Wine Advisor
Lafleur 1995
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Description
Château Lafleur is a tiny 4.5-hectare Pomerol property located opposite Pétrus and producing wines of comparable quality. Lafleur is owned and run by Sylvie and Jacques Guinadeau. Its vineyards are situated on the gravel-rich Pomerol plateau and adjoin those of La Fleur-Pétrus. The soils here are particularly deep and are enriched by deposits of potassium and iron. Only natural fertilisers are used and yields are painfully low, even by Pomerol standards. By the 1980s, Chateau Lafleur was on its way to becoming one of the world’s most in-demand wines selling for more than the First Growths. In 1975, Robert Parker made his first visit to the estate and since then never stopped writing about the wine. His comments on Chateau Lafleur excited consumers all over the world, and thus became one of those Pomerol wines that tied to the success and continuous praise heaped on the wine by Robert Parker.
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
A deep garnet core. A lovely nose, the Cabernet Franc really beginning to shine, cooked meats, spice, touch of ginger, damp earth and leather. Very complex and engaging, great definition. The palate is full-bodied, beautifully balance with nigh on perfect acidity. Robust and sinewy, great structure and grip with that Cabernet Franc again running the show. Not as medicinal on the finish as the previous bottle in September 2004, but this giant is just starting to awake. Drink 2018-2040. Tasted December 2007.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at Justerini & Brooks agency tasting in London. So far this year, I have tasted the Château Lafleur 1995 twice and it is rapidly becoming my favorite wine of that decade, vying with the 1998. Unlike the 2000, this is now reaching its plateau of maturity after 20 years, though it will remain there for many years. It has a sensual bouquet with wonderful definition: blackberry, bacon fat, hot gravel scents abound and then after 30-40 minutes a sprig of wild mint. Mercurial and captivating—that's a great Lafleur on the nose. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, though they are not quite as filigree and finely chiselled as the 2000. There is unquestionably immense depth here with tertiary black fruit, smoke and black truffle before fanning out in confident fashion on the finish. This is just a superb Lafleur with a long and prosperous life ahead. Tasted February 2015.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Deep garnet core with a little aging on the rim. The nose is surprisingly open with soft red fruits, damp earth and a savoury/figgy dimension. It lacks the definition of the 1998 but has more intensity. The palate is very concentrated, savory and fleshy with sour cherry, raspberry and leather notes. Firm rigid tannins, but not as austere as I expected. A touch of volatility on the finish that renders it slightly medicinal. This actually improved in the glass, developing an alluring mocha flavour. Great potential. Tasted September 2004.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
This is an awesome Lafleur, but it is also an amazingly backward, tannic monster that will need more cellaring than any Medoc in this vintage. The wine boasts an opaque black/purple color, as well as a closed but promising nose that represents the essence of blackberry, raspberry, and cherry fruit. Intertwined with those aromas is the tell-tale mineral terroir of Lafleur, full body, blistering dry, astringent tannin, and a layered, weighty feel on the palate. This is the kind of young claret that I couldn't wait to rush out and buy two decades ago, but now I have to be content to admire it and wish I were twenty years younger. It is formidable, prodigious, and oh, so promising, but I cannot see it being ready to drink before the end of the second decade of the next century! Anticipated maturity: 2020-2050.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A profound effort, the 1995's awesome, explosive nose of blackcurrants, raspberries, and cherries, intermingled with earth and Asian spices is hard to ignore. Huge and full-bodied, with knock-out levels of fruit, extract, and glycerin, this wine reveals a sweet inner-core of fruit, as well as mouth-searing levels of tannin, and a dense, concentrated minerality that must be tasted to be believed. Given the micro-quantities produced, the 1995 Lafleur will be almost impossible to find, but it should prove to be one of the vintage's longest-lived efforts. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2035.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A profound effort, the 1995's awesome, explosive nose of black currants, raspberries, and cherries, intermingled with earth and Asian spices is hard to ignore. Huge and full-bodied, with knock-out levels of fruit, extract, and glycerin, this wine reveals a sweet inner-core of fruit, as well as mouth-searing levels of tannin, and a dense, concentrated minerality that must be tasted to be believed. Given the micro-quantities produced, the 1995 Lafleur will be almost impossible to find, but it should prove to be one of the vintage's longest-lived efforts. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2035. Last tasted 11/97
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted from an ex-chateau bottle at the Lafleur vertical dinner at Attersee in Austria. The Lafleur 1995 is turning into a stellar Pomerol after a cautious first few years. As it begins to open up, it has a sublime bouquet that is less introspective than in past examples, bestowing scents of dark cherries, blackberry, limestone and a hint of balsamic. As I commented before, there is something that stylistically echoes La Conseillante just down the road. The palate is full-bodied with dense, obdurate tannins that form its chassis that will ensure that it ages over many years. It is still a little tight, still holding something back whilst the oyster shell tinged finish is imbued with a beguiling sense of symmetry. Superb. Tasted June 2012.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 1995 Lafleur is a spectacular effort. The color is nearly opaque black/blue/purple. The huge nose of sweet cassis, raspberry fruit is intermingled with scents of smoke and minerals. Thick, mind-bogglingly extracted flavors exhibiting a 1990/1982-like ripeness are followed by massive quantities of fruit, glycerin, body, and tannin. Once again, this is a spectacularly pure, well-balanced wine that should age effortlessly for 30+ years. A great Lafleur, it follows in the footsteps of such fabulous vintages as 1982, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1994. Only 1000+ cases of wine are produced at this micro-estate (which allocates about one-third of its production to its second wine, Les Pensees de Lafleur). Further complicating this wine's availability is the fact that Lafeur's 1995 yields were extremely low (under 40 hectoliters per hectare). Latching onto a bottle or two of this treasure will be agonizingly difficult. All of the wines in this segment were tasted between March 19 and March 28 in Bordeaux. Most of the important wines from both the 1994 and 1995 vintages were tasted three separate times during my ten-day stay in Bordeaux.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at Roberson’s Pomerol tasting. The nose is very backward and masculine at first, dark and broody, stony even and then it blossoms with fragrant rose petals and violets that is more akin to say, La Conseillante than Lafleur. The palate is full-bodied with firm tannins, dark berried fruit and superb acidity keeping the whole thing in balance. Tannic and structured towards the finish, there is an intrinsic sense of confidence and brio in this Lafleur that far exceeds expectations and is imbued with a thrilling sense of symmetry on the silky finish that lingers brilliantly. Stunning. Drink 2012-2030+ Tasted November 2010.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at John Armit’s Lafleur dinner. Our table was quite stunned at the performance of the Lafleur 1995…even Jacques G beside me. The nose is still tight and takes time to unwind with black cherries, black olive, boysenberry and violet. The palate is medium-bodied with svelte, luxurious tannins that caress the mouth and leave you utterly seduced by texture alone. There is a symmetry and focus that is bewitching, long and penetrating on the finish to make sure you will not forget this Lafleur in a hurry. Magnificent. Drink 2012-2030. Tasted April 2010.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 1995 Lafleur was bought and served blind by Baptiste Guinaudeau at a dinner in Saint-Émilion. It's not dissimilar to the bottle drunk in 2018. On the nose, there is black fruit with graphite and game hints. Given that it is now 27 years old, the 1995 is maturing at a glacial pace. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins that loosen up with aeration. With blackberry, black truffle and a touch of smoke, this Lafleur exudes Cabernet Franc on the finish. I thought that it might be ready to drink now, but this suggests it would be better to wait. Tasted in Bordeaux.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 1995 Lafleur is a wine that I have been lucky enough to taste several times, the last in 2015. This bottle is consistent with others: black fruit, graphite, hints of cooked meat and bell pepper emanating from the Cabernet Franc component. I look for that warm gravel trait developing after 30 minutes in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied but as mercurial as always, shape-shifting in the glass, keeping you on your toes. It boasts perfectly judged acidity. It is not quite as sleek and perhaps does not quite boast the same panache of more recent vintages, yet it is adorned with impressive depth. It glides into a gorgeous, black truffle and smoke-infused finish as the Cabernet Franc moves into the driving seat. It is not quite amongst the very best bottles of the 1995 that I have encountered, but it is not far off. Tasted at the “International Wine & Business” Lafleur dinner at Ten Trinity, London.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the Pomerol Comparative Exploration tasting in London, the 1995 Lafleur was broadly the same as the bottle tasted the previous year. The nose is taut at first with perhaps just a tad blue fruit than previous bottles, unfolding with those enticing gravel and meat juice aromas that lend this so much complexity. There is wondrous delineation here and like before, there is a distant scent of wild mint, perhaps fennel that emerges after 30-40 minutes. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin that have taken two decades to fully melt. There is wonderful depth, gorgeous tertiary black fruit with hints of black truffle towards prolonged finish. The 1995 is best Lafleur of the 1990s. It is as simple as that.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Ruby-red color. Sappy, crystallized black raspberry, blueberry, minerals and camphor on the rather cool nose. Brutally backward and folded in on itself; actually rather creamy in the middle but astringent around the edges. A tough wine in need of a decade or more of aging. Finishes quite tannic, with a note of leafy cabernet franc. Showed more sweetness and texture after 24 hours in the open bottle. A throwback style of Pomerol, yet it does not appear to offer the flamboyant ripeness and rusticity of the best pre-1990 vintages of Lafleur.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Good full color. Black cherry and shoe polish aroma. Sweet, fresh and fruity, but with a tart edge. A wine of modest depth; ultimately rather tough for the vintage, with tongue-coating tannins. Seems dry at heart.
About the Producer
In 2002, the Gwinoders completely acquired Lafleur, becoming the sole owner of Lafleur, and have been operating it ever since. Huabao now has 4.5 hectares of vineyards. The soil types in the garden are diverse, including gravel, clay and gravel. Generally speaking, these soils are relatively poor and very suitable for grape planting. Among the grape varieties planted in the vineyard, Merlot (Merlot) and Cabernet Franc (Cabernet Franc) are equally divided, each accounting for 50%, the planting density is 6,000-7,500 plants/ha, and the average tree age is 30 years.
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