parker perhaps sitting on its potential a bit. The 2009 is perhaps not an absolute benchmark due to its 100 point previous score (now 98) but this price range seems very sensible for such a monolithic wine. It will be up to £400 quite rapidly and may reach £750 in 10 years.L&S (May 2021)

* 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.

This is really floral on the nose with violets and roses, and some black berries and dark cherries. It’s medium- to full-bodied with firm and polished tannins, and plenty of hazelnut and milk chocolate. Structured, yet so finely textured. So attractive and enticing now but needs three or four years to show what it has. Try after 2026. Rating: 96 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2023)

The 2020 Léoville-Poyferré is every bit as impressive as it was from barrel. If anything, it has gained in freshness and vibrancy with élevage. Dark cherry, plum, mocha, graphite and a kiss of French oak are some of the many notes that infuse the 2020 with tons of character. I especially admire its vertical energy and buttoned up personality. In some recent vintages Léoville-Poyferré has been quite showy, but the 2020 also has a more nuanced side that is hugely appealing. Drinking range: 2028 - 2050 Rating: 97 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)

The 2020 Léoville Poyferré was bottled in June. It has a very intense nose, displaying more black fruit than its showing from barrel, also the opulence tempered since its bottling. Fine mineralité, hints of clove and bay leaf develop with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with a smooth opening, still slightly lactic in style as I remarked from barrel, yet with immense depth and plenty of finesse. The structure really comes through on the finish, a pinch of cracked black pepper and tobacco lending complexity. This is a great Léoville Poyferré that will give more than four decades of enjoyment, though I advise waiting several years before broaching. Drinking range: 2026 - 2050 Rating: 96 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)

Showy and very hard to resist, this gushes with velvety plum and boysenberry reduction flavors, along with melted black licorice and violet hints along the way. This has a very cold cast iron note buried deeply on the finish, too, to keep it grounded. A very distinctive house style. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drinking range: 2030 - 2038 Rating: 95 The Wine Spectator, www.winespectator.com (Dec 2022)

The 2020 Léoville-Poyferré is a powerful, structured wine. In recent vintages, Léoville-Poyferré has been more opulent, but the 2020 shows off a towering, vertical build framed by a soaring spine of tannin. Dark red cherry, pomegranate, cedar and spicebox emerge with a bit of coaxing. Ultimately, though, Léoville-Poyferré is less showy than most Saint-Juliens at this stage. I don't expect that will be much of an issue in time. In a word: magnificent. Tasted three times. Drinking range: 2032 - 2050 Rating: 95-97 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jun 2021)

The 2020 Léoville Poyferré builds on the success of recent vintages, offering intense yet exquisitely defined black cherries, wild strawberry, cassis and crushed stone aromas. It is high-toned as usual but not quite as hedonistic as the recently tasted 2018. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins that belie the backbone of this Saint-Julien. Slightly lactic in texture toward the spicy finish; the oak will be assimilated by the time of bottling, leaving a very suave and sophisticated wine that will give 30–40 years of drinking pleasure. Easily one of the classiest offerings from this Saint-Julien in recent years. Drinking range: 2025 - 2055 Rating: 95-97 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2021)

Cut from the same cloth as the 2016 with its focused, pure, yet concentrated style, the 2020 Château Léoville Poyferré reveals a dense purple color as well as ultra-classic notes of crème de cassis, graphite, toasted spice, and unsmoked tobacco. Rich and medium to full-bodied, it has brilliant mid-palate depth and ripe, velvety tannins, all making for a beautiful Saint-Julien that will benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and shine for 30-40 years or more. Tasted three times. Rating: 95-97 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (May 2021)

Rich and concentrated with violet reflections and a wall of tannins. Well structured, it sets its feet deep in the ground and will need time to soften and develop. Good quality with depth. The tannins are far more present than the alcohol, setting it apart from the 2018. A yield of 35hl/ha. Harvest september 14 to 30. Planted blend (not 2020) 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc. Drinking range: 2028 - 2042 Rating: 96 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2021)

64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. Dark crimson. Relatively voluptuous nose. Flattering initially but then with quite a charge of inky tannins underneath. Needs time. Notably dry on the finish but with good density. Rather more obviously dry and less flashy than some vintages. Very much made for the long term with a juicy, spicy undertow. Extremely youthful. Unusually, it seems drier than Léoville Barton. 13.7% Drinking range: 2030 - 2053 Rating: 17.5+ Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2021)

LP is all about controlled delivery and restraint in 2020. The nose is reticent and measured with fascinating depth and intrigue. This is not a bigger wine than the others in this portfolio but it is considerably longer! The message is black-fruited and admirably pure, but there is a cloak of tannin around its core which prevents me from getting too carried away. It was worth persisting with my sample bottle because it opened considerably over half an hour and I even went back to it a day later to see if there was even more movement in its flavour. Of course, there was! There is a faint, wild mulberry note which grows among the blackcurrant and blackberry themes, like ivy up the front of a stately home and this magical component interweaves exoticism and flair among the order and regimented Cabernet notes. All in all, this is a tremendous wine and I am always in awe of wines that build gracefully and deliberately on the palate ending with a fanfare of class and distinction. Rating: 18.5+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Apr 2021)

Impressive purity of fruit on the nose with crushed raspberries, blackcurrants and blackberries. Some lead pencil, too. It’s full-bodied with very polished, intense tannins that go on for minutes. The quality and precision of the tannins are impressive, giving the wine form, energy and equilibrium. Rating: 96-97 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2021)

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 on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do contact our private client team via email or on 020 7018 0187.

Ordering

Prices are all in bond by the case size stated.

Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price is within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.

Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought-after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.

Confirmation

All orders will be confirmed by email and are binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of email confirmation. Pre-orders are not binding if the release price is above your upper price band.

Invoices are all raised at the in bond price (excluding any duty and VAT) which will become payable at the prevailing rates when the wines arrive in the UK, should you wish to take duty paid delivery.

Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We regret we cannot accept credit cards for en primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.

Delivery

  • Shipment to our bond (at 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 £500. Orders below this total will be charged an administration and handling fee of £16.50+ VAT when invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
  • Delivery of 2022 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2025. Delivery dates may vary as wines are shipped from Bordeaux at different times.

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). Immediate payment of invoices is then required by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option but please note that confirmed orders are still binding even if the final invoice has not yet been issued.

Please specify on your wishlist order form where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. If this is to a third-party bonded warehouse, please specify the relevant account details. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue a second invoice for duty and VAT at the prevailing rate when the wines are available for delivery.

Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.

One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the format you want. While most of our listings are for 75cl bottles, we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. Please note that format requests cannot be changed once wines have been invoiced. Additional charges for special formats do apply and are as follows:-

  • +£18.00 per case of 12 half-bottles
  • +£30.00 per case of 24 half-bottles
  • +£7.50 per case of 3 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
  • +£11.00 per case of 6 Magnums
  • +£45.00 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
  • +£60.00 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.

Storage Options:

Wines bought en primeur won't arrive in the UK until 2025. If you do not wish to take home delivery at that point, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our private client team for more information.