| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > Pomerol |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
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. Drink 2020-2050.
Tasted at the Pomerol Comparative Exploration tasting in London, the 2005 Lafleur is cut from the same cloth as say, the 1982 or 1998, insofar that it is evolving at a pace that makes a glacier look expedient. It continues to sport a tight, masculine and quite tertiary bouquet, that Cabernet Franc in the driving seat, deigning you with hints of black truffle after 20 minutes in the glass. The palate is beautifully defined with intense black fruit, a gigantic, arching backbone that frames this Lafleur built for long-term ageing. There is wonderful focus and persistence in situ, yet the unrelenting grip is a sign that you should really not broach this wine for another decade. Sorry folks...you'll have to be patient. 2020 - 2060
The 2005 Lafleur is a blend of 67% Merlot and 33% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-brick in color, it is youthful and wonderfully fragrant on the nose, with a good swirling awakening notions of roses and lilacs, fallen leaves, and tilled soil, leading to a profound core of kirsch, blueberry pie, and plum preserves. Full-bodied, tightly knit, muscular, and with impressive freshness, it has a firm and grainy texture, finishing long and fragrant. Enjoying this wine now will certainly not disappoint, but there is certainly a lot more to emerge over the next 10-20 years with patient cellaring. Drink it to 2060+. It has been partly owned by the Guinaudeau family since the mid-1980s and fully since 2002. Located on the Pomerol plateau, next to Petrus and La Fleur Petrus, the vineyard only covers about 11 acres, but with quite complex soils of gravel, sand and clay, planted to 50% Cabernet Franc and 50% Merlot.
Tasted blind. Mid crimson. Quite an evolved nose with some developed vegetation. Punchy, distinctive and determinedly dry rather than sweet on the finish. Quite long. Still more time needed.
Drink 2019-2035
This gushes with mouthwatering blueberry, boysenberry and blackberry fruit, leading to a long black tea- and incense-filled finish. Darkens up considerably as it airs, with layers of extra flesh, Kenya AA coffee and charcoal notes striding through the finish. Shows an exotic side, and gorgeous mouthfeel. Best from 2015 through 2030.-J.M.
Saturated, bright ruby-red. Brooding, liqueur-like aromas of blackberry, cassis, smoked meat, licorice and menthol. Compellingly dense, sweet and concentrated, with silky fruit that saturates the entire palate without any excess weight. A very backward, firmly structured wine that offers an uncanny combination of early sweetness and firm but harmonious acidity. The wine's dark fruit and licorice flavors spread out impressively on the back end, which features huge but smooth tannins and terrific length and verve. Wow! This will be long-lived.
Came fouteenth out of 184 wines
The 2005 Lafleur is tight and austere at present, but unquestionably enormously endowed. It displays a dense ruby/purple hue as well as a beautiful bouquet that only emerges with coaxing. Aeration is essential in order to release the subtle, restrained scents of licorice, kirsch liqueur, black truffles, and flowers. In the mouth, there is compelling richness, depth, and intensity, but the wine’s power, full body, forbiddingly backward style, and high tannins suggest significant cellaring will be required. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2050
A dense ruby/purple color precedes a still monolithic, closed wine with huge tannins as well as massive extract and richness. At this tasting, the 2005 Lafleur was not singing at the profound level I had expected. The classic licorice, kirsch, and truffle notes are evident, and the wine is full-bodied and powerful, but also broodingly backward and nearly inaccessible. It should turn out to be a treasure after 10-15 years of cellaring, and it will keep for 4-5 decades.
An extraordinarily powerful concoction of 67% Merlot and 33% Cabernet Franc boasting nearly 14% alcohol, this inky/ruby/purple-colored 2005 offers up scents of graphite, kirsch liqueur, melted licorice, smoke, and a hint of truffles. With abundant concentration, tannin, extract, and alcohol, this stunning yet massively constituted as well as multilayered Pomerol will need 7-10 years to become drinkable. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2040.
Focussed aromas of licorice and blackberry. Minerals and flowers. Complex. Licorice. Full-bodied, with supersilky tannins. Powerful and muscular. Long and silky. A beauty. This is 1982. So structured. Hard to think this won't be 100 points, but who knows? This will age forever.
Full and sweet and pretty luscious with a firm tarmac spine. Lots of energy.Lively and zappy. With some transparency. Quite forward.
Very very deep blackish crimson. Very very ripe - just as ripe on the nose and alluring as the Pensées (see below). Deeper thicker drier richer more refined. For much longer term. Very fine tannins. Delicate tea and lively - not unlike L'Évangile but a bit more delicate.
