Wine Advisor
Lafleur 2018
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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 2018 Lafleur is a blend of 54% Cabernet Franc and 46% Merlot. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the nose absolutely shuts down upon first pour. After a lot of air, it slowly unfurls to reveal alluring scents of fresh black cherries, ripe blackberries and redcurrant jelly, leading to suggestions of sandalwood, pencil shavings, lilacs and forest floor, with emerging, heady wafts of camphor, iron ore and Indian spices. The rich, full-bodied palate is equally slow to read, offering whispers and murmurs of earth and exotic spice-laced black fruits with glimpses at a fleeting floral undercurrent, framed by firm, finely grained tannins and beautifully knit freshness, finishing with an edifying perfume. This is liquid poetry, but I would touch it for 7-8 years, at least. Should you be around in 40 years' time, expect it to blow your mind.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
The 2018 Lafleur is a blend of 54% Cabernet Franc harvested on October 1 and 4, with 46% Merlot harvested September 12 and 15. Deep garnet-purple colored, it rocks up charged with energetic iron ore, crushed rocks and scorched earth notes over a core of blueberry compote, Morello cherries, black raspberries and stewed plums plus suggestions of violets, menthol and cardamom. Full-bodied, powerful, opulent and incredibly seductive, the palate is mind blowing with its through-the-roof velvety tannins and bright freshness supporting layer upon drop-dead gorgeous layer of fragrant black fruits, mineral notions and earth, finishing epically long and perfumed.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2018 Lafleur is mesmerizing. What a wine! The aromatics alone are spellbinding. There is no need to actually taste the 2018 to know how profound it is. Silky and caressing, with phenomenal persistence, the 2018 is a total knock-out. Spice, cedar, blood orange, sage, mint, rose petal and kirsch all race out of the glass, saturating the palate with a dazzling concoction of aromas, textures and flavors. Readers lucky enough to find it should not hesitate.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2018 Lafleur is a stratospherically beautiful, deeply moving wine. A Pomerol of stunning aromatic intensity and depth, Lafleur simply has everything. All the elements come together in a wine that is both rich and yet also remarkably light on its feet. An exotic mélange of blood orange, sage, mint, sweet rose petal and inky red/purplish fruit add explosive energy, leading to a finish of substantial depth and resonance. Stated simply, Lafleur is one of the wines of the vintage. Don't miss it!
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2018 Lafleur is a stratospherically beautiful, deeply moving wine. A Pomerol of stunning aromatic intensity and depth, Lafleur simply has everything. All the elements come together in a wine that is both rich and yet also remarkably light on its feet. An exotic mélange of blood orange, sage, mint, sweet rose petal and inky red/purplish fruit add explosive energy, leading to a finish of substantial depth and resonance. Stated simply, Lafleur is one of the wines of the vintage. Don't miss it!
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The first thing to say about the 2018 Lafleur is that it is completely different from the Les Pensées and in fact is more similar to Guinaudeau’s Les Perrières, which is unsurprising given that both come from stony soils (limestone there, gravel here) whereas Les Pensées comes from more clayey soils. This has a very refined bouquet, the blue fruit that I picked up from barrel receding to make way for more red fruit, cranberry and even touches of pomegranate. Monitoring this half-bottle over 24 hours, the Pomerol traits of black truffle and a faint scent of morels gradually emerge. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins that frame the red berry fruit. The Bouchet (Cabernet Franc), which comprises 54% of the blend, imparts a wonderful peppery note that lingers 45 seconds after the wine has exited, the tongue tingling long after it says goodbye. At just under 15% alcohol, one might expect a little warmth on the finish, but it is not detectable. A superb Lafleur, albeit one that will demand several years’ cellaring.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2018 Lafleur was picked from 12 to 15 September for the Merlot and 1 to 4 October for the Cabernet Franc. Initially it seems quite reserved on the nose, tightly coiled blackberry and raspberry fruit, fleeting glimpses of black truffle and smoke, a quintessential Lafleur. Like the Les Pensées, subtle blue fruit aromas emerge with time. The palate is medium-bodied with supple, rounded tannins that belie the backbone and density of this Lafleur. I adore the symmetry of this Lafleur. There is beguiling balance and poise, plus an incredibly long tail on the finish, the most tingling with residual spiciness. This is a stunning 2018 from Baptiste Guinaudeau and his team and I anticipate this ending up at the top of my banded score once in bottle.
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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