12 bottles per lot
Details
GREAT BOTTLES AND RARE LARGE FORMATS OF LEOVILLE POYFERRE FROM THE CHATEAU RESERVES
The following lots (109-162) were recently released from the Château Leoville Poyferre reserves especially for this sale.
The Léoville estate, the largest and one of the oldest vineyards in the Médoc, was originally under single ownership but was later split into three, first in 1826 when Hugh Barton purchased the part that had been seized by the French state during the Revolution, then again in 1840 when the two Lascases inheritors split the remainder, the elder brother taking what was to become Léoville Las Cases and his younger sister what was to become Léoville Poyferré, her son-in-law's baronial title.
We now jump back in time to 1804 when a certain Henri Cuvelier started a wine négociant business in the north of France. It was very successful and a century later the family were expanding into Bordeaux estates, first with the purchase in 1903 of Château Le Crock, cru bourgeois, Saint-Estèphe with its magnificent country house and park, then in 1920 with that of Château Loville Poyferré, together with its Saint Julien cru bourgeois, Château Moulin Riche.
Since 1979, Didier, a direct descendant of Henri, has been manager of these estates, whilst his brother Olivier runs the Bordeaux négociant business that had been founded by their father Max in 1947, whilst Paul, Bertrand and Jean-Guy in 1998 founded their Argentinian property Cuvelier Los Andes.
Didier has invested heavily in the estate, which he has taken from 48 to 80 hectares (with not a single hectare added from outside the original Léoville estate), situated on all the classical Saint Julien types of quaternary Garonne gravel over clay, and gradually replanted to improved and better adapted rootstock and varieties, now comprised of 60 Cabernet Sauvignon, 30 Merlot, 8 Petit Verdot and 2 Cabernet Franc.
The vineyard is organised by Bruno Clenet, who oversees all the vignerons, each responsable for his individual parcel of vines, all culivated as naturally as possible, with traditional ploughing or grass cover, and minimal use of pesticides. One crop-thinning is performed early in the season to spread the bunches evenly, and a second one later to eliminate those that are not up to speed. Any leaf-plucking that is necessary will be done at the same time.
The cellar work is organised by Didier Thomann and by the resident oenologist Isabelle Davin. The harvest is sorted manually twice and again optically, then vatted in 56 stainless steel vats, half of which are double-skinned to permit cold pre-fermentation maceration. Fermentation and pumping-over are very strictly controlled, and running-off determined very precisely. The finished wine then stays for 18-20 months in barrel, of which 75-80 are new every year.
Three wines are made : Château Léoville Poyferré, Château Moulin Riche (from the estate's distinct separate vineyard) and the combined second wine La Réserve de Léoville Poyferré.
The style of the Léoville Poyferré's wines has inevitably progressed over the last few decades, especially since 1994, when many of the major changes were implemented. The wines are now richer, with more integrated tannins than before, but they retain the same basic character as before, of beautiful mineral definition, very long ageability, and a certain spicy note in their classic Saint Julien roundness and elegance. BB.
Château Léoville-Poyferré 1982
Saint-Julien, 2ème cru classé
Offered in original wooden cases
Tasting note: Re-corked at the château. This was always one of the great 1982s en primeur totally dominated by its extraordinarily strong but unforced tannins, then progressively the spicy, sweet tones of the vintage took over and the wine has been improving ever since. Drinking beautifully now but will start tightening up quite soon. BB
12 bottles per lot
The following lots (109-162) were recently released from the Château Leoville Poyferre reserves especially for this sale.
The Léoville estate, the largest and one of the oldest vineyards in the Médoc, was originally under single ownership but was later split into three, first in 1826 when Hugh Barton purchased the part that had been seized by the French state during the Revolution, then again in 1840 when the two Lascases inheritors split the remainder, the elder brother taking what was to become Léoville Las Cases and his younger sister what was to become Léoville Poyferré, her son-in-law's baronial title.
We now jump back in time to 1804 when a certain Henri Cuvelier started a wine négociant business in the north of France. It was very successful and a century later the family were expanding into Bordeaux estates, first with the purchase in 1903 of Château Le Crock, cru bourgeois, Saint-Estèphe with its magnificent country house and park, then in 1920 with that of Château Loville Poyferré, together with its Saint Julien cru bourgeois, Château Moulin Riche.
Since 1979, Didier, a direct descendant of Henri, has been manager of these estates, whilst his brother Olivier runs the Bordeaux négociant business that had been founded by their father Max in 1947, whilst Paul, Bertrand and Jean-Guy in 1998 founded their Argentinian property Cuvelier Los Andes.
Didier has invested heavily in the estate, which he has taken from 48 to 80 hectares (with not a single hectare added from outside the original Léoville estate), situated on all the classical Saint Julien types of quaternary Garonne gravel over clay, and gradually replanted to improved and better adapted rootstock and varieties, now comprised of 60 Cabernet Sauvignon, 30 Merlot, 8 Petit Verdot and 2 Cabernet Franc.
The vineyard is organised by Bruno Clenet, who oversees all the vignerons, each responsable for his individual parcel of vines, all culivated as naturally as possible, with traditional ploughing or grass cover, and minimal use of pesticides. One crop-thinning is performed early in the season to spread the bunches evenly, and a second one later to eliminate those that are not up to speed. Any leaf-plucking that is necessary will be done at the same time.
The cellar work is organised by Didier Thomann and by the resident oenologist Isabelle Davin. The harvest is sorted manually twice and again optically, then vatted in 56 stainless steel vats, half of which are double-skinned to permit cold pre-fermentation maceration. Fermentation and pumping-over are very strictly controlled, and running-off determined very precisely. The finished wine then stays for 18-20 months in barrel, of which 75-80 are new every year.
Three wines are made : Château Léoville Poyferré, Château Moulin Riche (from the estate's distinct separate vineyard) and the combined second wine La Réserve de Léoville Poyferré.
The style of the Léoville Poyferré's wines has inevitably progressed over the last few decades, especially since 1994, when many of the major changes were implemented. The wines are now richer, with more integrated tannins than before, but they retain the same basic character as before, of beautiful mineral definition, very long ageability, and a certain spicy note in their classic Saint Julien roundness and elegance. BB.
Château Léoville-Poyferré 1982
Saint-Julien, 2ème cru classé
Offered in original wooden cases
Tasting note: Re-corked at the château. This was always one of the great 1982s en primeur totally dominated by its extraordinarily strong but unforced tannins, then progressively the spicy, sweet tones of the vintage took over and the wine has been improving ever since. Drinking beautifully now but will start tightening up quite soon. BB
12 bottles per lot
Special notice
On lots marked with an + in the catalogue, VAT will be charged at 8% on both the premium as well as the hammer price.