Ray Vanderhoff

9.3

Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (72%), Merlot (19%), Cabernet Franc (6%) and Petite Verdot (3%). Dark garnet/ruby/purple/black color. Aromas of ripe black fruit, rose petals, cigar box and smoked meat. Flavors of blackberry, black currant and black plum fruit with additional hints of tobacco, black olives and cloves. Long lasting velvety finish. Full bodied with noticeable (but well integrated) tannins. Beautiful freshness. Rich and powerful but so well balanced. Consistently Outstanding vintage after vintage. Could continue to age for decades! — 5 days ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

2005 vintage. Decanted and tasted immediately and over the course of 4 hours. Medium body with a continually morphing nose. Super-impressive bouquet throughout the night. Overt fruit fallen off the framework and replaced with secondary attributes/complexities. @Bill Bender remarked twice about a lack of “heat”since the usual CDP ABV range seemed underwhelming One might think that would present issues but, rest assured, it did not. Great wine possibly at its’ zenith/top of the bell curve and living its’ best life now. Backed up the hype and then some. Tied for WOTN along with the 2006 Krug Clos du Mesnil Champagne (missed a picture for that one) for both myself and @Shay A 09.21.25. — 13 days ago

with Shay and Bill

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! — a month ago

Pooneet K

9.2

Thought we’d had our last bottle 4 years ago but then found this one. Probably better then, but still very nice. Definitely quite secondary, but the core of fruit and acid carries through. Wonderful pairing with dry aged strip steaks and wild mushroom risotto for our 10 year anniversary. — 11 hours ago

Vino Joe

9.6

Layered exotic and supple. This is definitely in the zone. There is a lot going on. Rich dark fruit. Ripe currants, smoke and earthy. Decanted. Give it 20-30 minutes to open. — 8 days ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.6

Slightly lighter ruby with a wider ruby garnet rim . More reserved and cooler , more elegant , spicier fruits than the Mouton , less plush. Cassis , violet , blackberry , red cherry , roasted red pepper , grafite and oyster shell . Quite detailed and mineral. On the palate this is finer boned and elegant with refreshing acidity , cassis , tobacco , grafite and that briny , sea shell note . Saline and very fine , but also very noticable tannins on the palate , long grafite , tobacco , cassis tinged finish . This comes across as very classic Lafite , with drier , cooler fruit; more introvert than the extrovert Mouton. It doesn’t shout, there is no need , its refinement and pedigree are clear to all. Still young but beginning to show some development, better in 5-10 years and will last well another 10-20 , and being Lafite , perhaps even longer . As an aside this was paired with seared duck breast , port wine sauce and roasted figs , a combination that really worked with the wine , it was just a fantastic combination. — 8 days ago

Rick Phillips

9.7

Still young. Needs some aging. Should peek at 99-100. — a day ago

with Letha

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.0

Not as bad as I remember it. It’s been a while though.

Slightly, bruised pear & red & green apple, lime zest, lemon pulp, some ginger white spice w/ a touch of heat, limestone mixed in volcanic minerals, crisp chalkiness, sea spray, yeasty bread dough, yellow & white spring flowers, lively acidity and a balanced & nicely polished elegant finish that last 45 seconds and lands on volcanics.

Emirates SFO. — 5 days ago

Conrad Green

9.3

Excellent. Polish berry fruit. Light wet stone, sweetness, a bit of citrus. Polish and excellent. Good tension — 7 hours ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Medium deep ruby , quite thin garnet ruby rim . Cassis , blueberry , blackberry , iris , pain grillé. On the palate this is quite dense and rounded , with more dark fruits , cassis , blackberry and a savoury , saline seaweed tinge on the finish . Fine but noticable , sweet tannins , and fresh acidity , quite rounded and richly fruited but very balanced . Good length with grafite , mineral and creme de cassis . Polished and quite decadent but all elements very balanced . Just drinkable now with time in decanter , really fruit driven still, but will improve well over the next 10 or more years and last well a further 10-15 . This shows some of the ripeness and exuberance of 2009 paired with the flamboyance of Mouton , makes for quite a pairing a very promising future ahead. — 8 days ago