Paul T HB

9.7

It’s been awhile since I’ve had some Vineyard 29.
Soft & silky with some air the nose really pops. — 18 days ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.5

Château Léoville Poyferré 2014
Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

Overview
A distinguished Deuxième Cru Classé (Second Growth) from Saint-Julien, Château Léoville Poyferré has been elevated under the stewardship of the Cuvelier family and Michel Rolland’s consultancy. The 2014 vintage is a classic Bordeaux blend comprised of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. This cooler year yielded wines with notable polish, freshness, and age-worthy structure.  

Aromas & Flavors
Expressive and refined, the bouquet opens with blackcurrant, cassis, and plum, framed by cedar, graphite, violets, and aromatic spice. The palate is layered with ripe red and dark fruits, along with hints of tobacco, pepper, and soft oak—a harmonious reflection of balanced ripeness and terroir depth.  

Mouthfeel
Medium to full-bodied, with smooth yet structured tannins and vivid acidity. The finish is long and mineral-tinged, echoing Saint-Julien’s limestone terroir while expressing both strength and grace.

Winemaking Notes
Vinified traditionally and aged in French oak barrels (predominantly new), the 2014 benefits from meticulous attention to extraction and maturation, resulting in elegant concentration and finesse.  

Food Pairing
Wonderful with roast lamb, herb-crusted beef, or rich mushroom dishes. Decanting for an hour enhances its layered complexity.

Verdict
A classic expression of Left Bank finesse and depth, Château Léoville Poyferré 2014 strikes an artful balance between fruit, structure, and refinement. Enjoy now with decanter or cellar it to explore its evolution over the next decade.Cheers! — 2 months ago

Ericsson

9.4

Tasting notes during visit to the winery where absolutely everything is done in-house by hand; preserving centuries old winemaking traditions. In the Tondonia offering one can really appreciate the time and patience dedicated to crafting this wine. The wine evolves to a rustic yet graceful profile with strong notes of dark berries with slight oak and dark chocolate. On the palate the wine is bliss, medium bodied, fully integrated, with balanced acidity and a long finish.

The juice is fermented in old large wooden “tinas,” then transferred to American oak barrels (made in house to medium toast specifications), stored underground in their +100 year old cellars for at least a year. After that it is bottled and stored in the same underground cellars and finally released about ten years later. Learning about their curated winemaking process was inspiring. — 8 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.2

2022 vintage. Delicate, feminine Cab as is the usual with this effort. 10.8.25. — 23 days ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

They make a good Cabernet Franc that requires 7-10 plus yrs in cellar before opening.

The most agitating part of drinking their new vintages young is they use too much new wood. Along with the M+ tannin profile, making it very hard to drink early. Young, they drink astringently and bitty on the palate.

They poured me a 2011 Cabernet at the very end, not the best vintage but it was fine, the 11 was made with 20% less new oak. It showed and was preferable. If I were making these wines, I would dial back the new oak and or barrel toast. — 4 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.0

The light cherry red in colour belies the intensity of the palate. Cherry and raspberry flavours - some herbal notes. The Grenache grapes from a sandy terroir in McLaren Vale - most suitable. 77 year old vines. The wine was made in a natural style - fresh and young - juicy. Interesting back story: When the Rolling Stones were touring Australia in 2014 with a gig in Adelaide, Mick Jagger plus Keith’s wife and a few others decided to visit the Adelaide Hills and had lunch there with Taras Ochota and his wife. Apparently the Stones bought all of their inventory and had a memorable stay. Sadly Taras passed away a few years ago. — 6 months ago

Charlie Tapp

9.4

Black fruit, red fruit, tobacco and something green in between menthol and eucalyptus. Very refined if a little hot.

36 hours in the decanter and it’s going strong. At least 5-10 years left. — 2 months ago

Inseon Hwang

9.1

Pelican. Bold and powerful Cali Cab. Green peppers; oak; minerals; organic finish. — 2 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Their Cabernet fruits are nice, ripe and pretty. They should be cellared 10 years before opening one.

Again, the M+ tannin profile along with their level new wood use is extremely dominant and primary young. This was astringent and felt like I had sucked on a wood plank.

The fruits & florals beautiful. Better things lie ahead for this with cellaring. 93-96 in 10-15 years.

Having had many Napa 21’s at this point, this didn’t live up to the balance & softer styles of others I had young. — 4 months ago

Neil Valenzuela

9.0

Deep ruby color. Aromas of blackberry jam, baking spices and tobacco. 15.5% AVB… strong spices on the palate, jammy middle, cigar finish. — 4 years ago