2022 Chateau Leoville Poyferre St. Julien Bordeaux 750 ml

When we first secured our allocation during En Primeur two years ago, it was clear that the 2022 Léoville Poyferré was one of the standouts of the vintage. The only thing we weren’t sure of was where its final score would land: in the 98–99 range or at a perfect 100. 

Then, not two months ago, Jeb Dunnuck delivered his final verdict: 100 points. He called Léoville Poyferré “one of the most opulent and flamboyant wines out of the Médoc in 2022.” James Suckling called it “a mind-blowing Leoville Poyferre, probably one of the best for a long time,” and “one of the best wines of the day” in his massive tasting.

Léoville Poyferré’s opulence and complexity is carefully crafted by one of the best winemaking teams in Bordeaux. The estate is guided by Michel Rolland—the Right Bank–born genius who has earned countless 100-point scores en route to revolutionizing Bordeaux winemaking—and benefits greatly from owner Didier Cuvelier’s investments in the vineyard and cellar.

The estate as we know it today was born in 1840 out of the division of the historically renowned Château Léoville, but it didn’t live up to its promise until 26-year-old Cuvelier took over in 1979. What followed was a visionary reworking of the cellars and vineyard, which involved a 19-year replanting project that more accurately matched grape varieties to specific sections of the vineyard.

That attention to detail continued in the cellar, where Cuvelier installed an array of double-walled stainless-steel fermentation tanks. These allowed for pinpoint temperature control to regulate extraction, enabling the team to vinify on a parcel-by-parcel basis for maximum blending precision.