Wine Advisor
Lafleur 2015
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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: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
The 2015 Lafleur is a blend of 54% Cabernet Franc and 46% Merlot. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it's profoundly scented of plum preserves, chocolate-covered cherries and blueberry pie with nuances of black olives, lavender, unsmoked cigars and cast iron pan plus a touch of Indian spices. The rich, medium to full-bodied palate is completely packed with tightly wound fragrant earth, black fruit and exotic spice layers, supported by perfectly ripe, wonderfully velvety tannins and seamless freshness. The epically long finish delivers a sum that is greater than the many compelling characters imparted on the nose and palate, whispering promises of a whole myriad of provocative finishes to discover throughout this wine's very long future. This exquisite masterpiece is not to be missed.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2015 Lafleur is a blend of 51% Merlot and 49% Cabernet Franc picked 11-15 September and 1-2 October respectively. As usual, I waited for the Grand Vin to open in the glass, so I chewed the fat with Baptiste Guinaudeau before I started to tap away at the laptop. It unfurls beautifully delivering small red cherries, cranberry and Japanese nori aromas that gain intensity with every swirl. The palate is medium-bodied with full and rounded tannin, very complex with layers of cranberry and raspberry fruit, veins of white pepper and bay leaf, structured on the finish but not as foreboding as the leviathan 2010 Lafleur. It will still require ten years in bottle to reach its plateau, but it will be one of the standout wines of the vintage.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2015 Lafleur has a quite brilliant bouquet, supremely well defined with extraordinarily pure blackberry, cranberry, cold stone and light floral (rose petal) aromas that are beautifully defined. It is only with aeration that it develops that marine tincture that I picked up on out of barrel. The palate is medium-bodied with an intense opening: layers of blackberry, raspberry coulis, bay leaf and hints of black truffle. This is a multidimensional Lafleur with an arching structure and yet manages to maintain stunning focus and precision on the finish. This is going to be one of the great Lafleur wines to rank alongside the likes of the 1982 and 2000. Heavenly.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Just as it was from barrel, the 2015 Lafleur is restrained, inward and not anywhere near as showy as most wines in this vintage. Deep, dark and quite potent, the 2015 is going to need many years to be at its best. I wouldn't dream of touching a bottle before age ten, and even that probably won't be enough time to allow the 2015 to start unwinding. The 2015 is endowed with superb depth and intensity from the very first taste. Time in the glass brings out much of the Cabernet Franc character. The 2015 is an infant, but it is also a great wine in the making.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2015 Lafleur is compelling in its beauty and translucent energy. One of the most restrained wines of the vintage, the 2015 isn't in a mood to show all of its cards just yet. And still, there is something totally fascinating and alluring here. In a vintage in which so many wines are obvious and overt, Lafleur is the exact opposite.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2015 Lafleur has a broody but intense bouquet with exquisite definition and top quality Cabernet Franc showing through. This just has to be Lafleur! The palate is extremely well balanced with gentle grip, almost powdery in texture and demonstrating enormous depth and persistence on the finish. It is nowhere near ready but it will be a wonderful Pomerol. There is a sense of audacity here that is compelling. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2015 Lafleur has an exquisite, detailed bouquet with pure, intoxicating scents of blackberry, cranberry, rose petals and crushed stone, gradually opening to reveal more marine-like elements that lend more personality, and another dimension to the wine. The palate is medium-bodied with layers of red fruit tinged with truffle. I observe the arching structure that has been evident since en primeur, a quite brilliant wine that will sit comfortably alongside the 1982, 2000 and 2010. Tasted in Bordeaux.
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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