1983 Château Léoville-Poyferré
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Tasting notes
Next, one of my favourites, the 1983 Léoville-Poyferré. It had been some years since I tasted this Saint-Julien, and it has always been over-shadowed by former proprietor Didier Cuvelier’s splendid 1982. Ignore it at your peril. Showing light bricking on the rim, it delivers a wonderful nose of red plum, freshly-rolled tobacco, autumn leaves and a hint of cassis borrowed from Pauillac. It was actually richer than I recalled, and blind, I might guess the previous vintage. The palate does not disappoint. Now fully-mature, again, it is more opulent in style than you might expect, portending the richer style the estate has successfully pursued under consultant Michel Rolland. Beautifully balanced with a sensual, quite plush finish, this over-delivers. Drink it over the next decade.
Critic scores
Wine Spectator
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
Sweet almost honeyed nose. Exotic aromas, but drier and more eyewatering on the palate. (JH)
One of the superstar 1983s that is not beginning to crack up and decline, Leoville-Poyferre’s effort exhibits a dark garnet color, a sweet nose of plum liqueur intermixed with licorice, black currants, weedy tobacco, and herbes de Provence. The wine is round, seductive, with a certain degree of opulence, low acidity, gorgeous fruit, and a nice layered palate impression. It makes for quite a seductive style of wine. Drink it over the next 7-8 years. Last tasted, 3/02.
Wine Spectator 1986.
About the producer
Ch. Léoville-Poyferré is a Second Growth Saint-Julien property that was once part of the same estate as Ch. Léoville Barton and Ch. Léoville Las Cases. It has the most complex and varied soils of the three and produces the most voluptuous, seductive style of wine.