Château Léoville Poyferré

The estate's roots trace to 1638, when Bordeaux nobleman Jean de Moytié owned a vineyard on a gravel ridge known as Mont-Moytié. In 1740 the property passed to Blaise Antoine Alexandre de Gascq, who renamed it Léoville and worked to place it among the finest in the Médoc; following his death the estate was eventually divided into three. In 1840, Jeanne de Las Cases inherited a portion of Léoville and passed it to her daughter, also named Jeanne, who had married Baron Jean-Marie de Poyferré, giving the property its name. Château Léoville Poyferré was consecrated Second Grand Cru Classé in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification. After some difficult years, the Poyferré family sold the property in 1865 to wine merchant Armand Lalande and banker Erlanger; Lalande, and later his son-in-law Edouard Lawton, presided over the estate from 1866, and the demi-wolf of the Lawton family coat of arms still appears on the label today. The Cuvelier family, wine merchants who had acquired Château Le Crock in Saint-Estèphe in 1903, purchased Château Léoville Poyferré together with Château Moulin Riche from the Lawton family in 1920. Didier Cuvelier became the first family member to manage the properties in 1979. Anne Cuvelier arrived in Bordeaux in 2006 and led efforts to establish the estate among the pioneers of wine tourism in Bordeaux. In 2018, Sara Lecompte Cuvelier took over from her cousin Didier Cuvelier as General Director, continuing the family's pursuit of quality while addressing environmental challenges.

• Estate origins date to 1638 on the Mont-Moytié gravel ridge; renamed Léoville in 1740 by Blaise Antoine Alexandre de Gascq; named Léoville Poyferré in 1840 after Baron Jean-Marie de Poyferré
• Consecrated Second Grand Cru Classé in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification; sold by the Poyferré family in 1865 to Lalande and Erlanger, then overseen by the Lalande and Lawton families from 1866
• Cuvelier family, wine merchants who acquired Château Le Crock in Saint-Estèphe in 1903, purchased Château Léoville Poyferré and Château Moulin Riche from the Lawton family in 1920
• Didier Cuvelier became the first family member to manage the properties in 1979; Sara Lecompte Cuvelier has served as General Director since 2018

As of 2026, Château Léoville Poyferré's team is led by Sara Lecompte Cuvelier, General Director since 2018, who has described the estate's opulence as residing not in the château or cellars but in its terroirs, know-how and team. Isabelle Davin has served as Oenologist at Château Léoville Poyferré and Château Le Crock since the 2000 vintage; her 2025 harvest marked her 25th at the estate, and the producer's site describes her as a pioneer among female oenologists in the Médoc. Didier Thomann serves as Cellar Master. Alix Combes joined as Vineyard Manager in September 2023, taking over from Bruno Clénet, who left the estate after 25 years; Combes works alongside Assistant Vineyard Manager David Aguirre. Anne Cuvelier leads Wine Tourism and Event Management, heading the team that guides visitors in French and English. Julien Viaud of Labo Rolland serves as consulting oenologist, continuing the work begun by Michel Rolland (1947-2026), who became the estate's consulting oenologist in 1994, the first time a Left Bank property worked with him. As of 2026, the estate's team numbers more than 50 employees.

• Sara Lecompte Cuvelier, General Director since 2018; Isabelle Davin, Oenologist at Léoville Poyferré and Château Le Crock since the 2000 vintage (25th harvest in 2025)
• Didier Thomann, Cellar Master; Alix Combes, Vineyard Manager since September 2023 (succeeded Bruno Clénet after his 25 years at the estate), working with Assistant Vineyard Manager David Aguirre
• Anne Cuvelier leads Wine Tourism and Event Management; Julien Viaud of Labo Rolland is consulting oenologist, continuing the partnership Michel Rolland (1947-2026) began in 1994
• More than 50 employees make up the team as of 2026

The vineyard spans 80 hectares dispersed across the Saint-Julien appellation, which totals 920 hectares, in several groups reflecting the diversity of the appellation's soils. Within this total, 20 hectares to the northwest of the appellation form a single block dedicated to Château Moulin Riche. The estate's vineyard is planted to 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc, with an average vine age of 38 years, on terraces of Mindel gravel over sandy-clay subsoil. The producer's site identifies five distinct terroir types across the property: the Black Earth (organic-matter-rich soil suited to Merlot), the Sandy Gravels (structured, well-drained soil for Cabernet Sauvignon), the Sands (powerful, heat-retaining soil for late-ripening varieties), the Rich Gravels (balanced soil for Merlot and Cabernet Franc) and the Black Gravels (fertile, gravel-strewn soil for Cabernet Sauvignon). Vines are pruned using the traditional double guyot method to limit bunches per vine and support vine longevity. The estate obtained Haute Valeur Environnementale (HVE) level 3 certification, the highest level, for its entire vineyard beginning with the 2017 vintage.

• 80 hectares within the 920-hectare Saint-Julien appellation, including a separate 20-hectare block for Château Moulin Riche to the northwest
• Planted to 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc; average vine age 38 years; terraces of Mindel gravel over sandy-clay subsoil
• Five identified terroir types: Black Earth, Sandy Gravels, Sands, Rich Gravels and Black Gravels, each suited to different grape varieties and ripening styles
• Vines pruned using the traditional double guyot method; Haute Valeur Environnementale level 3 certification (highest level) for the entire vineyard since the 2017 vintage

About three weeks before harvest, the winemaking team joins consulting oenologist Julien Viaud of Labo Rolland to taste grape berries in the vineyard and assess ripeness, complementing daily tastings with analyses of phenolic and technical maturity. Grapes are picked by hand by the estate's permanent vineyard team, with help from seasonal workers, and transported to the vat house in crates. Once at the vat house, the grapes are sorted twice, first by hand before destemming and again by optical sorting machine before crushing. Vinification is carried out plot by plot and by grape variety in 57 thermo-regulated stainless steel tanks, of which 27 are double-walled to allow pre-fermentation cold macerations lasting about a week, enhancing fruit purity and color intensity. In 2018 the estate adopted a bio-protection system, adding non-saccharomyces yeast to the must to eliminate the traditional use of sulfur dioxide at that stage. Daily pump-overs continue through alcoholic fermentation under the direction of Oenologist Isabelle Davin and Cellar Master Didier Thomann. The wines are aged exclusively in French oak barrels for 18 months, undergoing malolactic fermentation in barrel for stability and suppleness, with the final blend assembled from the estate's different plots.

• Harvest decisions guided by berry tastings with consulting oenologist Julien Viaud roughly three weeks before picking; grapes hand-picked and sorted twice, by hand and by optical sorting machine
• Plot-by-plot, variety-by-variety vinification in 57 thermo-regulated stainless steel tanks, 27 of them double-walled for week-long pre-fermentation cold maceration
• Bio-protection system adopted in 2018, using non-saccharomyces yeast in place of sulfur dioxide at the must stage
• 18-month aging in French oak barrels with malolactic fermentation completed in barrel; fermentation and aging overseen by Oenologist Isabelle Davin and Cellar Master Didier Thomann

Château Léoville Poyferré, the estate's Second Grand Cru Classé grand vin, comes from the 80-hectare Saint-Julien vineyard along the Gironde estuary; its second wine, Pavillon de Léoville Poyferré, has been described by critic Neal Martin as a 'decent Deuxième Vin.' Château Moulin Riche is produced from the estate's separate 20-hectare single block to the west in Saint-Julien; the estate also produces M de Moulin Riche. Beyond Saint-Julien, the Cuvelier family also owns Château Le Crock, a Cru Bourgeois estate in Saint-Estèphe acquired in 1903, and Cuvelier Los Andes, a vineyard the family built from scratch in Argentina starting in 1998 alongside Michel Rolland, Bertrand Cuvelier and the partners of Clos de los Siete.

• Château Léoville Poyferré: Second Grand Cru Classé grand vin from the 80-hectare Saint-Julien estate; second wine is Pavillon de Léoville Poyferré
• Château Moulin Riche: from a separate 20-hectare single block in Saint-Julien; the estate also produces M de Moulin Riche
• Château Le Crock: Cru Bourgeois estate in Saint-Estèphe, acquired by the Cuvelier family in 1903
• Cuvelier Los Andes: Argentine vineyard built from scratch starting in 1998 with Michel Rolland, Bertrand Cuvelier and the partners of Clos de los Siete

The 2009 vintage received 100 points from Robert Parker at The Wine Advocate (February 2012), who described it as revealing thrilling levels of opulence, richness and aromatic pleasure. The 2018 vintage received 100 points from Jeb Dunnuck at JebDunnuck.com (March 2021), who called it a legendary wine in the making, and was also scored 97 points by Chris Kissack of The Wine Doctor, 98 points by James Suckling and 97 points by Wine Spectator. In 2026, British journalist Chris Kissack featured the 2004 vintage, an initially overshadowed year, in his Weekend Wine column, scoring it 94 points and praising its poise and depth more than twenty years after release. The 2024 vintage drew early press scores of 94-95 points from James Suckling, 94-96 points from Jeb Dunnuck, 95 points from Georgina Hindle at Decanter, and 95 points from Jane Anson at Inside Bordeaux.

• 2009 vintage: 100 points, Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate (February 2012)
• 2018 vintage: 100 points, Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (March 2021); also 97 points from Chris Kissack (The Wine Doctor), 98 points from James Suckling, and 97 points from Wine Spectator
• 2004 vintage: 94 points from Chris Kissack, featured in his Weekend Wine column in 2026
• 2024 vintage: 94-95 points (James Suckling), 94-96 points (Jeb Dunnuck), 95 points (Georgina Hindle, Decanter), 95 points (Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux)

Château Léoville Poyferré welcomes visitors by appointment for tours and tastings, led by a team headed by Anne Cuvelier and able to host guests in French and English. Offerings include the Panoramique tasting of three vintages, the Sweet Delights pairing of wine and desserts, the Whispers from the Cellar private cellar tasting with bottles dating back to the 1970s, and the Symphony vertical tasting paired with charcuterie and aged cheeses; a Summer Terrace lunch platter runs from May through September. A walk-in boutique tasting is available without reservation during opening hours from April through October. The estate also hosts private events in its Reception Room, which seats up to 180 guests and adjoins a 250-square-meter terrace, and its smaller Private Dining Room, which accommodates up to 12 guests.

• Tours and tastings by appointment, led by a team headed by Anne Cuvelier, offered in French and English
• Tasting formats include Panoramique, Sweet Delights, Whispers from the Cellar (private cellar tasting with bottles from as far back as the 1970s) and Symphony; Summer Terrace lunch platters run May to September
• Walk-in boutique tastings available without reservation, April through October, during opening hours
• Reception Room seats up to 180 guests with an adjoining 250-square-meter terrace; Private Dining Room accommodates up to 12 guests

Primary sources (producer's own site): https://www.leoville-poyferre.fr/en/, https://www.leoville-poyferre.fr/en/ethos/, https://www.leoville-poyferre.fr/en/the-property/, https://www.leoville-poyferre.fr/en/the-team/, https://www.leoville-poyferre.fr/en/the-wines/, https://www.leoville-poyferre.fr/en/visits/, https://www.leoville-poyferre.fr/en/vins/chateau-leoville-poyferre, https://www.leoville-poyferre.fr/en/vins/chateau-leoville-poyferre/vintage-2009/, https://www.leoville-poyferre.fr/en/vins/chateau-leoville-poyferre/vintage-2018/, https://www.leoville-poyferre.fr/en/vins/chateau-moulin-riche, https://www.leoville-poyferre.fr/en/vins/pavillon-de-leoville-poyferre/, https://www.leoville-poyferre.fr/en/vins/m-de-moulin-riche/, https://www.leoville-poyferre.fr/en/tribute-to-michel-rolland/, https://www.leoville-poyferre.fr/en/25-years-of-harvests-isabelle-davin/, https://www.leoville-poyferre.fr/en/en-primeurs-leoville-poyferre-2023/, https://www.leoville-poyferre.fr/en/leoville-poyferre-2004-praised-by-chris-kissack/, https://www.leoville-poyferre.fr/en/chateau-leoville-poyferre-2024-a-vintage-crafted-with-precision/. Secondary sources: Bordeaux.com (CIVB), Wine Spectator (Michel Rolland obituary, March 2026). Last verified 2026-09-09. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs.