WTN: 2001 Chateau Leoville Poyferre

[David M. Bueker]

Still a young wine, with very little development. There's a lot of up front fruit, and the tannins are lurking pretty deep in the background. The one notable development from time in the cellar is that the original oak has backed off considerably, with more of a vanilla accent on the finish rather than anything dominant. I like the wine very much, as it provides a lot of drinking pleasure despite the lack of development. There's enough stuffing to hold for quite a while while I wait for those aged elements to kick in.

I am a big fan of this Chateau, having had a nice visit there in '08. Some good values can often be found from this 2nd Growth as it has a reputation as an under-performer, but IMO it can be top notch wine. Picked up a half case of the '02 for $24, and they are beautiful now, the '04 cost us about $40, and will be another winner. Price is creeping up though. I do have one bottle of the 2000, and will wait for you or someone to say when it is time to open.
Thanks for the note.

[David M. Bueker]

I think Poyferre's reputation as an underperformer is behnd it now. What has not changed is that they ride the vintage with their pricing, such that "lesser" years (and years like '01, '02 and '04 are only lesser in comparison to '00, '05 and perhaps '09 - 2001 would have been considered a great vintage if it had happened in the 70s or '90s) are significantly less expensive. I like that approach from good chateaux, as it means I can afford to buy good names is less regarded years - frequently a keen buying strategy.

This is my buying strategy too. I have just ordered a few bottles of 2001 Pichon Comtesse. Thanks for the nice note David! I plan to open a bottle of 1999 LP in the near future, and then will post a note...