La Fleur de Boüard 2015

The chocolate, meat and dark-berry character is impressive to this wine. Full body, round and soft tannins and a flavorful, clove-spiced finish. Just strength with balance. Drink in 2021.

The 2015 La Fleur de Bouard has quite a powerful bouquet but to be honest, it does not hold a torch to the delineation and terroir expression shown by either Hubert de Boüard’s Angelus or Bellevue. It feels rather introspective and sultry at the moment. The palate is medium-bodied with plenty of sinew, a structured Fleur de Boüard that finally demonstrates some grace toward the finish. I just find it is missing a little charm. Anticipated maturity: 2021 - 2032.

The 2015 Fleur de Bouard has a powerful redcurrant, wild strawberry and almost, confit-like bouquet that manages to retain satisfactory delineation and freshness. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy ripe tannin, layers of blackberry and blueberry fruit laced with white pepper and a touch of soy, leading to a structured finish. It will need 4-6 years in bottle for those tannins to soften and approach its drinking window. I would just like more joie-de-vivre - it seems too serious at this stage. Drink 2020-2035

Medium garnet-purple in color, the 2015 La Fleur de Bouard has a perfumed nose of violets and roses with a core of baked cherries, warm black raspberries, plums and spice box. The medium to full-bodied palate is soft and packed with fruit, finishing with an herbal lift. 2019 - 2032

A fabulous bottle with so much salt and blackberry character. Full and chewy yet polished and agile. Persistent finish. 85% merlot, 12% cabernet franc and 3% cabernet sauvignon.

The 2015 La Fleur de Boüard is much more complete and harmonious as a bottled wine than from barrel. Ripe red cherry, plum, tobacco, licorice and menthol add character to this juicy, flavorful red. All the elements are very nicely balanced. 2018 - 2023

The 2015 La Fleur de Bouärd is dark, massively concentrated and unctuous. There is no shortage of depth, but the 2015 comes across as blowsy and lacking in focus at this stage. Blackberry jam, chocolate and smoke are pushed forward, but the wine never seems to come together. Tasted twice with consistent notes.

Inky fragrance. Very round and syrupy on palate entry. Only just the right side of appetising. Dry finish. But all stops have been pulled out! Just a slightly hot end.
Drink 2022-2030

Deep ruby garnet in colour, the nose here is fleshy and ripe, full of plums, cherries and cinnamon. There is some smokiness in the background, but it is well integrated. The palate is broad and full, with generous sweet cherries and darker cassis too. There are notes of nutmeg and all spice that add to the succulence of the fruit. The tannins are soft and ripe, adding just the right level of grip. This velvet texture gives a smooth, plush finish that allows the dense fruit to shine through in tandem with pepper spice. Ready to drink now, or over the next 5+ years.

This property in Lalande de Pomerol has been owned and managed by Hubert de Bouard of Chateau Angelus since 1998. The 25 year old vines are 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Very much a junior version of Angelus, this wine is always impressively rich and full of fruit thanks to low yields and skillful winemaking. There is also a 3000 bottle special cuvée called "le Plus" which is made from 75 year old Merlot vines and aged in 100% new oak. Deep purple colour with a toasty, smoky vanilla and black cherry fruit nose. The palate is redolent with damsons, blueberries and blackberry compote. Firm and ripe tannins provide ample structure and the finish is smoky with a charcoal-like barbecue finish. Impressive and robust with a warming finish.

The 2015 La Fleur De Bouard is an awesome wine to seek out. Mostly Merlot, it offers a terrific bouquet of cassis and black cherries intermixed with lots of tobacco leaf and lead pencil notes. It’s medium to full-bodied, has beautiful purity of fruit, and sweet tannin, as well as a texture that just glides over the palate. It should keep for 10-15 years. 2018 - 2033

The fruit on the nose is fresh the start of the palate firm but there is mid sweetness the richness of ripe plums. Lighter towards the back minty with a bramble bilberry mix but it fills out on the finish with sweet ripe fruit. 2021-32

Made in comparatively large quantities, this is a very affordable and approachable red from
Hubert de Boüard and his team. Elegant, balanced and deftly oaked with fine tannins and
some grassy, graphite-like notes. Drink: 2020-26

Dense and powerful initially but with control coming in fairly quickly on the palate, this is a fine effort and a wine which
while exotically proportioned still retains some freshness on the finish.