Léoville-Poyferré St-Julien 2019

98 points Jeb Dunnuck: "The flagship 2019 Château Léoville Poyferré is based on 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot. It's one of the bigger, richer wines in the vintage and has a gorgeous, thrilling, full-bodied style as well as notes of crème de cassis, tobacco leaf, violets, and chocolate. While many estates seem to be playing it safe and focusing on so-called elegance and balance, I love that Poyferré continues to make a ripe, sexy, beautifully textured wine that always offers more opulence and sexiness than most in the vintage. Ranking with the crème de la crème of the vintage, this gorgeous Poyferré can be enjoyed any time over the coming 40-50 years. Bravo! Drink: 2022-2072. (4/11/22)"

97 points Neal Martin (Vinous): "The 2019 Léoville-Poyferré has the quintessential "LP" bouquet of perfumed blackberry, black plum, perhaps less tobacco than last year but still those hints of desiccated orange peel. It opens beautifully in the glass. The palate has a satin-like texture, a fine bead of acidity and fine pixelation. It is perhaps less luxuriant than I found this last year from barrel and has become slightly more linear, displaying a touch more breeding and precision. It fans out wonderfully on the finish, completing a fabulous Saint-Julien with huge potential. 14.18% alcohol. Drink: 2026-2065. (Feb 2022)"

97 points Jane Anson (Inside Bordeaux): "67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc. This is big-shouldered, with plenty of sculpted, carefully-extracted tannins. Layer upon layer of savoury and mouthwatering cassis and bilberry fruits, showing their creamy texture only once things relax in the glass. Teasingly gourmet notes of liquorice, black chocolate, slate and charcoal play alongside the fruit. This is a seriously impressive Poyferré, where the drama builds slowly and promises a long life ahead. Juicy on the finish. Harvest September 22 to October 11. 80% new oak. The 100th vintage for Léoville Poyferré under the Cuvelier family. Tasted blind (along with the rest of the St Juliens) and it stood out as exceptionally good quality. Alcohol 14%. Drink: 2024-2034. (10/24/21)"

97 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2019 Léoville-Poyferré is creamy, racy and voluptuous to the core. Bright red cherry/plum fruit, blood orange, mint, spice and menthol fill out the layers with effortless grace. In some tastings, the 2019 has come across as quite powerful, while in other moments it shows greater finesse. Either way, the 2019 is positively stunning. I very much admire its energy and persistence. Tasted three times. Drink: 2029-2029. (Feb 2022)"

96 points William Kelley (Wine Advocate): "The 2019 Léoville Poyferré is showing very well in bottle, wafting from the glass with aromas of crème de cassis and wild berries mingled with notions of licorice, loamy soil, cigar wrapper and smoke. Full-bodied, velvety and polished, it's broad and enveloping, with an ample core of fruit, ripe tannins and succulent acids, concluding with a long, precise finish. Invariably the most sumptuous of the three Léovilles, featuring some 35% Merlot, the 2019 is a terrific effort that will offer a wide drinking window. Drink: 2027-2057. (Apr 2022)"

97 points Georgina Hindle (Decanter): "So aromatic with real complexity of notes on the nose, perfume and black fruits. Quite tannic on the palate, broad-shouldered with a core of liquorice-edged black fruit, dark chocolate and slate giving it quite a serious, gourmet and savoury feel right now. Lovely poise though, with mouthwatering freshness. Feels well made with energy and elegance. A standout wine with plenty on offer. Drinking Window: 2027-2045. (Jan 2022)"

97 points Chris Kissack (Winedoctor): "Of the three Léovilles this one has the lowest percentage of Cabernet, with 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc, partnered by 27% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot. The élevage made use of 80% new barrels, and 20% second-fill. Aromatically it is dark and focused, smoky and concentrated, yet there is evidently a fresh perfume here too, with scents of blackcurrant, damson, crushed chalk and lavender. It feels evocative and expressive, modern and yet fresh. This is followed by brilliant poise on the palate, bright, with a richly polished substance, evocative and ripe, with substantial tannins. A real grand vin here, with super poise and imposing substance, an intense powerhouse of a wine. This should evolve brilliantly. (Dec 2021)"

97 points La Revue du Vin de France: "This is the most demonstrative of the appellation's wines. With notes of ripe black fruit and great breadth on the palate, the 2019 is spectacular. Full and fat, it lacks neither charm nor depth. A flamboyant wine with a minty finish. (2023)"

96 points Wine Spectator: "Throws off gorgeous warmed plum, blueberry reduction and açaí berry compote aromas and flavors, laced with ganache and sweet tobacco from start to finish. Delivers ample structure in the guise of a cold cast iron note buried underneath the showy fruit, with a flash of violet for treble in the background. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2025 through 2040. (3/31/22)"

96 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (The Wine Independent): "The 2019 Leoville Poyferre is composed of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it charges out of the glass with bold notions of baked black plums and boysenberry preserves leading to notions of cassis, cedar chest, and menthol. The medium to full-bodied palate is light on its feet, with nuanced black fruits and plush tannins, finishing long with a skip in its step. Drink: 2025-2043. (5/1/23)"

95 points James Suckling: "Blackcurrant, wet-earth with fresh black-mushroom aromas. Some chocolate, too. Full-bodied with layers of beautiful, ripe fruit and creamy tannins. It’s chewy and focused. Impressive balance. Try after 2025. (2/20/22)"