Excellent depth and complexity with a nice modern touch of cocoa powder to the black olives, pencil shavings, cassis, violets, black mushrooms and dark earth. Full-bodied palate with fresh, vertical tannins and lots of juicy fruit that seamlessly dissolve into the flavorful, persistent finish. Refined power with real length. Drink or hold. - Zekun Shuai

The 2021 Léoville-Poyferré has developed into a fabulous wine. Surprisingly rich, the 2021 possesses notable depth. Kirsch, blood orange and wildflowers open first, lending a decidedly exotic, perfumed quality. On the palate, the 2021 is fleshy and expressive. There's a bit of new oak that needs to integrate. Otherwise, the 2021 is impeccably balanced. Tasted two times. -- Antonio Galloni

Beautifully fragranced on the nose - floral-edged ripe bramble fruits. Nicely detailed and presents, despite a clear youthful tannic structure this has layers of flavour with ripe and sweet fruit nuances balanced by a mineral grip, salty touches and cool fresh mint leaf notes. It's more of a contemplative wine, needing a few minutes and several tastes for the flavours to expand in the mouth, gaining in density yet keeping a lightness of touch and refinement. Such finesse going on here. The austerity is balanced with the ripe fruits so you're getting so many elements at play at once. This is complex and sensuous, you have the precise defined and well-worked fruit, so clear with poise, then the tannic strength though fine texture and a long, lifted finish. This has real class, and such estate signature with dark sweet liquorice touches at the end too. Really very captivating and a success. 5% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Julien Viaud consultant. Tasted twice. 3.84pH. Ageing 18 to 20 months in oak barrels, 80% new, 20% one year.

Vivid plum colour, not quite inky but certainly one of the deeper of the vintage, and this is well extracted, carefully balanced with cloves, sage and white pepper spice, blueberry fruit, with coffee and cocoa bean, with silky tannins. Good ageing potential. Michel Rolland consultant, 45% new oak, 45% 1st wine, 24hl/h yield. Harvest September 28 to October 12. Tasted twice, absolutely one to look out for, one of the wines of the vintage, to lay down but not for as long as in a normal year. A great example of where 2021 can really offer something worth taking up.

The Grand Vin 2021 Château Léoville Poyferré from this brilliant estate checks in as 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot. It has a serious, concentrated, inward style as well as impressive red and black currant-like fruit supported by notes of graphite, smoked tobacco, spicy oak, and chocolate. With terrific richness, a layered, concentrated mid-palate, and fine tannins, this is clearly one of the gems in the vintage. It needs to be forgotten for just 4-5 years, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it evolve for over two decades.

Licorice, tobacco leaf, chocolate, espresso, black cherries and smoked peppery notes create the perfume. On the palate, the wine is soft, polished, fresh, elegant and fruity with sweetness to the red fruits and a creamy-texture to the finish. The wine blends 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2026-2055.

The 2021 Léoville Poyferré opens in the glass with notes of minty berries, dark berry compote, pencil shavings and toasty oak, followed by a medium to full-bodied, deep and dense palate that's quite muscular and extracted, built around a chassis of sweet, abundant tannins that assert themselves on the youthfully firm finish. This will require a bit of patience. - William Kelley

Dark plum and blackberry fruit is a touch sedate, but has depth and avoids the vintage's grainy feel as it integrates with the solid toast and tobacco notes on the finish, which shows a subtle tug of iron at the very end. Nicely done for the vintage. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2034. – JM