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La Fleur de Gay 2005

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > Pomerol
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyMerlot

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Tasting Notes

Tasted at a vertical at the property, the 2005 La Fleur de Gay is still backward and a little surly on the nose, like many in this vintage, offering glimpses of blackberry, black truffle and crushed stone. The palate is medium-bodied with thick chewy tannins, very dense and powerful, but still broody. There is patently a lot of ripeness towards the finish with its almost honeyed texture and the finish is a little terse. But it does possess superb definition and breeding. Leave this for 10-12 years. Tasted June 2011.

94
Neal Martin, RobertParker.com, July 2013

Reminiscent of a grand cru Burgundy, La Fleur de Gay’s 2005 exhibits pure black raspberry fruit intermixed with truffle and kirsch notes. As the wine sits in the glass, toast and charcoal aromas also emerge. This opulent, medium to full-bodied, exceptionally pure Pomerol boasts laser-like precision and finesse. Give it 7-8 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 25 years

92
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (176), April 2008
91
James Suckling, WineSpectator.com, February 2008

Tasted blind. Dark crimson. Lightly meaty on the nose. Transparent and juicy. Maybe not that serious but extremely ‘pleasant’ and fresh. 14%
Drink 2015-2025

16.5
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, March 2017

Medium red-ruby. Full-blown nose offers plum, musky coffee, mocha, meat, tobacco and toasty oak. Sweet and fat on entry, then musky and a bit funky in the middle, offering flavors of dark plum, chocolate, game and oak. Today I don't find the fleshy substance of the vintage's better examples, and the finish shows a slight oaky dryness. A bit sauvage too.

89
Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar

Came 53rd out of 184 wines

16.37
-, Southwold Bordeaux Tasting, January 2009
Read more tasting notes...

As I wrote last year, this is unquestionably the finest La Fleur de Gay produced since the back-to-back vintages of 1989 and 1990. A 100% Merlot cuvee cropped at a low 28 hectoliters per hectare, it has put on even more weight and richness since 2006. There are approximately 1,000 cases of this brilliant Pomerol that exhibits a dense ruby/purple color as well as a sweet nose of black raspberries, blueberries, charcoal, truffles, and subtle espresso and toasty oak notes. Full-bodied, beautifully textured, opulent, and fleshy with exceptional precision as well as clarity, this fabulous effort will need 5-7 years of bottle age, and should drink well for 25 or more years.

94/96
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (170), April 2007

Perhaps the finest La Fleur de Gay made since the brilliant back-to-back vintages of 1989 and 1990, this 100% Merlot cuvee, aged in 100% new Darnajou French oak barrels and bottled unfiltered, reveals superb elegance and minerality. Its saturated blue/purple color is accompanied by beautiful blueberry, raspberry, and licorice characteristics backed up by spicy oak. The wine is noble and racy as well as powerful, full-bodied, and deceptively tannic. It will require 3-4 years of bottle age, and should last for two decades.

92/94
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (164), April 2006

Rich and voluptuous with quite a bit of meat extract and softness. Much more forward than most but a good drink. Note drinking dates!

17
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, February 2009
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.