Leoville Poyferre and other news
Professor Colin Hay, Professor of Political Science at Sciences Po in Paris, has just published his profile of the vintage and market conditions, and it's well worth a read - click here. 'What is clear is that it richly deserves a place in the pantheon of the greats, continuing the post-millennial sequence: 2000, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2018... 2019.' Yet Professor Hay suggests that market conditions are more inauspicious than they have ever been and that even 30% price cuts may not be enough to counter weak demand associated with the economic disruption caused by COVID-19.
The main news today was the release of the Baron Philippe de Rothschild wines, unfortunately just after the release of Lisa Perrotti-Brown's potentially perfect score for Mouton on robertparker.com. With 20% less wine released, Mouton moved straight to sold out. We have small amounts available of Clerc Milon and Armailhac.
Yesterday saw the release of one of one of our favourites in St-Julien, Leoville Poyferre, this year celebrating 100 years with the Cuvelier family. In 2017, Didier Cuvelier passed the baton to his niece Sara Lecompte-Cuvelier, who scored a brilliant success with her debut 2018 vintage. Now Jane Anson describes her 2019 as 'hugely impressive'. Poyferre is a welcome addition to a cellar in any vintage, but with a 25% reduction on last year, it is a compelling proposition, and selling fast.
In St-Emilion, a couple worth a special mention: La Tour Saint Christophe and Bellefont Belcier. It is commonly said that the way to make a small fortune in wine is to make a large fortune in something else first, but that has not deterred Peter Kwok from his love affair with Bordeaux. Under the aegis of his Vignobles K group he has invested enormous sums in renovating both these properties, including replanting and terracing vineyards, introducing organic and biodynamic practices and modernising the winemaking facilities. In response, the wines are absolutely singing. Despite the same vinification regimes, the two are strikingly different: La Tour St Christophe shows lifted fresh fruit and svelte tannins, while Bellefont Belcier is marked by slightly greater proportions of both the Cabernets. /NT
View all wines released so far
Offered subject to confirmation; for shipment 2022
