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Léoville Poyferré 2005

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > St Julien
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyCabernet Sauvignon/Merlot

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Château Léoville Poyferré

Label

Tasting Notes

The 2005 Léoville-Poyferré is drop-dead gorgeous on the nose with pure red cherries, raspberry preserve, rose petal and potpourri scents, gaining intensity with every swirl. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a fine bead of acidity, silky smooth with a delineated, classic tobacco and smoked tinged finish that lingers in the mouth. One of the highlights of the decade and with much more to give. Superb. Tasted at the Léoville-Poyferré vertical at the château with Sara Lecompte Cuvelier. 2022 - 2045

95
Neal Martin, vinous.com, June 2021

Léoville Poyferré’s dense ruby/purple 2005 is soft, round and juicy, with lots of blackcurrant fruit, plum and Asian spice. It is medium to full-bodied and, along with Léoville Las Cases and Saint-Pierre, probably one of the best St.-Juliens I tasted in this retrospective. It is surprisingly supple and accessible. Drink it over the next 15 or so years. Drink 2015-2030.

93
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (219), June 2015

Lots of sexy, exotic aromas to this wine in addition to flamboyant floral undertones. It's full-bodied with a cold tannic texture and flavor that gives the wine a very graphite-like undertone. Drinkable now but better in 2018.

94
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, October 2015

Medium brick in color, the 2005 Leoville Poyferre sails out of the glass with fragrant notes of creme de cassis, Morello cherries, and fruitcake with hints of dried roses, star anise, cigar box, and dried mint plus a hint of cast-iron pan. Medium-bodied, the palate delivers a fantastic backbone of firm, fine-grained tannins and racy acidity supporting the layer upon layer of perfumed black fruits, finishing long and mineral-tinged.

96
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent, June 2022

Ruby red, toasted oak nose, enticing. It has held its line, and is delicious, generous, enticing, lip smacking. Has confidence, energy, damson and blackberry fruits, deepened by gourmet grilled vanilla bean and cappuccino creaminess. The quality and depth of fruit is astonishing - you can begin to drink this now (indeed it has inched open a little further since I last tasted 12 months ago), but it is going nowhere. Excellent stuff, one of the wines of the vintage. 80% new oak.

97
Jane Anson, JaneAnson.com, September 2022

Tasted blind. Dark crimson. Luscious colour! Very healthy look. Very dense, as though the density is locking the aroma in. Big and intense and luscious on the palate. Lots going on here.
Drink 2017-2040

17.5
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, March 2017

Sweet mocha and lightly perfumed with violets. Very firm grip but rounded and ripe tannins. Concentrated, long, a baby still. Lovely juicy finish with great freshness. Drink 2010 - 2030.

18+
Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com, May 2009

Saturated ruby-red. Deeply pitched aromas of black cherry, currant and coffee. Sweet, silky and full, but with lovely ripe acidity to frame the dense black fruit, mocha and mineral flavors. Showing a glossy aspect to its fruit that is exhilarating, even if this deep, fairly tannic wine is a bit sullen at present, despite showing excellent back-end breadth. This is a full 13.5% alcohol; the petit verdot component reached 14.5% potential alcohol in 2005, said Cuvelier, who describes 2005 as "a year of sun but not surmaturite

93
Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar, June 2008

Cedar and tobacco fruit. Perfumed, bright, savoury, tobacco, chewy tannins. Very promising, elegant, rich. Drink from 2015. Awarded 4 stars.

16.5
Decanter.com, Decanter.com, July 2008

Came 20th out of 184 wines

17.47
-, Southwold Bordeaux Tasting, January 2009
Read more tasting notes...

The Château Léoville-Poyferré 2005 has a rich and opulent bouquet with lavish ripe black cherries and wild strawberry, just a touch of licorice rendering it even more extravagant. The palate is full-bodied with ripe, rounded tannin, touches of licorices and glycerin on the mid-palate with savory notes flourishing towards the finish. This is almost a brash, hubristic Saint Julien, one for those who prefer a more opulent style of Bordeaux while maintaining complexity. Chapeau Didier Cuvelier. Drink 2020-2050.

95
Neal Martin, RobertParker.com, February 2015

Although I still prefer the 2003, the 2005 Leoville Poyferre is a gorgeously opulent, approachable wine that is far less massive and austere than its two siblings. The most seductive, approachable, and charming of the three Leovilles, it exhibits a dense purple color as well as a sweet bouquet of mocha, black chocolate, creme de cassis, licorice, and toasty oak. Full-bodied with gorgeous upfront fruit in addition to impressive levels of melted, well-integrated tannin, it should be at its finest between 2015-2035

93
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (176), April 2008

While perhaps not up to the standards of the extraordinary 2003, the 2005 is still a strong effort from an estate that has been doing everything right over the last two decades. Sweet toasty oak intermixed with jammy black currant, plum, and licorice aromas jump from the glass of this dense purple-hued wine. In the mouth, there is great fruit, tannin, body, structure, and delineation. This impressively endowed, well made St.-Julien will require considerable patience (as will most 2005 northern Medocs). Anticipated maturity: 2015-2030+.

92/95
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (170), April 2007

As superb as Leoville Poyferre’s 2005 is, it does not appear to be as profound as their 2003, but I may be proven wrong once the wine is bottled. Flowery creme de cassis aromas interwoven with hints of blackberries, licorice, and pain grille jump from the glass of this opaque purple-colored St.-Julien. Possessing medium to full body, sweet tannin, an expansive, multilayered mid-palate, good acidity and freshness, and a blockbuster finish, this powerful, impressively endowed effort will require patience. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2030+.

92/94
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (164), April 2006

Tasted single blind at Southwold. Again, the nose has shut down like the previous wine. Blackberry, cedar, a touch of animal fur - this should be so incredibly complex in a few years time. The palate is full-bodied with firm tannins, very well balanced and supple. Nice elegant, smooth vivacious blackberry and cedar finish. Its sensuality belies the turbo-charged engine at the heart of this wine. Great length. Superb. Drink 2018-2040.

95
Neal Martin, RobertParker.com, July 2009
92
James Suckling, WineSpectator.com, February 2008

Loads of blackberry, licorice and toasted oak on the nose. Full-bodied, with lots of focused and clean ripe fruit character. Balanced and refined. Another 2003? Maybe even better?

95/100
James Suckling, WineSpectator.com, March 2006

Purplish crimson. Scented and beguiling. Far from a heavyweight and with lots of tannin but with some lift too. Super clean. Well judged! 13.5%
Drink 2023-2045

17.5
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, February 2015

Exciting with lots of energy and richness on the nose. Very well balanced and not massive but sinewy and well balanced. Dry and refreshing on the finish with medium intensity

18
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, February 2009

Quite gassy and very sweet and juicy. A bit too much extraction for comfort, which is a shame since the fruit quality and purity is lovely. Very dry finish. Awkward. Drink 2016-24

16
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2006
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.