Freddy R. Troya

9.5

Château Léoville Poyferré 2014
Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

Overview
A distinguished Deuxième Cru Classé (Second Growth) from Saint-Julien, Château Léoville Poyferré has been elevated under the stewardship of the Cuvelier family and Michel Rolland’s consultancy. The 2014 vintage is a classic Bordeaux blend comprised of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. This cooler year yielded wines with notable polish, freshness, and age-worthy structure.  

Aromas & Flavors
Expressive and refined, the bouquet opens with blackcurrant, cassis, and plum, framed by cedar, graphite, violets, and aromatic spice. The palate is layered with ripe red and dark fruits, along with hints of tobacco, pepper, and soft oak—a harmonious reflection of balanced ripeness and terroir depth.  

Mouthfeel
Medium to full-bodied, with smooth yet structured tannins and vivid acidity. The finish is long and mineral-tinged, echoing Saint-Julien’s limestone terroir while expressing both strength and grace.

Winemaking Notes
Vinified traditionally and aged in French oak barrels (predominantly new), the 2014 benefits from meticulous attention to extraction and maturation, resulting in elegant concentration and finesse.  

Food Pairing
Wonderful with roast lamb, herb-crusted beef, or rich mushroom dishes. Decanting for an hour enhances its layered complexity.

Verdict
A classic expression of Left Bank finesse and depth, Château Léoville Poyferré 2014 strikes an artful balance between fruit, structure, and refinement. Enjoy now with decanter or cellar it to explore its evolution over the next decade.Cheers! — 3 months ago

Shay A

9.2

While not on the same level as the 2010 Left Bank I opened a few months ago, the profile of this 2011 Right Bank was squarely on the bridge between Sonoma and right bank Bordeaux.

About 60 merlot/ 40 CabFranc. 13.9ABV

Pours a slightly fading red-black. The entire time this was open, the aromatics sported a distinct funk that I’m struggling to describe…whatever comes before brett, that’s what this was. A mix of earth/forest, mineral, fig and a small hint of leather (I’ve come across a similar profile in older warm vintage right bank Bordeaux…but this is cooler vintage Sonoma). The palate is structured but in a nicely balanced phase…red and black fruits, more fig, and espresso at the finish.

Followed over the course of 4hrs from bottle, and while the last glass seemed to be a bit more integrated, I think these are in “drink now” phase. — 9 months ago

Vanessa

9.2

Honoring my marvelous father with a meal and wine he would have appreciated with gusto.  We wish he was here to share it with us, but are deeply grateful that his spiritual presence remains so strong in our hearts today and every day.  💕

This blend is predominantly (78%) Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot.  🍷 It hails from the Haut-Médoc region on the “left bank” of Bordeaux, 🇫🇷 more specifically, the Pauillac AOC.  Pauillac is a highly-regarded commune, with favorable growing conditions, known for producing some outstanding quality wines.  👌👌 This wine is no exception. 😆

🏰 Château Grad-Puy-Lacoste is a cru classé, ranked among, and a neighbor to, the region’s top estates.  It’s incredible to think the first vines planted on this property date back to the 1500s, making it one of the oldest properties in the region.

We decanted this wine for several hours, which helped it soften and release its layered aromatics.  

👁 The color is deep garnet with notable tearing.

👃 On the nose it has medium(+) intensity and concentration of developing aromas.  The aromas include ripe black fruit such as cassis, black cherry, blackberry, and plum, as well as other non-fruit notes like black licorice, pencil shavings, and violet. It has secondary notes of clove, nutmeg, allspice, cedar, also tertiary notes of wet earth, tobacco, leather, meat, fig, and mushroom.

👄 This wine is dry and its flavors on the palate are consistent with the nose.
This wine has balance, complexity, a strong structure, with firm, grippy tannins, and a long elegant finish.  👏👏

Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, vintage 2011, ABV 13.5%.  — 4 years ago

with Deked1

Todd Anderson

9.3

This drank very well and I enjoyed it much more than my previous bottle. An aged California claret of nicely balanced fruit & dirt. For my taste, it's near or at peak so enjoy now. From magnum. — 3 months ago

Tom Casagrande

9.2

Super earthy at first, but with air the fruit/earth balance is equilibrating. Loads of irony/clay notes in the nose, with dark plummy fruit. Tannins are integrating but still present. This presents more like a 20th Century right bank wine than what is usual now, with fruit and softness but no overripeness and a nice sense of restraint. — 8 months ago

with Rebecca

Bob McDonald

9.5

Classic Cabernet descriptors of Cedar, Tobacco, Red and black fruits and a herbal note. Lovely on the palate, drinking at its peak with excellent balance - smooth, fluid, resolved tannins. One could easily pick this as a Left Bank Bordeaux in a blind tasting. Shows more French restraint than the full blown Napa style for me. Medium + weight palate with balance and concentration. Probably my favourite Napa Valley Cabernet though admittedly I have not tried some of the big guns like Harlan. Post script: A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 7% Petit Verdot. No Merlot was used in the blend for 2004. — 4 years ago

Ron from VA

9.0

2012 was a classic and tight vintage in Virginia… This blend does feature a lead of cab sauv at 38% with CF AT 31% - Merlot singing background at 25% — 7 months ago

Alessandro Dalle Carbonare

9.7

97-98. Best wine tasted in the right bank.
Pure flowery and fruity aromas of incredible precision.
In the mouth it is simply perfect. Given the challenges of the vintage it is really incredible.
Technical yes, but not lacking personality.
A real great wine. — 7 months ago

Delectable Wine

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9.3

The 2008 Vieux Château Certan was cropped at 34hl/ha and contains more Cabernets compared to other vintages. Their contribution is tangible on the nose: pencil shavings and tertiary scents are pretty potent and lend it a Left Bank allure. The palate is fresh and vibrant with grainy tannins, graphite-driven, fresh and tensile with a persistent finish. Certainly, one of the best Pomerols in this challenging growing season, VCC at its most Médoc. Tasted at the VCC vertical in Etikhove, Belgium. (Neal Martin, Vinous, July 2204)
— a year ago

Rania P

9.3

Decantered for 2 hours, low tanins, not too acidic. Big, bold, smooth. — 4 years ago