2022 Chateau Leoville Poyferre Saint-Julien
Quick Description
- #22 Top 100 French Wines of 2025 by James Suckling
- "One of the Most Opulent and Flamboyant Wines in 2022"~100 JD
- "Mind-Blowing. One of the Best for a Long Time ~99 JS
- “Leoville Poyferré Is Now at the Top of Its Game” ~Decanter
- "A New Paradigm for Bordeaux" ~95 Vintage WS
- Free Shipping on 12 or More Bottles
2022 Chateau Leoville Poyferre Saint-Julien
- #22 Top 100 French Wines of 2025 by James Suckling
- "One of the Most Opulent and Flamboyant Wines in 2022"~100 JD
- "Mind-Blowing. One of the Best for a Long Time ~99 JS
- “Leoville Poyferré Is Now at the Top of Its Game” ~Decanter
- "A New Paradigm for Bordeaux" ~95 Vintage WS
- Free Shipping on 12 or More Bottles
About the Wine
"Léoville Poyferré is now at the top of its game" ~Decanter
The history of Léoville dates back to 1638, recounting the complex tale of men and women, family inheritances, and property divisions. Leoville Poyferre was one of the first Chateaux in Bordeaux to begin producing wine in the Medoc, along with Chateau Margaux and Chateau Latour. In 1855, Château Léoville Poyferré became a Second Grand Cru Classé.
When owner Alexandre de Gascq died Chateau Leoville was one of the biggest estates in Bordeaux at 200 hectares. The estate was divided among his children, his son Pierre Jean de Las Cases receiving a share which ultimately became Chateau Leoville Las Cases. A portion of Chateau Leoville Las Cases was sold to the Barton Family and became Chateau Leoville Barton. The Chateau's current title was established in 1840 when Baron Jean-Marie de Poyferré added his name to Léoville, thus the Chateau was known as Leoville Poyferre.
Today the Chateau is owned by the Cuvelier who has been working in the Bordeaux wine trade since 1804. Leoville Poyferre has a long history of innovation and modernization. They were the first Chateau to trellis their vines using pine stakes and the first to rinse their barrels with sulfur to protect the wines from spoiling during the aging process. Since 1998, this Château's winemaking is overseen by renowned winemaker Michel Rolland. Today Chateau Leoville Poyferre is one of the most exciting Chateaux in Saint-Julien and all of Bordeaux.
Nothing tells a greater story than a bottle of wine. The vines take root in the soils providing the immutable backdrop, endowing the wines with their unique qualities. Léoville Poyferré is anchored in one of the most intimate appellations of the Médoc: Saint-Julien. Of the three Léovilles, Poyferré’s wines are the most voluptuous, generally carrying a greater percentage of Merlot in the blend, and the only ones to use Petit Verdot.
Earning the #22 position in James Suckling’s Top 100 French Wines of 2025, this vintage confirms Léoville Poyferré’s rise as one of Saint-Julien’s defining Second Growths, uniting its deep history with a new era of acclaim.
The 2022 vintage of Château Léoville Poyferré is a standout, often described as one of the most opulent and flamboyant wines from the Médoc in 2022. The wine showcases an incredible intensity and depth, while still maintaining a graceful and elegant profile. Its dense, purple hue immediately grabs attention, leading into an exquisite bouquet of crème de cassis, graphite, dark chocolate, scorched earth, and floral notes. On the palate, it’s full-bodied, offering a seamless mouthfeel with extravagant layers of fruit, beautifully integrated oak, and silky tannins.
2022 was an extraordinary vintage for Bordeaux, it was blessed with a 95 pt review by Wine Spectator who said: "A new paradigm for Bordeaux. Very aromatic and sleek, fresh and pure in feel, with all major varietals performing well; far more consistent than the 2018-2020 trio."
Aging: 80% new oak for 18-20 months
Tasting Notes
58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot. Expect a bold yet graceful expression of Saint-Julien, with opulence and refinement in equal measure. The 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot blend offers a rich array of crème de cassis, graphite, dark chocolate, and scorched earth, all lifted by subtle floral notes. The palate is full-bodied yet seamless, with lavish fruit framed by finely integrated tannins and oak. A wine of incredible depth and sophistication, poised for a long future of elegance and evolution.
Critical Reviews
~ #22 Top 100 French Wines of 2025 by James Suckling
Reminding me of the 2018 (as well as the 2009), if not slightly more concentrated, the 2022 Château Léoville Poyferré is one of the most opulent and flamboyant wines out of the Médoc in 2022, and it has incredible intensity while staying light on its feet and graceful. Its dense, glass-staining purple hue is followed by a sensational perfume of crème de cassis, graphite, darker chocolate, scorched earth, and flowers. Full-bodied on the palate, it brings extravagant levels of fruit as well as a seamless mouthfeel, beautifully integrated oak, tannins, and acidity, no hard edges, and a gorgeous finish. It shines even today, yet it has beautiful underlying structure and will evolve gracefully over the coming 30+ years. The 2022 is based on 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and 4% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, aged 18-20 months in 80% new oak. ~100 Jeb Dunnuck
A mind-blowing Leoville Poyferre, probably one of the best for a long time. Huge depth and structure, showing a deep matrix of fruit full of fresh blackberries and a dash of ink and lead pencil. Such verticality on the full-bodied palate with beautiful balance and a clear finish that goes on and on for more than a minute. Great potential ahead. This was tasted at the UCGB tasting and was one of the best wines of the day. Drink after 2028. It should improve in the next 10 to 15 years. ~99 James Suckling
The 2022 Léoville-Poyferré is super-exotic. Dense and pliant, with striking mid-palate depth and exquisite balance, this is pure sensuality. Red cherry, apricot, blood orange, wildflowers and spices all meld together as the 2022 opens in the glass. Seamless, refined tannins extend the mid-palate and finish. The purity of the fruit is remarkable. I also find the new wood imprint—long a signature here—much less evident than in the past. Earlier picking in the Merlot today yields a wine with more red fruit tones than in the past, when Léoville-Poyferré was a darker wine. It will be interesting to see if these are long-term trends. Tasted three times. Stellar. ~96 Vinous Media
The 2022 Léoville Poyferré has turned out very nicely, offering up aromas of crème de cassis, cherries, violets and creamy new oak, followed by a medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy palate that's ripe but lively, with supple tannins and a long, vanillin-inflected finish. This year, the team began picking their Merlot comparatively early and didn't perform a saignée (tank bleed), given the natural concentration of the vintage, though it remains the most flamboyant and demonstrative of the three Léoville estates, seeing some 80% new oak with malolactic fermentation in barrique for the new barrels. It will be a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. ~94-96 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate
Solid, dark and winey, with a well-structured core that holds blackberry and plum reduction notes in a tightly knit mix of apple wood, licorice root and warm cast iron. The long and direct finish throws off hints of violet and ink. For the cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2027 through 2042. ~95 Wine Spectator
Food Pairing
Beef
Grilled Meat
Meat
Don't Miss This

Step Up Your Wine Experience with Big Hammer Wines
We taste over 5,000 wines tasted every year so you don't have to. We only pick 90+ rated wines sourced from the best wineries from all around the world.
Plus free shipping when you buy 12 or more bottles.
What our customers say about us
Loved This Wine ? Share Your Thoughts!
Click the button below to leave a review.
