(61% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 6% petit verdot and 3% cabernet franc; 3.7 pH; 14% alcohol) Opaque inky-purple. Fruit-driven aromas of plum jam, smoky black cherry and chocolate-covered blackcurrant. Then increasingly austere and tough on the palate, with black fruit flavors hidden beneath a thick coating of oak. The long finish features clove, vanilla and underbrush nuances. This massive Leoville Poyferre will need plenty of time to shed its tannic cloak, but appears to possess enough fruit beneath its oaky veneer.

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Very dark purple. Heady though there is a very slightly raw note. Plushissimo. A vote winner though on the strength of this sample I might seek just a little more freshness. A bit cruder than when I tasted it a month ago. Good length though.

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The wine out distances both Leoville Las Cases and Leoville Barton, but all three of them are compelling efforts. Full-bodied, dense purple in color, with floral notes intermixed with blackberries, cassis, graphite and spring flowers, this full-bodied, legendary effort is long and opulent, with wonderfully abundant yet sweet tannin, a skyscraper-like mid-palate and a thrilling, nearly one-minute finish. This spectacular effort from Poyferre that should drink well for 30+ years.

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