Chateau Leoville-Poyferre 2011, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

The 60 hectare Saint Julien vineyards of Leoville Poyferre are planted to 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Since 1994, the handpicked bunches have been placed delicately in small crates for transport to the vinification cellar. The bunches are sorted by hand before de-stemming and are then sorted a second time mechanically and manually before crushing. Different plots and grape varieties are vatted separately in the 35 stainless steel vats. All the estate’s wines are barrel-aged in the traditional way for 18 to 20 months. Every three months the barrels are carefully racked to remove the lees and placed ‘bung on the side’. Fined with egg white in the barrel. Aged 4 months in the bottle. The style of Leoville Poyferre is a Bordeaux wine that offers lush ripe fruit with purity and concentration, a powerful, plush style. 2011 vintage: 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5^ Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot. Soils: Terraces of Mindel gravel, sandy-clay subsoil. Precision in working the soil in dry years is essential. Accompanied by leaf thinning, this limits water evaporation from the soil and the vine. Our new optical sorter allowed for precise selection of naturally concentrated grape berries. Vinifications and pump-overs were adapted to target gentle extractions of tannins and color, while the duration and temperature of vatting optimized the quality of tannins. Tasting: Intense garnet color and purple reflections. The wine remains bright and limpid, a sign that it continues to flourish. Starting to show some evolution, expressive notes of black fruit, oak and spice meld together in this beautiful 2011 vintage, intensifying with light aeration.

$164.99