Leoville Poyferre 2016 (750ML)

97 POINTS, JAMES MOLESWORTH, WINE SPECTATOR: "Richly layered, with a core of well-steeped plum, blackberry and black currant fruit flavors cruising through, flanked by ganache, sweet tobacco and warm tar notes. There's a plush, toasty coating but the wine's energy and nearly unbridled fruit will easily soak that up. A last echo of violet is further evidence of a lovely evolution ahead. Best from 2025 through 2040. 17,083 cases made." 03/19

96 Points, Jacobo García Andrade, JamesSuckling.com: "Aromas of wild herbs, walnuts, sweet tobacco and a gentle earthy note. Medium- to full-bodied with delineated dark fruit and integrated tannins. Elegant and precise, offering wonderful depth. Approachable now, but its brilliant structure points to a long life ahead. Drink or hold. 10 Years On retrospective." 02/26

97 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous: "The 2016 Léoville-Poyferré is fabulous. Rich, ample and dramatic in bearing, the 2016 possesses striking intensity and vertical lift. The tannins certainly need at least a few years in bottle to soften, but there is so much to look forward to. Graphite, menthol, lavender and licorice complement the inky blue/purplish fruit beautifully. The bottled wine has a bit more Cabernet Sauvignon and less Merlot than the en primeur sample. I tasted the 2016 three times. It's least favorable showing was at the château. For readers and proprietors who think wines always taste better on site...they don't." 1/19

97+ Points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Léoville Poyferré hits the ground running with intense cassis, violets, dark chocolate, menthol and fragrant earth notions complemented by nuances of cigar box and smoked meats. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is charged with energetic, super intense black fruit and floral layers, beautifully supported with super firm, ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness. This liquid is simply alive in the mouth, culminating in an epically long finish that will leave your mouth practically tingling. WOW!" 11/18

97 Points, Neal Martin, Vinous: "The 2016 Léoville Poyferré is beautifully perfumed on the nose, with a mixture of black and blueberry fruit, violet and cedar, exquisite purity, and the oak is seamlessly integrated. The palate is medium-bodied, with pliant tannins, fleshy yet there is real backbone here, filigree tannin, and a precise, mineral-rich, quite sensual finish. Superb. Tasted blind at the Southwold 10-Year-On tasting." 02/26

98 Points, Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com: "Tasted on four separate occasions where this wine rated 97+, 98, 98, and 99, the 2016 Château Léoville-Poyferré is a brilliant bottle of wine and is certainly in the same league as the 2000, 2003, 2009, and 2010. Made from 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, aged in 80% new oak, this brilliantly concentrated, full-bodied, opulent beast of a wine offers a heavenly bouquet of crème de cassis, blackcurrants, smoked earth, tobacco leaf, and ample crushed rocks. It’s certainly one of the most flamboyant and opulent wines in the vintage, yet it remains perfectly balanced, with masses of polished tannins, no hard edges, and a fabulous finish. It will be drinkable in 3-4 years yet keep for 3-4 decades." 02/19

95 Points, Gareth Birchley, Decanter: "Perfumed and refined, with red fruit purity and excellent integration. Long, elegant and a wine of great precision. Stunning." 01/26