Even in this vintage, Poyferre is a big, opulent wine, and it has now shed its youthful austerity. It remains dense and oaky on the nose, but it's voluptuous, too. Although less compact than the nose, the palate remains chewy and extracted, but that gives structure rather than brutality. The fruit remains subdued, but the finish is long and chocolatey. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2028
Tasted by: Stephen Brook (at London, 02 Feb 2023)
Part of Bordeaux 2013: 10 years on & 30 wines tasted

A sleek and racy 2013 with mineral, blackberry and currant aromas. Subtle and perfumed. Medium body, silky tannins and a clean finish. Drink or hold.

The 2013 Léoville-Poyferre has a lovely nose with simple blackcurrant and wild strawberry fruit, maintaining Didier Cuvelier's more opulent style while retaining delineation and focus. The palate is medium-bodied with gently grippy tannin, good acidity and structure, not complex but with a very impressive blackberry and cassis finish that lingers in the mouth. Chapeau Monsieur Cuvelier - one of the best Saint Juliens this vintage.

Plums, blueberries, cassis, violets and sweet spices meld together nicely in the 2013 Léoville-Poyferré. Many of the signatures are in place in the 2013, they are just present in miniature. The fleshy, textured finish offers plenty of near and medium-term appeal. In a second tasting, the 2013 showed plenty of depth but also imposing tannins. It will be interesting to see how things develop in elevage here. The blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc.

Saturated ruby. Brooding aromas of black fruits, minerals and coffee; at once medicinal and liqueur-like, but showing more freshness than usual in 2013. Huge but still raw at this stage, with rather large-scaled, mouthfilling flavors (for the year) of dark berries and flinty ripe plum, along with an obvious herbal element. Shows a boatload of chewy tannins but the persistent finish is dry but not parching.

Tasted blind. Inky cassis colour. Ripe and dark fruited. Deep, dry and elegant as well as powerful – without being tough. Dense and still balanced. Firm, chewy and promising. (JH)