Are you the second-to-none type?

If so, Michel Rolland delivers the goods once again! No doubt 2nd Growth Poyferré is truly as good as St.-Julien gets. And today you can get a taste of that as Pavillon happens to be their 2nd wine. Alas, let us not stop you if you’d rather seek the flagship. It’s amazing. But know that it will cost you a lot more as Dunnuck calls it “another utterly brilliant wine from this team, which has been producing First Growth quality wines for many years now.”

OR… here’s another idea.

Get this one - an arguably rarer sight and at 45% off today. Drink this while you wait for the big one to mature, which Jeb recommends drinking 2028 thru 2078(!). Meanwhile the Pavillon “another beautiful 2nd wine that offers Grand Vin-like richness and purity as well as structure” - open for business from the get-go.

A recent deep dive by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate explains the wizardry behind the scenes: “With some 80 hectares under vine, Léoville Poyferré’s parcels are inter-fingered with those belonging to the Delon and Barton families by the river and on the plateau of Saint-Julien… Winemaking features a 5-8 day cold soak, followed by comparatively long macerations, and maturation is in 80% new oak, with lots destined for new barrels completing their malolactic fermentation in barrel… this delivers the richest, fleshiest, most flamboyant of the three Léoville estates, but while it’s generally the most open out of the gates of the three, that hasn’t come at the expense of longevity.”

And this barrel impression by them says it all: “Sporting a deep garnet-purple color, the 2020 Pavillon de Léoville Poyferré is equally as bold and expressive at this youthful stage as its Grand Vin, leaping from the glass with pronounced Black Forest cake, boysenberries and blackcurrant pastilles scents, plus wafts of Indian spices and crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate is coated with vibrant black fruits with a soft texture and just enough freshness, finishing on a fragrant earth note.”

We could not have said it better. Oh, and it’s one of the few Kosher-certified classified growth Bordeaux, if that matters. What’s also ‘kosher’ is grabbing this under $50 gem by the case while it’s here.

93 Points – Antonio Galloni’s Vinous

“The 2020 Pavillon de Léoville-Poyferré is a terrific second wine. Plush, deep and expansive, the Pavillon will provide plenty of enjoyment right out of the gate. Soft, silky tannins wrap around a core of dark cherry, plum, mocha, spice and new leather. Hints of blood orange and spice lift the finish nicely. All of the signatures of the Grand Vin come through nicely, but in a softer style. This is pure and total seduction.”

92+ Points – Jeb Dunnuck

“I always love the second wines from these great estates. The 2020 Pavillon de Léoville Poyferré is up-front, loaded with fruit, and as delicious as they come, offering lots of darker fruit, some spicy wood and graphite notes, medium to full body, and ripe, elegant tannins. Drink this balanced, impeccably made Saint-Julien over the coming 10-15 years. Drink 2023-2038.”