Lafleur - Pomerol 2018

Vinous

100 / 100

byAntonio Gallonithe3/31/2021

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.

Wine Advocate

98 / 100

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe3/31/2021

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. 98+

Jeb DUNNUCK

100 / 100

byJeb Dunnuckthe3/16/2021

The Grand Vin 2018 Château Lafleur from this magical terroir checks in as 54% Cabernet Franc and 46% Merlot that comes only from the more gravelly soils of the vineyard and spent 15 months in 25% new French oak. It's as good as any wine can get and has a layered, multi-dimensional style that marries power with elegance as only this estate can do. Offering notes of black raspberries, tobacco, truffly earth, spring flowers, and chocolate, it's full-bodied and concentrated on the palate, but nevertheless is as weightless as they come, offering this "je ne sais quoi" character that's hard to describe. It's more backward and reserved than the Pensées and is going to take a decade of bottle age to hit maturity, but it's a desert Island wine if there ever was one.

The Wine Cellar Insider

100 / 100

byJeff Levethe3/16/2021

This could be the wine of the vintage! Profound in every sense, the wine smells like you walked into a flower shop carrying a bushel of just picked red and black pit fruits and berries and your pockets were filled with an array of spices, herbs, cocoa, spearmint and thyme. If that didn't seal the deal, the breathtaking purity in the fruit along with the non-stop layers of sweet, vivacious red fruits with their silky, sexy, erotic textures will. The seamless finish does not seem to quit. The wine blends 54% Cabernet Franc with 46% Merlot.

Vinous

97 / 100

byNeal Martinthe3/12/2021

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.

Jamessuckling.com

100 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe2/4/2021

So subtle and complex with blackberry, blueberry, fresh bark, fresh black truffles and light wet earth, as well as forest floor. Full-bodied, yet linear and so long with an amazingly polished and refined tannin structure and finesse that draws you deep and down in the palate. It opens incredibly in the glass. What a wine. Goes on for minutes. A real beauty. Something so true and ethereal here. Try after 2026.

Yvesbeck.wine

100 / 100

byYves Beckthe1/26/2021

Quel bouquet époustouflant, non par l'exubérance mais par la clarté, la finesse, la pureté. Quelle magnificence, quelle précision et que d'émotions. Notes de pivoines, de réglisse et de graphite. Rafraîchissantes nuances de menthe. En bouche le vin se révèle avec la même finesse que le bouquet. Le vin est suave, crémeux, racé, élégant, compact, imposant, subtil, courtois, polisson, puissant et incroyablement fin. Il est conscient de sa grandeur mais il tient à rappeler qu'il est juste un vin, une boisson, et qu'il est là pour être aimé et bu ! Un Lafleur qui est capable de déclencher tant d'émotions et d'épuiser le registre d'adjectif du dégustateur (qui du coup va élargir ses compétences en la matière) et qui a le mérite de ramener sur terre ou alors de faire décoller tout un chacun vers des sphères de rêves et de joie. Un monde où il n'y a que du Lafleur et où ce dernier pourra enfin briller de sa banalité, celle d'offrir l'excellence, en toute simplicité (à l’opposé du mythe et de la rareté) J'avais noté un vin 101/100 une fois… je ne vais pas le refaire, mais ce n'est pas l'envie qui m'en manque.

Vinous

96-98 / 100

byNeal Martinthe11/15/2019

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.

WeinWisser

20 / 20

the5/7/2019

Vinifera

100 /

byJacques Perrinthe5/1/2019

Grande profondeur sur ce vin qui, déjà au nez - et même si en dégustation Primeurs c'est un critère relatif- se distingue par son originalité et sa profondeur. Corps impressionnant, médulleux, évasé, qui se développe en bouche d'une manière continue, rythmée et s'achève en une forme d'apothéose sur une très longue finale, qui paraît presque infinie.

My Bettane + Desseauve

99 / 100

by Bettane & Desseauvethe4/24/2019

Marqué par ses 54% de bouchet, ce vin présente un tannin interactif qui possède l’éclat absolu sur ce millésime. En attaque, le fruit est étincelant, bien complété par des notes florales de grande classe. La finale s’étire sur des notes intenses et fraîches parfaitement intégrées.

La Revue du Vin de France

19-20 / 20

the4/24/2019

The Wine Cellar Insider

98-100 / 100

byJeff Levethe4/23/2019

Let's get this out of the way from the start: No risk, no fun. Right? This is the wine of the vintage! There, I said it. Now, let me explain why... On the palate, you encounter serious levels of weight and density. However, before you get there you're greeted with scintillating truffle, licorice, plum, cherry liqueur, smoke and earthy aromatics. Clearly the wine is powerful, fresh and exotic with its mélange of incredibly ripe, red and black cherry fruits. Voluptuous and mouth-filling, the wine covers your palate with fleshy plums that remain a presence for close to 60 seconds. The purity in the fruit is crazy good. There is no doubt this is one of the great vintages of Lafleur. Could it be the best ever? Time will tell -- lots of time as it will take at least 15 years before you should even consider popping a cork. Lafleur is never a wine to drink young; it takes time to show its essence. This very special wine was produced from a blend of 54% Cabernet Franc, 46% Merlot, reaching 14.5% with a pH of 3.65. The Merlot was harvested From September 12 to October 4.

Wine Advocate

97-100 / 100

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe4/23/2019

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.

Decanter.com

98 / 100

byJane Ansonthe4/17/2019

Another exceptional vintage at Lafleur, with great concentration and intensity, holding back just enough to keep you guessing. The wine is concentrated but creamy and definitely reminiscent of 2016 but with a touch more velvet to the tannins and unlikely to close down as tightly or for as long.

Deep dark chocolate and liquorice notes gently layer up next to succulent black fruits and softer floral notes with the more architectural texture of slate doing its bit to add poise and precision.

Normal yields were recorded as there was no mildew but being Lafleur they don't talk in hl/ha but express that as around 3/4 of a bottle per vine!!

Jamessuckling.com

100 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/12/2019

The sweetness of fruit in the center palate is incredible with a ripe-plum and currant undertone. Very aromatic already. Full-bodied, tight and compressed with a tannin quality that folds beautifully into the wine. Incredible finish. Such, such power with finesse. Tight but glorious at this stage.