1996 Château Léoville Poyferré St. Julien Bordeaux France Wine Tasting Note

43885 Views

1996
93
Close to fully mature here, the wine is medium-bodied, earthy, round, soft and fleshy with a generous dose of sweet, ripe, black fruits, smoke, licorice, dark cherry and earth. Not as concentrated as some of the top wines from 1996, but the tannins are ripe, the wine is round, plush and sensuous with a beautiful, ripe, sweet, red pit fruit finish.

Close to fully mature here, the wine is medium-bodied, earthy, round, soft and fleshy with a generous dose of sweet, ripe, black fruits, smoke, licorice, dark cherry and earth. Not as concentrated as some of the top wines from 1996, but the tannins are ripe, the wine is round, plush and sensuous with a beautiful, ripe, sweet, red pit fruit finish.

4,441 Views   Tasted
The perfume offers a smoky bouquet of scents with cassis, cigar box, cedar wood, blackberry, tobacco, coffee and forest floor all showing their essence. Full bodied, round, plush and really starting to soften, the finish is fresh, clean, smooth and delivers a sweet, dark cherry note that sticks with you. Close to fully mature, this bottle was popped and poured and probably enjoyed far too quickly. But isn’t that one of the signatures of all the really great wines? The wine was produced from a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon , 25% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot.

The perfume offers a smoky bouquet of scents with cassis, cigar box, cedar wood, blackberry, tobacco, coffee and forest floor all showing their essence. Full bodied, round, plush and really starting to soften, the finish is fresh, clean, smooth and delivers a sweet, dark cherry note that sticks with you. Close to fully mature, this bottle was popped and poured and probably enjoyed far too quickly. But isn’t that one of the signatures of all the really great wines? The wine was produced from a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon , 25% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot.

6,047 Views   Tasted
With a smoky, licorice, cigar box, cassis and blackberry filled perfume, the wine is soft, round, polished and ready to go. It's close to 20 years of age and if you've been holding your bottles, it's really time to pop a cork. The wine was popped and poured.

With a smoky, licorice, cigar box, cassis and blackberry filled perfume, the wine is soft, round, polished and ready to go. It's close to 20 years of age and if you've been holding your bottles, it's really time to pop a cork. The wine was popped and poured.

6,267 Views   Tasted
Frim, tannic and a bit on the austere side. Decanting helped. the aromatics were the best part of the experience with their tonacco, truffle, cassis and blackberry notes. The fruit was classy, but this wine is always going to please fans of traditionally styled wines more than those that have grown fond of the rounder, more plush sensations found in modern vintages of Leoville Poyferre.

Frim, tannic and a bit on the austere side. Decanting helped. the aromatics were the best part of the experience with their tonacco, truffle, cassis and blackberry notes. The fruit was classy, but this wine is always going to please fans of traditionally styled wines more than those that have grown fond of the rounder, more plush sensations found in modern vintages of Leoville Poyferre.

7,092 Views   Tasted
Filled with truffle, smoke, licorice and cassis, the wine is structured, ripe, round and ends with a delicious, sweet black cherry filled finish. At 15, this is drinking great and should remain at this level or improve a little bit for at least another 15 or more years.

Filled with truffle, smoke, licorice and cassis, the wine is structured, ripe, round and ends with a delicious, sweet black cherry filled finish. At 15, this is drinking great and should remain at this level or improve a little bit for at least another 15 or more years.

9,665 Views   Tasted
Still young, this solid, powerful, tannic wine offered cassis, blackberry, tobacco and earthy notes. After an hour in the glass, it began to open and added charm. The wine ended with a tanninc, dark berry finish. Give it another 3-5 years.

Still young, this solid, powerful, tannic wine offered cassis, blackberry, tobacco and earthy notes. After an hour in the glass, it began to open and added charm. The wine ended with a tanninc, dark berry finish. Give it another 3-5 years.

10,373 Views   Tasted

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.

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