France Bordeaux Pomerol Château Lafleur

Château Lafleur

100 points - The Wine Advocate
99 points - The Wine Advocate
95 points - The Wine Advocate
94 points - The Wine Advocate
93 points - The Wine Advocate
99 points - The Wine Advocate
100 points - The Wine Advocate
99 points - The Wine Advocate
95 points - The Wine Advocate
95 points - The Wine Advocate
France Bordeaux Pomerol Château Lafleur

Château Lafleur

100 points - The Wine Advocate
99 points - The Wine Advocate
95 points - The Wine Advocate
94 points - The Wine Advocate
93 points - The Wine Advocate
99 points - The Wine Advocate
100 points - The Wine Advocate
99 points - The Wine Advocate
95 points - The Wine Advocate
95 points - The Wine Advocate
Vintage
Size
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The 2019 Lafleur is an utterly profound young wine that unwinds in the glass with aromas of rose petals, raspberries and sweet spices mingled with notions of blood orange, violets and fresh tobacco that are hauntingly reminiscent of this estate's great 1982. Full-bodied, deep and seamless, it's layered and multidimensional, with a concentrated core of vibrant fruit, lively acids and ripe, powdery tannins, concluding with a long, searingly intense finish. This magical Lafleur is unquestionably one of the wines of the vintage.
The 2016 Lafleur is blended of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot grown mainly on gravel over clay. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the nose begins by slowly releasing gorgeous, beguiling scents of truffles, black soil, crushed rocks and smoked meats, giving way to a beautiful perfume of red roses, dark chocolate-covered cherries, oolong tea and lavender with wafts of cigar box and iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is completely coated with taut, tightly wound yet ethereally weighted layers of earth, mineral and perfumed black fruits, firmly fixed by very fine-grained tannins and great freshness, finishing very long and incredibly fragrant.
The 2014 Lafleur has a lucid hue. The bouquet bides its time, gradually unfolding with scents of raspberry coulis, blackberry, black truffle and just a faint hint of dark chocolate, all beautifully defined and yet you know it is keeping something in reserve. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannin. There is that backbone, which of course you expect with this Pomerol, but also a sense of refinement and poise, a seam of spiciness that develops with time in the glass that prolongs the finish. No, it is not the greatest Lafleur that I have tasted. It's just a really great Pomerol that will give many years of pleasure.
Tasted blind at the Southwold 2012 tasting, the 2012 Lafleur has a very well-defined bouquet that is complex and laden with blackberry, granite, cedar and veins of graphite, all with razor-like precision. The palate is medium-bodied with fine delineation and lovely poise. There are plenty of graphite-infused black fruit interwoven into this Pomerol with a cheeky dab of spiciness on the finish that needs to manifest just a little more precision in order that it attains full potential. As usual, Baptiste, Julie and Jacques Guinaudeau have conjured a serious Lafleur destined for long-term ageing.
This tiny jewel of a property has produced a beautifully rich 2011 Lafleur from a blend of 53% Cabernet Franc and 47% Merlot. The Merlot was picked between August 31 and September 12, and the Cabernet Franc between September 22-23. The 2011 reveals a floral-scented bouquet with notions of kirsch, licorice and black raspberries. It is medium to full-bodied with terrific fruit purity, good minerality and slightly more acidity and freshness than are found in such ripe vintages as 2009 and 2010. At present, the Guinandeau family, the owners, are using between 50-60% new oak in an attempt to emphasize their great terroir and the extraordinary fruit quality they achieve from both the old vine Cabernet Franc and Merlot. This cuvee possesses some serious tannin and will undoubtedly need 5-6 years of cellaring after its release, but it should be one of the longer-lived wines of the vintage, lasting 25+ years.
Tasted blind as a vintage comparison at the Valandraud vertical, the 2010 Lafleur put in an absolutely no holds barred astonishing performance. Lafleur is wont to improve in bottle and this is certainly the case apropos the 2010. It has a boisterous ripe blackberry, cranberry, sous-bois and graphite-scented bouquet that is an absolute beauty. Power mixed with quite brilliant precision, you almost want to laugh at its sheer audacity. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannin; there is immense depth and wonderful cohesion. Mineral-drenched black fruit, a slightly chalky texture and outstanding energy and tension on the finish - this is a magnificent Pomerol from the Guinaudeau family.
This amazing wine puts on a display of fireworks in terms of its aromatics, with a stunning nose of blue and black fruits, forest floor, flowers and earth. Dense purple, full-bodied, rich, moderately tannic and super-concentrated, this is a profound Pomerol that still needs another decade of cellaring. This is possibly the greatest Lafleur of the modern era, rivaling the 1982 and 2000. Forget it for another 5-10 years and drink it over the following quarter-century.
An absolutely prodigious blend of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot, the 2009 Lafleur displays the tell-tale characteristics of this great estate. Kirsch liqueur, licorice and floral notes are intermixed with raspberry in a very full-bodied, super-intense, opulent and multi-dimensional style. Extraordinarily dense and pure, but not heavy by any means, the intensity, texture, and richness of the 2009 Lafleur are reminiscent of the perfect 1982. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2040.
Tasted at Justerini & Brooks agency tasting in London. I absolutely adored the Château Lafleur 2004 when I first tasted it from barrel. Now with a decade on the clock, it is beginning to truly fulfil its promise as one of the wines of that vintage. It has a deep garnet hue. The nose demonstrates a sense of energy married with outstanding delineation: blackberry, blueberry and freshly shaved black truffle. The palate is extremely focused and tense, the acidity perfectly judged, and though the growing season perhaps curtails the sustain on the finish, there is coolness and a nonchalance here that is captivating. There remains some adolescent broodiness here, but give it another 3-4 years and you will have a great Pomerol and a great Lafleur on your hands.
The exotic, nearly over the top 2003 exhibits a southern Rhone-like characteristic of kirsch liqueur intermixed with raspberries and flowers. Sweet fruit, high levels of glycerin (the alcohol is less than 13.5%), and high but silky tannins have resulted in a broad, expansive, terrific example of Lafleur that should be at its finest between 2008-2025. Along with Petrus, this stunning, full-bodied 2003 is a candidate for the top wine of Pomerol.
Type:
 Red
Country:
 France
Region:
 Bordeaux
Appellation:
 Pomerol
Producer:
 Château Lafleur
Grapes/Blend:
 Merlot, Alicante
Serving temp:
 16° - 18° C
ABV:
 15%
Pairing Sugesstions:
 Duck, Mushrooms, Hard Cheeses, Red Meat, Game Birds, Charcuterie and Cured Meats

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Behind the bottle

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Château Lafleur

Château Lafleur was founded in 1872 by Henri Greloud, who purchased a small domaine of 4.5 hectares which he named after the hamlet, Lafleur. Still in the hands...

Château Lafleur was founded in 1872 by Henri Greloud, who purchased a small domaine of 4.5 hectares which he named after the hamlet, Lafleur. Still in the hands of the family, the Château is now run by his great great grandchildren, Jacques and Sylvie Guinaudeau, and their children. The team today consists of fifteen dedicated vignerons, whose passion and enthusiasm in the vineyards and cellars are key in the production of the wine.

“We do everything ourselves, with exactly the same team in both the vineyard and cellar. The pruners are the same people who tie up the vines with us for trellising, or thin the leaves when necessary, or bring the grapes in at harvest, or bottle the finished wine. There is never the idea of handing one stage over to the next person – we are all in it together.” Baptiste Guinaudeau, Winemaker

“What I appreciate particularly about the Guinaudeaus is that, most unusually for Bordeaux, they have an almost Burgundian ethos of care and personal attention in the way they run the property. The family personally works the vineyards and seems to know practically every vine.” Jancis Robinson OBE MW

The vineyards are located on the gravel-rich Pomerol plateau and adjoin those of la Fleur-Pétrus, while the property is opposite Pétrus. The wines are typically a blend of 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc with the best vintages ageing for up to 50 years.

"One of the most distinctive, most exotic, and greatest wines – not only in Pomerol, but in the world.” Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate

"The wine amply deserves its high prices.” Michel Bettane and Thierry Desseauve

"The greatest wine I ever had was a magnum of Lafleur 1947 from John Avery's private cellar, even though it was served alongside the famous Cheval Blanc 1947.” Stephen Browett, Farr Vintners

Château Lafleur
Bordeaux - Onshore Cellars

Bordeaux
Bordeaux, in the southwest of France, needs little introduction as one of the world's most famous, prestigious and prolific wine regions. The majority of Bordeaux wines (nearly 90...
Bordeaux, in the southwest of France, needs little introduction as one of the world's most famous, prestigious and prolific wine regions. The majority of Bordeaux wines (nearly 90 percent of production volume) are the dry, medium- and full-bodied red Bordeaux Blends that established its reputation.

The finest (and most expensive) of these are the wines from the great châteaux of the Haut-Médoc and the Right Bank appellations Saint-Émilion and Pomerol. The former is focused (at the top level) on Cabernet Sauvignon, the latter pair on on Merlot.

The legendary reds are complemented by high-quality white wines based on Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. These range from dry whites to challenge the best from the Burgundy region (Pessac-Léognan is particularly renowned) to the sweet, botrytized nectars of Sauternes.
Explore Bordeaux
Our collection of Pomerol - Find this at Onshore Cellars your yacht wine supplier

Pomerol

Pomerol is a small wine appellation located in the Bordeaux region of France. It is known for producing some of the most sought-after wines in the world, particularly...

Pomerol is a small wine appellation located in the Bordeaux region of France. It is known for producing some of the most sought-after wines in the world, particularly its red wines made from the Merlot grape.

The history of Pomerol dates back to the Roman era, when the area was known for its fertile soils and ideal climate for grape growing. However, it wasn't until the 19th century that Pomerol began to gain recognition for its wines. In 1855, Pomerol was not included in the famous Bordeaux Wine Official Classification, which was a list of the best wines in the region. This was largely due to the fact that Pomerol was a relatively unknown appellation at the time. However, this did not deter the winemakers of Pomerol, who continued to produce exceptional wines that would eventually gain worldwide recognition.

The style of production in Pomerol is unique compared to other wine regions in Bordeaux. The vineyards are relatively small, with many of them being family-owned and operated. The winemakers in Pomerol focus on producing high-quality wines that are reflective of the terroir, or the unique characteristics of the soil and climate in the region. The Merlot grape is the dominant variety grown in Pomerol, with smaller amounts of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon also being grown.

The typical wines from Pomerol are red wines that are rich, full-bodied, and complex. They are known for their deep, dark color and intense aromas of black fruit, such as blackberry and black cherry. On the palate, Pomerol wines are often described as having a velvety texture, with flavors of dark fruit, chocolate, and spice. The tannins in Pomerol wines are typically soft and well-integrated, making them approachable even when young.

Some of the most famous wines from Pomerol include Château Pétrus, Château Lafleur, and Château Le Pin. These wines are highly sought-after by collectors and wine enthusiasts around the world, and can command prices that are among the highest in the wine industry.

In conclusion, Pomerol is a unique and special wine appellation that produces some of the most exceptional wines in the world. Its history, style of production, and the grapes grown there all contribute to the distinctive character of Pomerol wines. If you are a fan of red wine, particularly Merlot, then Pomerol is definitely an appellation to explore.

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