| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > Pomerol |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
An absolutely prodigious blend of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot, the 2009 Lafleur displays the tell-tale characteristics of this great estate. Kirsch liqueur, licorice and floral notes are intermixed with raspberry in a very full-bodied, super-intense, opulent and multi-dimensional style. Extraordinarily dense and pure, but not heavy by any means, the intensity, texture, and richness of the 2009 Lafleur are reminiscent of the perfect 1982. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2040.
The 2009 Lafleur is intense on the nose with darker fruit than the 2009 Ausone: freshly tilled earth, touches of pressed rose petals and a subtle ferrous scent, involving and quite mercurial. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe tannin, velvety smooth and a cashmere texture. A mixture of blue and black fruit laced with spice leads to a very composed but powerful finish that lingers for 60+ seconds. This is only just beginning to show what it can do. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting. 2025 - 2070
This is a crazy nose of tangerines and blueberries, with raspberries and mushroom and berries. Full-bodied, with ultra fine tannins. This wine is all about texture, with phenomenal tannins and subtle fruits that just make you think. Evocative. It is layered, yet changes all the time. I can't believe it really. Speechless. Amazes me. Try in 2020.
47% Merlot, 53% Cabernet Franc. Dark and luscious. Gamey and animal on the nose. Sweet start. Super-luscious. Really polished and fragrant and gorgeous. Such succulence. Top notes. Really rich but light! Aérien! Just so racy and fine. Great structure under racy fruit. Just doesn't seem as though it's trying at all! Lip-smacking, So neat! Real zest and elegance. The Cabernet Franc here was obviously a wonderful addition. Date tasted 30th March 2010. Drink 2018-2040.
After Le Pin, probably Bordeaux's biggest name "cult wine". Tiny production levels and a long pedigree of great quality ensure that collectors fight for an allocation every year. Not tasted. Very limited availability.
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.
As always, a measured wine - no extremes - but with the extra density of the vintage. Sublime texture. Tannins powerful but refined. Freshness and balance from the Cabernet Franc (53%). A long ageing wine of great distinction. Drink 2020-2050.
The 2009 Lafleur's harvest began on September 16 and finished on September 28. Interestingly, the Guinaudau family said this vintage reminds them of the 1989. At nearly 14% alcohol, the 2009 is a potent effort revealing some characteristics of the 1982, but there is more structure in the 2009. The pH is only 3.6, which is a lot lower than the 1982, and the final blend was 53% Cabernet Franc and 47% Merlot. The wine exhibits a deep ruby/purple color, beautiful purity, sweet mulberry, boysenberry, kirsch, licorice, and stony notes, full body, an unctuous texture, a fresh, lively personality, and tannins that are more noticeable than in some of its neighbors. The oak component is completely concealed by the wine's extravagant richness and intensity. The structure suggests it will require a decade of cellaring, and it should last 40-50 years. (Tasted once.) Drink 2020-2070.
A blend of 47% Merlot and 53% Cabernet Franc, the Merlot cropped the 16th, 17th and 23rd September and the Cabernet Franc on 28th September and 1st October, representing around 50% of production in 2009. A lucid purple hue, the Lafleur '09 has a cerebral bouquet much like the 2008, but with perhaps a little more purity and femininity. Blackberry, a touch of small black cherry, some notes of violets coming through with aeration. The palate is full-bodied with firm, more masculine tannins than implied by the aromatics; deep broody dark fruits, blackberry, tar, graphite, more linear on the tightly wound finish where the minerality is really evident. More cohesive at this stage than any vintage I have tasted since the 2005, long and persistent towards the finish. Undoubtedly one of the wines of the vintage. Thrilling. Tasted April 2010.
The nose is fascinating, with blackberry, black licorice, mineral, flowers and more. Full-bodied, with an incredible texture of ripe tannins and cashmere yarn. A tightly wound ball. What length too. This wine made me feel like getting in the lotus position and meditating. It's almost more than wine. Vinous Nirvana. I think the Cabernet Franc really gave that extra level to it all.
