Château Léoville Poyferré ‒ Discovering the Essential Charm Beyond Sight
- Song Wei
- Oct 8, 2024
- 10 min read
Updated: Feb 10
In the heart of Bordeaux, a rich history began to unfold in Saint-Julien, intertwining the lives of men and women, their family legacies, and the fertile land they cultivated. As I embarked on a guided tour and tasting session, I sought to uncover the essence of exceptional winemaking that goes beyond what meets the eye. The story of Château Léoville Poyferré, a vineyard with roots reaching back to 1638, embodies centuries of tradition, innovation, and unwavering dedication to the art of winemaking.
The tale of Léoville Poyferré begins in 1638, when Jean de Moytié, a Bordeaux nobleman and parliament councillor, planted the first vines atop the gravel ridge known as Mont-Moytié, for which he had previously acquired in 1610. This initial vineyard laid the groundwork for what would become one of the most prestigious estates in the Médoc region. By 1740, the vineyard had come under the ownership of Blaise Antoine Alexandre de Gascq, who renamed Mont-Moytie as Léoville. He envisioned elevating it to the pinnacle of Médoc viticulture. The estate was then acquired by the Las Cases family. However, following the upheaval of the French Revolution and the expropriation of emigrants' properties, the estate was divided between 1826 and 1840 as part of a broader movement toward egalitarian redistribution. The Marquis de Las Cases sold 45 hectares of vineyards to Irishman Hugh Barton. Barton established Château Léoville Barton in 1826 with these 45 hectares. Therefore, Barton’s château is the only Léoville estate that is not related to the families of Las Cases and Poyferré.
Upon the death of Marquis de Las Cases in 1840, the estate was further divided among his heirs. His three sons ‒ Pierre Jean, Adolphe and Gabriel inherited 3/5 of the original estate ‒ Château Léoville Las Cases. His daughter, Jeanne de Las Cases, inherited one portion, which she would pass on to her daughter, who was married to Baron Jean-Marie de Poyferré. Baron Jean-Marie de Poyferré then added his name to the estate, thus consecrating it Château Léoville Poyferré. However, the wines were sold as Baron de Poyferré at that time. Today, the château is still shared by both families, even though the vineyards and business operations have been divided. The Poyferré family owns the right wing, whereas the left and middle wings belong to the Las Cases family. Despite these separations, the shared parking lot stands as a testament to the continuing connection and mutual heritage between these two families.
The estate’s reputation for excellence was firmly established in 1855 when Château Léoville Poyferré was distinguished as one of the 14 Second Growths (Deuxièmes Crus), a testament to the exceptional quality of its wines. However, the latter half of the 19th century brought challenges. In 1865, the Poyferré family sold the property to Armand Lalande, a wine merchant, and Edouard Lawton, a banker. Under their stewardship, and that of Lawton’s son-in-law, the property flourished. The Lawton family’s coat of arms, featuring a demi-wolf, still adorns the label today.
The year 1920 marked the beginning of a new chapter when the Cuvelier family, who are established wine merchants from the north of France that acquired Château Le Crock in Saint-Estèphe in 1903, purchased Château Léoville Poyferré and Château Moulin Riche. Remarkably, production for Château Moulin Riche still takes place at Château Léoville Poyferré, as both estates share the same facilities. To differentiate Château Moulin Riche from Léoville Poyferré, the Cuvelier family decided to change the colour of the Moulin Riche label to black starting from the 2018 vintage. Bringing with them a pioneering spirit and a vision for the future, the Cuveliers made significant strides.
In 1979, Didier Cuvelier became the first family member to directly manage the properties. His tenure was characterised by a relentless pursuit of quality and innovation. This legacy continued with Anne Cuvelier, who arrived in Bordeaux in 2006 with a wealth of international experience. She played a pivotal role in making Château Léoville Poyferré a pioneer in wine tourism within Bordeaux. In 2018, the mantle of leadership passed to Sara Lecompte Cuvelier. As General Director, Sara is dedicated to continuing the family’s quest for excellence while addressing contemporary environmental challenges. Her commitment is encapsulated in the family motto, inspired by a quote from Le Petit Prince: "The essential is invisible to the eye." This philosophy underscores the Cuvelier family’s approach to winemaking, where unseen efforts and dedication yield extraordinary results.
The 920 hectares of Saint-Julien have become a collection of manicured gardens, each offering a myriad of attributes. This wealth of terroir provides Château Léoville Poyferré with a beautiful palette from which to compose its exceptional wines. Dispersed over 80 hectares of Saint-Julien and divided into several groups, the vineyard reflects the richness and diversity of the appellation. Notably, to the northwest lies the Château Moulin Riche, originally only 4 hectares when first bought in 1920, and now encompassing 20 hectares in a single block that uniquely expresses the terroir.
At Château Léoville Poyferré, the narrative of each bottle is rooted in the soils that provide an immutable backdrop, endowing the wines with their distinctive qualities. The secrets of Saint-Julien are held within its precious gravels, scattered across the appellation like stars in the evening sky, and carried and polished by the Gironde Estuary. The vineyard is primarily planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, complemented by Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot, with no Malbec. Its soil profile reveals five distinct layers: clay at the bottom, followed by sand, black earth, another layer of sand, and a top layer of gravel. This diverse soil composition, combined with a respect for nature, enriches the estate’s history year after year. The life of the vine, starting in spring and shaped by the rhythm of the seasons, reaches its full potential during the brief summer in tune with the oceanic climate before returning to winter dormancy.
Grapes are a precious gift from nature, and a conscious, daily effort is required to maintain a natural balance. Recognising its importance, Château Léoville Poyferré integrated the Système de Management Environnemental (SME) for Bordeaux wines in 2016, a key tool in maintaining and enhancing sustainable practices. As a testament to these efforts, the estate proudly obtained the Haute Valeur Environnementale (High Environmental Value) level 3 certification since the 2017 vintage for its entire vineyard. This certification underscores the estate's commitment to environmental stewardship, ensuring that each bottle of wine is not only a product of exceptional terroir but also a reflection of sustainable and responsible viticulture practices.
Complementing these sustainable practices, viticulture at Château Léoville Poyferré are masterfully orchestrated by Vineyard Manager Bruno Clenet and Assistant Vineyard Manager David Aguirre. Much like a conductor guiding an orchestra, they lead the vines through their annual cycle with vigilance, reactivity and adaptability, aiming to minimise interventions and let the vines thrive naturally. Encouraging the vines to root deeply into the soil allows them to fully benefit from its nutrients, while traditional soil management practices preserve the balance between vine and earth. Each vineyard worker is entrusted with specific vineyard plots, maintaining a hands-on approach to care. The vines are pruned using the traditional double guyot method, which limits the number of bunches per vine, supports sap flow, enhances longevity and reduces disease risk. Additional canopy management techniques, including desuckering, debudding, deleafing, topping, trimming, and crop thinning, are employed to ensure optimal vine health and productivity.
The harvest at Château Léoville Poyferré is a meticulous process, marked by precision and expertise. About three weeks before harvest begins, the winemaking team, along with Consulting Oenologist Michel Rolland, evaluates the vineyard by tasting the grape berries to assess their ripeness. This sensory evaluation is supported by analyses of phenolic and technical maturity, ensuring that the timing of the harvest is optimal. As harvest time nears, the permanent vineyard team and seasonal workers hand-pick each grape cluster, which is then transported in crates to the vat house to maintain pristine quality for winemaking.
During the guided tour, I visited the vat room. Upon arrival at the vat house, grapes undergo meticulous sorting: first by hand on tables before destemming, and then again by an optical sorting machine to remove any vegetal matter. Each plot and grape variety is vinified separately in one of the 57 thermo-regulated stainless steel tanks, which come in two shapes: cylindrical and conical. The cylindrical tanks, in use since 1990s, are used for the first and second labels of Moulin Riche and the second label of Léoville Poyferré. These tanks start vinification with alcoholic fermentation followed by two weeks of maceration. In contrast, the 27 double-walled conical tanks, introduced in 2010 and used exclusively for the grand vin of Léoville Poyferré, allow for a different vinification process. These tanks enable a pre-fermentation cold maceration that enhances the extraction of fruit aromas and colour, followed by alcoholic fermentation and then two weeks of maceration.
Since 2018, a new bio-protection system has been employed, using non-saccharomyces yeast to replace traditional SO2, thereby safeguarding the wine. Daily pump-overs during alcoholic fermentation are expertly managed by Château Oenologist Isabelle Davin and Cellar Master Didier Thomann. Their careful control over temperature, extraction duration, oxygen levels, and pump-over frequency ensures that each tank reaches its full aromatic potential, showcasing their masterful touch in crafting exceptional wine.
To my surprise, Château Léoville Poyferré has also ventured into the production of kosher wine in response to a surge in demand. For the 2023 vintage, approximately 21 to 23 barrels were dedicated to this special production. The primary distinction in the winemaking process for kosher wine lies in the involvement of a specialised team of Rabbi from Strasbourg. This team collaborates closely with the estate’s in-house oenology team, who provide detailed instructions on what tasks need to be performed and the optimal timing for each step. However, it is the team of Rabbi who carry out the actual winemaking process, ensuring that the kosher wine adheres to the strict religious guidelines while maintaining the high standards of quality for which the estate is renowned.
During my visit to the barrel room, I was immersed in the rich traditions and meticulous processes that define this esteemed estate. Only medium-toasted French oak barrels are used to age their wines. The estate maintains a rigorous barrel usage policy, employing each barrel for only two vintages before selling them to producers in Portugal. For the 2023 vintage, Château Léoville Poyferré worked with 16 coopers, resulting in around 1,350 barrels due to the high yield of the year. In contrast, the 2022 vintage saw only 975 barrels, highlighting the variability and adaptability required in winemaking. This collaboration with multiple coopers ensures a diverse range of barrel characteristics, contributing to the complexity and depth of the final wine.
At the end of the guided tour, I had the pleasure of tasting three exceptional wines: Pavillon de Léoville Poyferré 2017, Château Moulin Riche 2016, and the grand vin, Château Léoville Poyferré 2015. Each of these wines offered a unique expression of the vineyard's character and the meticulous craftsmanship behind them. The first wine I tasted was Pavillon de Léoville Poyferré 2017, a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Petit Verdot. This wine, made from younger vines, was incredibly easy to drink. It exhibited high acidity and smooth tannins, with a fresh and fruity profile dominated by red and black fruit aromas. The absence of new French oak barrels for ageing and the shorter ageing duration contributed to its light, vibrant character. Despite being produced during the challenging vintage of 2017, Pavillon de Léoville Poyferré 2017 shone with its liveliness and approachability.Next, I sampled Château Moulin Riche 2016, which presented a stark contrast with its richer, more concentrated profile. This wine offered a deeper, more structured experience, with higher tannins and fuller body. The flavours were dominated by black fruits, with an added layer of spiciness from Petit Verdot. The aromas were equally concentrated, providing a robust and powerful tasting experience. Château Moulin Riche 2016 stood out for its complexity and the harmonious balance between its fruit and tannic structure.
The highlight of the tasting session was the grand vin, Château Léoville Poyferré 2015. This wine captivated me with its smoky and oaky notes, interwoven with floral aromas of roses and violets and the richness of black fruits. It was incredibly complex and concentrated, boasting a full body and grippy tannins that indicated its potential for long-term ageing. Although it felt too young to fully appreciate at the moment, it was evident that this wine could develop beautifully over the next 20 to 30 years, promising a remarkable evolution in the bottle. This tasting session at Château Léoville Poyferré not only showcased the diversity and depth of their wines but also highlighted the skill and dedication that go into producing each bottle. From the approachable and fresh Pavillon de Léoville Poyferré 2017 to the structured and powerful Château Moulin Riche 2016, and finally, the complex and age-worthy Château Léoville Poyferré 2015, it was a journey through the terroir and expertise of this renowned estate.
To cap off this unforgettable experience, I had the privilege of getting my bottle of the grand vin, Château Léoville Poyferré 2020 vintage, signed by Anne Cuvelier herself. The grand vin 2020 is released in a stylish black bottle commemorating a century of the Cuvelier family's stewardship of the estate since 1920, making it a vintage that holds special significance for both the family and me personally. The Cuveliers are the current owners of the château, and Anne was incredibly gracious and welcoming. She took the time to sign both my bottle and its wooden case and even posed for a photo with me. I was truly star-struck by her warmth and hospitality, making this visit to Château Léoville Poyferré an extraordinary and cherished memory.
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