Château Leoville-Poyferré used to be one of my absolute favorite estates on the Left Bank, as its low fat, soil-driven style was so compelling, but the estate has been making pumped up, modern wines for quite a while now...
Château Leoville-Poyferré used to be one of my absolute favorite estates on the Left Bank, as its low fat, soil-driven style was so compelling, but the estate has been making pumped up, modern wines for quite a while now and the modern and simplistic wines turned out here today bear little resemblance to the understated and classic beauty of this wine in its heyday. However, back in 1983, the estate was at the top of its game (though few commentators recognized it at the time!) and at age thirty, the ’83 Leoville-Poyferré is really lovely, wafting from the glass in a deep and utterly suave nose of black cherries, sweet cranberries, Cuban cigars, a beautifully complex base of dark soil tones, a touch of dried eucalyptus, woodsmoke and a bit of cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and transparent, with an excellent core, moderate tannins and a long, complex and beautifully balanced finish. An excellent and very elegant example of the vintage, the ’83 Leoville-Poyferré has now reached its peak of maturity, but will continue to drink beautifully for many, many decades to come.