Wine Advisor
Lafleur 2001
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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
Tasted with Jacques Guinaudeau at the property, the 2001 remains an exceptionally fine Lafleur. It is very similar to the bottle tasted blind just three months before with crushed stone inflecting the vibrant black fruits, not a powerful bouquet but one of great clarity and mineralite. The palate is beautifully balanced with racy acidity, tensile tannins and a satin-like texture towards the finish. This has immense potential. Tasted June 2011.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
A very savoury, Cabernet Franc style nose with black fruits, a touch of scorched earth, Giottes and a touch of chestnut. Cheval Blanc? A dense, tannic palate with good acidity, firm structure with a lovely savoury middle. Very backward, almost foursquare but with good intensity and a slight animally finish. Tasted October 2007.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
This Merlot-dominated 2001 has added considerable weight since last year. It is opaque purple in color, with an extraordinary bouquet of kirsch liqueur intermixed with hints of cola and underbrush. Full-bodied, sweet, and explosive on the palate, with great density and chewiness, it exhibits surprisingly low acidity as well as more precociousness than most top vintages of Lafleur. It is increasingly obvious that this is a sensational effort. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2030.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted blind at Bordeaux Index’s 10-Year On horizontal. Again, this has a very complex bouquet with blackberry, cherry liqueur, marmalade, crushed stone and just a touch of clay. Superb delineation. The palate has a slightly savoury entry, great depth and vibrant acidity, firm tannins but they are not obtrusive, in fact, this wine has such harmony and poise that you could almost drink it now, were it not for a little hardness towards the finish. Immense length in the mouth. Outstanding. Tasted March 2011.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2001 Lafleur is evolving and very expressive vibrant nose of blackberry, raspberry, wet stones, violets and fresh pine. It soars from the glass (especially noticeable compared to the more straight-laced 2002.) The palate is full-bodied, very harmonious with beautiful smooth tannins, a really sensuous Lafleur that is still so primal and tightly wound. Superb delineation on the finish, great length, biding its time. Wonderful. Drink 2018-2050. Tasted September 2008.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Definitely a more classically lined Lafleur against both the 2002 and especially the 2003. An attractive nose of roasted herbs, blackberry and a touch of green pepper. Quite intense. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins. Quite fresh with good acidity although its does not have the weight and breed of the 2002. Foursquare and conservative on the finish. Very fine, though not as great as ensuing vintages. Tasted April 2005.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted from an ex-chateau bottle at the Lafleur vertical dinner at Attersee in Austria, the 2001 is destined to be over-shadowed by the imperious millennial Lafleur. But do not ignore this fabulous Pomerol. It has a brilliant bouquet rich in minerals that infused the pure blackberry and raspberry fruit. It seems to shimmer in the glass, offering hints of violet and crushed rose petals with continued aeration. The palate is full-bodied and struck through with a crisp seam of acidity that slices through the multi-layered, tobacco tinged blackberry and dark cherry fruit, before fanning out to a vivacious, almost Pauillac-like finish. This is a wonderful Lafleur destined for long-term ageing. Tasted June 2012.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The sample I tasted revealed a touch of oxidation (this has nothing to do with the final wine, but rather an old sample), but it was a Merlot-dominated cuvee (60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc) with full body, a dense, murky, ruby/purple color, sweet cola and black cherry fruit, an unctuous texture, and a long finish with surprisingly supple tannin. Even allowing for the slightly oxidized state of the sample, this appears to be a provocative, outstanding Lafleur, but more precocious and accessible than typical for this estate. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2020.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Performing slightly less impressively from bottle than it did from cask, this wine’s Cabernet Franc element has come forward, revealing a distinctive herbal, bell pepper, vegetal character that kept my score from going higher. Nevertheless, there is plenty to like about this 2001 Pomerol. It possesses a saturated ruby/purple color, powerful aromas (kirsch liqueur, raspberries, and blackberries), an earthy, muscular, chunky character, and the most tannic personality of any Pomerol I tasted. While not the huge blockbuster Lafleur can often produce, it is well-built. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2019.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2001 Lafleur was tasted directly from bottle with Baptiste Guinaudeau. Opens gradually on the nose with brambly red fruit, black truffle, mint and touches of iron and sage. The palate is medium-bodied with firm, grippy tannins; it's very ferrous in style, and the Cabernet Franc is in the driving seat. A little savoury towards the finish, with residues of black pepper and white pepper towards the finish.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2001 Lafleur is a Pomerol that I had tasted just a couple of months earlier. This bottle feels a little riper and more plummy on the nose by contrast, and perhaps it required more decanting, as the palate here is ferociously backward. But the breeding is all here – it just needs time.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2001 Lafleur was tasted directly from bottle with Baptiste Guinaudeau. It opens gradually to reveal scents of brambly red fruit, black truffle, mint and touches of iron and sage. The palate is medium-bodied with firm, grippy tannins, and very ferrous in style, the Cabernet Franc definitely in the driving seat. Residues of black pepper and white pepper linger on the slightly savory finish. Poured at Café Cuisine with Baptiste Guinaudeau.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2001 Lafleur has long been one of my favourite vintages and it clearly excels in this year. It has a wonderful bouquet with blackberry, raspberry, black truffle, forest floor and autumn leaf aromas, but it is the energy and tension that really elevate the 2001 above its peers. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannin, beautifully balanced with a gentle grip in the mouth. There is a vein of spiciness that runs throughout, a subtle marine influence that lends complexity to the fresh finish that is full of tension and energy. This is only just beginning to show what it can do. Tasted at the Christies’ Lafleur masterclass in London.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Bright ruby-red. Raspberry, menthol, leather and spices on the slightly sauvage, cool nose. Fat and rich but youthfully tough, even clenched, with idiosyncratic flavors of medicinal black cherry, leather, game and black olive. Not showing the sweet side of the vintage today; in fact, this seems rather backward today, despite its modest acidity.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Red-ruby. Somewhat sauvage aromas of blackberry, roasted plum, licorice, cola, tobacco and game, with obvious leafy cabernet franc character. Seemed less concentrated and sweet than the 2001 Trotanoy it followed, finishing with very good rather than outstanding length and rather pronounced tannins. Has the underripe/overripe character that I often find even in strong Lafleur vintages, but this would appear to be a very good rather than outstanding effort.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Good bright medium ruby. Brooding aromas of black raspberry, cherry liqueur, coffee, smoke and meat, plus a leafy cabernet franc note. Dense, rich and mouthfilling, with notes of liqueur-like superripeness as well as a distinct tobacco leaf quality. Seems at once slightly heavy and slightly green, suggesting a wide range of ripeness. (The chateau's second wine, Pensees de Lafleur, showed some green notes of tobacco leaf and pepper and did not appear to possess enough stuffing for its somewhat drying tannins. This wine will require another look next year.)
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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