Intense, powerful, delicious, creamy raspberry and black cherry fruits, textured and confident in its tannic grip, with a freshness that runs from opening to close of play. Underlines just how well St Julien delivered in 2022. Sara Lecompte-Cuvelier director and co-owner.

I was blown away by the 2022 Château Léoville Poyferré, which is a classic blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and 4% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Harvest spanned from the 8th to the 28th of September, the vinification is in tronconique tanks (parcel by parcel), and the élevage will span 18-20 months in 80% new barrels. This inky hued beauty offers that rare mix of power and elegance and offers ample cassis and assorted blue fruits, full-bodied richness, an opulent, concentrated, yet flawlessly balanced mouthfeel, velvety tannins, and plenty of classic Saint-Julien violets, espresso roast, and crushed stone-like minerality. Despite its incredible concentration and depth, it stays beautifully balanced. In a region that seems to only talk about finesse and elegance, it's a relief to still have producers such as this producing powerful, intense, singular wines. Hats off to the Cuvelier family and their team.

A very solid LP with black berry, blackcurrant, crushed stone and lavender character. Full and really well structured with a linear length to it. Focused and so polished. Thoughtful. 58% cabernet sauvignon, 34% merlot, 4% cabernet franc and 4% petit verdot.

Dense and succulent fruit and tannins, beautifully powerful, with fresh acidities, beautifully spicy with notes of black cherries, fresh figs, eucalyptus, rosemary, rose petals and cassis. Muscular tannins shot through with salted caramel sweetness, lifted by saffran and slate. Accomplished, impressive. Harvest September 8 to 28. 80% new oak from 16 different coopers.

The 2022 Léoville Poyferré has turned out very nicely, offering up aromas of crème de cassis, cherries, violets and creamy new oak, followed by a medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy palate that's ripe but lively, with supple tannins and a long, vanillin-inflected finish. This year, the team began picking their Merlot comparatively early and didn't perform a saignée (tank bleed), given the natural concentration of the vintage, though it remains the most flamboyant and demonstrative of the three Léoville estates, seeing some 80% new oak with malolactic fermentation in barrique for the new barrels. It will be a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

Highly concentrated and deep on the palate, this extends vertically from the beginning with layers of fleshy blackcurrant, super juicy cherries and salty stones. I love the feeling in the mouth, it's still got some sticky liquorice spice that edges the tannins, but this feels confident and showy. I like the force - it's taking the power of the vintage but edging the glamorous side with elegance and precision. Chewy and totally moreish. Great work. 4% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 3.77pH.

The 2022 Léoville Poyferré was picked 8 to 28 September at 33.4hL/ha and matured in 80% new oak. It has a high IPT of 93 and 14.4% alcohol (half a degree less than the 2018). It is quintessentially LP on the nose, with those extravagant and sensual black and blueberry fruit, intermingling with crushed violet and iris. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, very harmonious and focused, perhaps more linear than expected with a velvety-smooth finish. This is a very classy, sophisticated Saint-Julien that may well rest at the top of my banded score once in bottle.

The 2022 Léoville-Poyferré is unctuous, deep and super-expressive, but not at all over-done. There's tremendous energy driving through a core of red/purplish fruit. Deceptively medium in body, the 2022 is a potent, statuesque Léoville-Poyferré that will offer many years of exceptional drinking.

58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. Black almost to the core. Dark-fruited and savoury. Very powerful – tastes like an en primeur sample rather than a young bottled wine. Highly tannic but the tannins are not aggressive. You will have to be patient with this, and there's enough fruit to remain harmonious. (JH)

Full bottle 1,357 g. Vine average age 42 years, planted on gravel over sandy clay. 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot, hand harvest. 6–8 hours' cold pre-fermentation maceration. Malo in new barrels. Aged 18–20 months in French oak, of which 80% new. pH 3.77. Even darker than the Pavillon de Léoville Poyferré and with even greater intensity of pure cassis fruit. Even though there is a lot more new oak, the fruit shines through. Here there's another dimension that is dark and almost stony/savoury. A big step up from the Pavillon in both power and richness but also in refinement, particularly in the text. Dense, chalky and almost-caressing tannins that need time to become finer and fresher as the spicy oak recedes. Needs time but very promising. (JH)