Winemaker and vineyard: Every great story takes root in a particular place, a kind of jewel that gives it all its soul. The story of Léoville Poyferré is rooted in one of the most intimate communal appellations of the Médoc: Saint-Julien. A true gem polished by the incessant waves of the Garonne, the soil of Saint-Julien has acquired its nobility over the centuries. Thus, under the impulse of nature, the 920 hectares of the appellation have become as many gardens with multiple profiles, but with a common thread: gravel. The proud standard of Saint-Julien, this diversity of gravel soils is at the origin of the richness of our terroir and offers us the most beautiful of palettes to compose our wines. leoville-poyferre.fr

Tasting: The 2015 Leoville Poyferre had a deep purple/ruby color. The bouquet is very concentrated, more so than its peers but not excessively so, laden with pure blackberry, raspberry and light cassis scents, the new oak (85%) neatly integrated although it will require several years to be completely subsumed. The palate is medium-bodied with impressive weight and presence. It is a voluminous Poyferre with ample ripe blackberry, white pepper and cedar notes, that seam of graphite that I noticed en primeur extant and lending that Pauillac-like personality toward the creamy finish. It is an excellent 2015, although it is going to require longer in bottle to reach full maturity, 8-10 years or so. robertparker.com (28.02.2018)

Service: Serve at room temperature (16-18°C), with beef and foie gras with a porcini mushroom sauce.