Portrait of an iconic wine: Château Léoville Poyferré
Let's begin our exploration with the Château Léoville Poyferré, Saint-Julien, 2nd Grand Cru Classé.
Between the 3 Léoville, Léoville Poyferré, Léoville Las Cases And Léoville BartonThe hearts of all lovers of fine Bordeaux wines are torn…
And the famous critic Michel Bettane would certainly agree:
HAS Saint-JulienThe 1855 classification did not recognize a 'First' Grand Cru ClasséSince the rankings were released, we've been witnessing a battle of the runners-up. And every year, it's a real nail-biter... Who is the best of the three this year?
Without answering that question, we chose to depart from the two most established 'Léoville's' to present you with the one who fought hard and worked to become an 'icon', until achieving the Holy Grail in 2009: a score of 100/100 by the renowned critic Robert Parker.
A story of a winemaker from a prominent Bordeaux family:
Didier Cuvelier Chateau Leoville Poyferré
At the end of the 18th century, Léoville formed one of the largest properties in the Médoc. In 1840, part of it was sold to Hugh Barton, a family of Irish immigrants, another part was kept by the Lascase heirs, whose daughter then ceded her rights to the Baron de Poyferré (whose name means 'Iron Point', that is to say, a part of a paved road where horses and vehicles must wear shoes).
Taken over in 1979 by the Cuvelier family – a prominent Bordeaux wine merchant family established since 1804 – the property was described as a 'jewel in poor condition' by its new owner. Year after year, Didier Cuvelier convinced those around him to plant 2 hectares annually to rebuild a vineyard that now covers 80 hectares, where 4 grape varieties coexist (Cabernet Sauvignon 60%, Merlot 30%, Petit Verdot 8% and Cabernet Franc 2%).
This work of acquiring new plots contributes to giving Poyferré a more complex character to its wines, which are not produced from single contiguous parcels but rather from a mosaic of the best terroirs within the Saint Julien appellation. The harvest undergoes three successive sortings, and the wine is fermented by grape variety and by parcel. Here too, they understand the meaning of 'parcel selection'!
In 1991, Didier Cuvelier was one of the pioneers of the frantic race in Médoc wineries towards a modernism inspired by renowned architects; he renovated the winery with the help of the Bordeaux architect Olivier Brochet in a timeless modern style, which gives the impression, when you enter it today, of being drawn with a stroke of the very latest generation's pencil.
Finally, you will never hear him talk about the growing success of the property without mentioning his team, in particular Isabelle Davin, oenologist, who herself will undoubtedly emphasize the importance of the intervention of the famous Michel Rolland to justify the glowing reviews obtained for its latest vintages.
This is why the en primeur prices went from €37 including VAT in 2003 to around €130 including VAT in 2010 (a price that could still appreciate given its Parker score of 98+), to return today to very attractive selling prices again, around €60 including VAT.
In short, an iconic wine that can therefore be put back in the cellar without any hesitation.
How would you describe the difference between the three Léoville models?
If we dared to confine these three great wines to a stereotypical summary, we would say:
- Barton: the meatiest
- Las Cases: the most massive, the most Pauillac!
- Poyferré: the finest and most complex
So if our hearts have leaned towards Poyferré today, one thing is for sure: you will not be disappointed with any of the three!
