Chateau Leoville-Poyferre Saint-Julien 2011, 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 are 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 – From an assemblage of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and an equal amount of Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 13.7% alcohol. The Grand Vin represents 55% of the harvest. With good color, the wine opens with coffee, earth, black raspberry and cassis. Medium-bodied, tannic, bright and fresh, there is a brawny personality in the crisp boysenberry, cassis and tannic finish. 2011 Leoville Poyferre will not be fun to drink young. It will require a lot of time before it softens and comes around.

$164.99