The colour remains a deep ruby, with burnt caramel arriving midpalate. Not quite as luscious as the 1990 vintage at this stage of the game, but still full of vigour. There is shape and form to the tannins and fruit that suggests you are in safe hands. Smoked notes of an autumn fireside draw things to a close. Still much to look forward to. Drinking Window: 2018 - 2028
Tasted by: Jane Anson (at 67 Pall Mall, London, 26 Oct 2018)
Part of Bordeaux 1989 vs 1990: Battle of the vintages

The 1989 Léoville Poyferré is a vintage that I have not tasted for a number of years. It has a very attractive bouquet of red fruit mixed with peppercorns, pine, cedar and orange peel, showing signs of youth at 30 years of age. The palate is medium-bodied with a rounded opening and quite extravagant for the growing season. Maybe that is a facet that I coveted more when I last tasted the wine; now it just obscures the terroir and typicité somewhat. With aeration it improves and gains length, although I would have liked a little more precision on the charcoal tinged finish. Tasted from an ex-cellar bottle at the château. Sept 2019

The complex perfume sports ample notes of earth, truffle, mocha, coffee, and anise. The elegantly styled wine offers your palate ample pleasure. This wine is fully mature. tasted June 2009

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 01/01/2003
This wine has a dark ruby color, sweet notes of cola, black currants, earth, herbs, and vanilla. The wine is medium-bodied, with some noticeable tough tannin and a lean, angular finish. The wine’s aromatics show far more evolution than the flavors. Nevertheless, this wine pales in comparison with the sensational 1990 and the other vintages of Poyferre from the mid-nineties onward. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2018. Last tasted, 10/02.

The 1989 Leoville-Poyferre performed well in this tasting. It has always been a very good wine, but somewhat abrasively tannic, with a coarser structure and degree of toughness that has been slow to subside. In this tasting, the wine exhibited a youthful color, as well as attractive, sweet, cherry and black-currant notes in its nose intermingled with a touch of earth and spice. The 1989 does not possess the body, weight, and richness of the 1990, coming across as more of a mid-weight, leaner style of wine. It is more austere, and the tough tannin that has been a worrisome component since its birth is still present. This wine could turn around and come close to being an outstanding example, but I suspect it will be a struggle for the fruit to overcome the tannin. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2018.
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