We’re thrilled to present another direct-from-Château acquisition: the 2012 Château Léoville Poyferré, a benchmark Second Growth from the heart of Saint-Julien. This historic estate is part of Bordeaux’s elite “Super Seconds” and remains one of the most consistent performers in the modern era.
The original Léoville estate was divided into three properties between 1826 and 1840. Léoville Las Cases was the first to split, retaining roughly 60% of the original parcel. Barton followed, and finally Poyferré. While Las Cases commands the highest price and prestige, it’s Poyferré that continues to shine for its exceptional value and quality.
We regularly taste both newly released top-growth Bordeaux and properly cellared classics, and Léoville Poyferré never fails to impress. Its traditional Left Bank blend is anchored by Cabernet Sauvignon grown on deep gravel soils—a key factor in the estate’s signature structure and elegance.
This is a blue-chip label, highly sought after in auction circles, making back-vintage offerings increasingly rare. We’ve gone the extra mile to secure this pristine 2012 directly from the estate’s négociant agent. Perfectly cellared in Bordeaux and shipped to the U.S. just months ago, the provenance is impeccable: pristine labels, excellent neck fills, and ideal storage conditions.
We recommend standing the bottle upright for a few days before opening, then decanting for 60 minutes and serving at 60–65°F. The wine is still youthful, with aromas of black and blue fruits layered with cigar box and pencil shavings. The tannins are fine and well-integrated, supporting notes of mushroom, forest floor, black olive tapenade, licorice, and worn leather. It’s in a beautiful drinking window now and will continue to evolve gracefully over the next decade.
This is a rare opportunity to enjoy aged top-growth Bordeaux at a compelling price—especially with multi-bottle savings. Santé!
Press Accolades:
94 Points, Jeb Dunnuck:
"Really beautiful now with blackcurrant, licorice and red-berry aromas, following through to a full body with layers of fine tannins and a beautiful finish. It’s really starting to drink nicely . Drink or hold.”
94 Points, James Suckling:
“Less elegant than the 2011, but also less austere, there is plenty of get hold of here, with evident depth to the black cherry, blackberry fruits overlaid with chocolate shavings, brioche and liqourice. Sums up much of what i love about this property - it has a kick and a sense of great cheer, along with the slate texture, tannic hold and balance of St Julien. No need to wait to drink although will age from here."
94 Points, Vinous Media:
“A dark, fleshy wine, the Léoville Poyferré 2012 is round, succulent and deeply expressive. Dark red cherry, plum, mocha, graphite and lavender are fused together in an effortless, silky Saint-Julien built on texture. Striking and totally beautiful, the 2012 will be ready to deliver its charms early. All the elements are in the right place. This is a gorgeous showing from Léoville-Poyferré. The 2012 is perhaps not an epic wine, but is gorgeous today and should provide considerable pleasure over the next 15-20 years.”
94 Points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Independent:
"Owned by the Cuvelier family since 1920, this property over the last 20 years has made some great wines in the Médoc. The 2012, a blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc, is opaque purple, thick-looking, and from bottle much more impressive than it was from barrel. This very extracted, rich, full-bodied, masculine Léoville Poyferré needs a good 5-8 years of bottle age and should evolve well for at least 20-25 years. Loads of blackberry and cassis, crushed rock and graphite notes are present in this medium to full-bodied, impressively concentrated and pure wine. Forget it for a while, as this is one of the bigger, richer Médocs."
