1990 Château Léoville Poyferré St. Julien Bordeaux France Wine Tasting Note
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1990
Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)
Supple, creamy, rich, and loaded with ripe currants, blackberries, tobacco leaf, forest leaf, and cherries. The full-bodied, elegant, soft finish seals the deal. Drink from 2023-2032. 2,981 Views Tasted Dec 24, 2022Drinking at the peak of maturity, this wine is a gem. Supple, silky and sensuous, the fruits are sweet, ripe and spicy. There is freshness, polish, concentration and focus. Generous on the palate and long in the finish, this is hitting all the right buttons. No decanting is needed. If you own this wine, pop a cork and enjoy the night. 3,646 Views Tasted Aug 14, 2021This is remarkably consistent from bottle to bottle, and this example was no exception to that rule. Lush, silky, soft and polished, with a gorgeous array of secondary tobacco, cedar, wet earth, cigar wrapper and bright red fruit nuances, the wine popped as soon as it was poured. No decanting is needed here for this beauty. This is in the sweet spot, so if you have a bottle, grab it and pull that cork! 4,747 Views Tasted Nov 24, 2018If you like sexed up kinky cherries paired with the aroma of a great cigar, wet forest funk, cedar and smoke, you came to the right place! The wine is full bodied, rich and sensuous, with silky tannins, and a fresh, kirsch, olive and spice filled finish. This is singing at the top of its lungs today. 30 minutes in the decanter helped. The wine continued improving and softening in the glass. This is probably close to peak, you can wait, but why would you? 4,719 Views Tasted Feb 25, 2018Wow! As soon as the wine hit the glass, the beautiful cigar box, forest floor, cedar, cassis and spice aromas were right where they needed to be. Full bodied, rich, supple textures, refined tannins and a sweet, fresh, vibrant, spicy finish made it complete. This is drinking at peak where it should remain for at least another 15-20 more years if well stored. 20 minutes in the decanter was more than ample for the wine. 5,764 Views Tasted Jun 10, 2016Entering the sweet spot of its prime time drinking years, the nose is the first thing that grabs you. But the layers of deep, rich, ripe, polished, velvety fruit keeps your attention where it needs to be. Drink this now, or age it another 5 years for more secondary notes, this is a super wine with great personality. 5,349 Views Tasted Sep 23, 2014I love catching wines at the perfect moment. If you have a bottle of this stunning juice it's time to pop a cork. The chocolate mint, truffle, blackberry, earth, cassis, blackberry smoke and tobacco nose is worth the price of admission. On the palate, the silky textures and become better, now that the patina of age has sunk in. The rich, concentrated, fresh, cassis, spice, herb and wild strawberry finish makes you want to take another sip. 7,472 Views Tasted Jun 8, 2013Explosive notes of creme de cassis, earth, spice, smoke, blackberries and tobacco. Full bodied, rich, sensuous and packed with multiple layers of ripe, pure berries, this wine is drinking great today. While it will probably continue to improve for another decade, where it should remain for years, there is no reason to delay popping a bottle. This is a beautiful expression of Leoville Poyferre. 8,704 Views Tasted Feb 13, 2012Smoke, tobacco, cassis, orange rind, blackberry, earth and spicy scents are easy to find. Full bodied and concentrated, this specific bottle was not a perfect example. The color was lighter than usual, showing advanced signs of age. The wine finished with a big dose of cassis. I've tasted better examples of the 1990. 9,731 Views Tasted Jun 15, 2011Spice, tobacco, cherry blossoms, cassis, truffles, stone and smoke greet your nose. This potent, rich, full bodied, round wine feels great as it pours over your palate. Concentrated, ripe, sweet spicy dark berries and cassis remain on your palate for close to 40 seconds. At 20, this is a good time to start opening your bottles. While it will improve, there is no reason to wait. 10,093 Views Tasted Jun 29, 2010 |
When to Drink Chateau Leoville Poyferre, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time
Chateau Leoville Poyferre can be enjoyed on the young side with several hours of decanting. However, I find it too tannic and powerful young to be fun to taste. The wine is usually better at 10-15 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character.
In the best years, the wine will best between 15 and 35 years of age after the vintage. Young vintages can be decanted for an average of 2-4 hours or so. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.
Serving Chateau Leoville Poyferre with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips
Leoville Poyferre is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.
Chateau Leoville Poyferre is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted braised, and grilled dishes. Chateau Leoville Poyferre is a perfect match with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, and pasta as well as cheese.