Having retreated into its shell, the deep garnet colored 2009 Léoville Poyferré gives up slowly revealing notions of cigar boxes, pencil lead, charcoal, rose hip tea and fragrant earth with a core of preserved plums, crème de cassis, espresso and Indian spices. Full, rich, seductive and voluptuously fruited in the mouth, the palate features firm yet beautifully velvety tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and spicy.

The 2009 Léoville-Poyferré is a total pleasure bomb. Done in the more opulent style that was the norm then, the 2009 envelops the palate with plush dark fruit and soft contours. It is classic 2009. Our third flight is off with a bang.

The 2009 Léoville Poyferré has an outstanding bouquet with blackberry, mint and cedar aromas, almost Pauillac in style, very dense and with plenty of horsepower. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, saturated tannins that frame layers of blackberry infused with graphite and white pepper. I love the symmetry and control of this Poyferré, in particular its persistent finish. This is a magnificent wine from Didier Cuvelier. Tasted at BI Wines & Spirits' Ten Year On tasting. - vinous.com, March 2019

Quality 959 | Brand 971 | Economics 920 | buzz brand
Quality: Predicted life of 19 years, one of the longest drinking windows in its peer group for the 2009 vintage, which averages 9 years Brand: We found this wine on 22 of the world's top restaurant wine lists, including Napa Wine Bar & Kitchen Economics: Above its peer group average price of £58 for the 2009 vintage Production: Higher production than its peer group average of 186,000 bottles

- www.wine-lister.com June 2017

(a blend of 62.5% cabernet sauvignon, 29% merlot, 6% petit verdot and 2.5% cabernet franc): Bright medium ruby. Classic Saint-Julien aromas of cassis, licorice, tar, minerals and dark chocolate. Lush, sweet and powerful, with a superb glyceral texture to the dark berry and dark chocolate flavors. Huge wine but not at all heavy. The extremely long, echoing finish features utterly noble tannins that saturate the front teeth. Offers a show-stopping combination of sweetness and structure. Built for three decades of life in bottle.

Ripe and creamy but also refined and lively, this is a beautiful 2009 Medoc, the fine tannins adding a lot to the long and silky finish. The obvious bitter chocolate note will either delight you or be a touch too much. Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019) - Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com, March 2019

(a blend of 60% cabernet sauvignon, 29% merlot, 6% petit verdot and 5% cabernet franc; 13.95% alcohol; pH 3.76; 88 IPT) Inky purple. Brooding, masculine nose offers black plum, chocolate liqueur, orange peel and espresso. Soft and supple on entry, then a bit youthfully aggressive in the middle, but with a distinctly chewy texture supporting the ultraripe black plum and chocolate flavors. Finishes with building, slightly dry tannins and hints of Oriental plum liqueur and peppery soy sauce. Always a sexy wine, this Leoville Poyferre has excellent balance and is more discreet than some other vintages of the last 20 years. It may still be a little short on finesse, but it's hard to argue with its almost decadent, voluptuous appeal. Very well done, and likely to be one of the ch a teau's most successful wines ever.

[60CS/29M/6PV/5CF] A seductively perfumed nose of sweet, ripe blackberry and cassis; beautifully balanced wine, concentrated, elegant, discreet and fresh, with its usual particularly fine textured, but long term, tannin; lovely ripeness of core fruit, gently spicy flavour, long in the mouth, very finely gravely, marked complexity; aromatic, aristocratic and very long to finish. 2020-40+

60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc. 18–20 months in French oak, 80% new. Malo in barrel. pH 3.69. Deep garnet with ruby rim. Cedar, cassis and spice dominate here on the nose – I thought it would smell riper than this but as it opens this side is revealed. Very Cabernet in its aroma even though there is quite a dollop of Petit Verdot that adds its own perfume. Smells generous and forthcoming. On the palate there are more tertiary flavours, a definite mature taste of undergrowth, unexpected freshness and a slight suggestion that the tannins are gaining ground on the fruit but currently showing finesse. This gives the impression of firm extraction in the dry, grainy finish but it’s still clearly in balance for quite a bit longer in bottle. Rather leathery on the finish. (JH)

Tar and liquorice, pure cassis syrup and black cherry. Very finely ground tannin with a drying, still quite astringent feel. Wire wool texture. Warm and full with a little heat to finish. Perhaps just a little herby character on the length. (RH)

Very dark purplish crimson. Heady nose with some freshness too. Opulent but not over the top even though it lacks enormous density on the mid palate. Just a slight char. (JR)

100pts - One of the more flamboyant and sumptuous wines of the vintage, this inky/purple-colored St.-Julien reveals thrilling levels of opulence, richness and aromatic pleasures. A soaring bouquet of creme de cassis, charcoal, graphite and spring flowers is followed by a super-concentrated wine with silky tannins, stunning amounts of glycerin, a voluptuous, multilayered mouthfeel and nearly 14% natural alcohol. Displaying fabulous definition for such a big, plump, massive, concentrated effort, I suspect the tannin levels are high even though they are largely concealed by lavish amounts of fruit, glycerin and extract. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2040.

Robert Parker (Wine Advocate #199, Feb 2012)

98pts - Having retreated into its shell, the deep garnet colored 2009 Léoville Poyferré gives up slowly revealing notions of cigar boxes, pencil lead, charcoal, rose hip tea and fragrant earth with a core of preserved plums, crème de cassis, espresso and Indian spices. Full, rich, seductive and voluptuously fruited in the mouth, the palate features firm yet beautifully velvety tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and spicy. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, March 2019