Château Lafleur - Pomerol 2017

Wine Advocate

98 / 100

par Lisa Perrotti-Brown le 17/03/2020

Composed of 52% Cabernet Franc and 48% Merlot, the 2017 Lafleur displays a deep garnet-purple color. It slowly unfurls in the glass to reveal a profound nose of plum preserves, mulberries, boysenberries and licorice with nuances of grilled meats, black truffles, cast-iron pan and crushed rocks plus fragrant wafts of cinnamon stick and violets. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is charged with fantastically energetic black and blue fruits, framed by super-ripe, finely grained tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with epic length. At this stage of the game, qualitatively the 2017 Lafleur is one to two ticks short of where the 2015 and 2016 vintages are. This said, I'm anticipating there are a lot of latent nuances here waiting to emerge, snuggly filling this substantial structure over the next decade. It should be quite delicious in 6-8 years, but I'd give it 10-15 at least for maximum impact. Drinking Window : 2028 - 2065. 98+

Vinous

100 / 100

par Antonio Galloni le 11/03/2020

I tasted many superb 2017s, but only a few that are viscerally thrilling and emotional. The 2017 Lafleur is one of a handful of wines that ascends into the stratosphere. Rich and exotically beautiful, the 2017 possesses off-the-charts intensity, tremendous aromatic depth and an impossibly long finish. A rush of dark plum, licorice, leather and mocha leaves the last impression in a wine I can only describe as: eternal. The 2017 spent about nine months in oak, 30% new. It is a towering achievement from the Guinaudeau family and their trusted associate, Omri Ram. If you can find it, buy it. And please invite me over sometime to share it with you!

Jamessuckling.com

99 / 100

par James Suckling le 13/01/2020

OMG. What a glorious wine on the nose with aromas of blackberries, black licorice, ink and blood-oranges. Full-bodied, tight and powerful with compact tannins that cascade across the palate, giving this incredible structure and length that makes it seem to go on for ever. Titanium and graphite flavors. Super length. Half merlot and half cabernet franc. Try after 2025.

Le Point

17,5 / 20

par Jacques Dupont le 20/06/2018

Fruits noirs, réglisse, mûre, très baies noires, bouche ample, large, savoureuse, longue, très tramée, relevée en finale. Un côté sauvage.

Jeb DUNNUCK

95-97 / 100

par Jeb Dunnuck le 12/06/2018

One of the wines of the vintage is the 2017 Lafleur, which comes from a vintage compared to 2011 by owner Baptiste Guinaudeau. Not harvested until the 12th of October (which is very late), it offers a heavenly bouquet of black raspberries, exotic flowers, and crushed rocks. Possessing full-bodied richness, shocking mid-palate depth and concentration (especially in the vintage), ripe tannin, and a big finish, it’s a gem of a wine that will need only short-term cellaring yet age beautifully.

Vinifera

98 / 100

par Jacques Perrin le 28/05/2018

Le nez, subtil, intense et racé, se dévoile sur des notes florales et fruitées. Il révèle une densité supérieurement équilibrée, avec une continuité de bouche et une trame magnifique. Le tanin est lumineux et la longueur, impressionnante. C’est un vin de grande concision et d’énergie qui n’a pas besoin de se mettre en scène. Une forme de haïku. En trois vers, un monde s’énonce et se déploie.

Vinous

95-98 / 100

par Antonio Galloni le 15/05/2018

The 2017 Lafleur is without question one of the wines of the vintage on the Right Bank. Dense powerful and structured, the 2017 is all class. Given the wine's richness, I was not surprised to learn that the berries were even smaller in 2017 than they were in either 2016 or 2015. Powerful, explosive and beautifully layered, the 2017 simply has it all. What a wine. This is a tremendous showing from the Guinaudeau family.

The Wine Cellar Insider

97-99 / 100

par Jeff Leve le 11/05/2018

This is a majestic blend of sensuous textures, rocks, stones, ripe, sweet, dark red fruits, intensity, depth, length and purity. This is an intellectual vintage of Lafleur. The wine will need time to express its true intricacies and essences. The fruit is there, you’ll find the depth and layers of velvet tannins, but it is easy to see that most of the future magic is still held in reserve. The wine was produced from a blend of 53% Cabernet Franc and 47% Merlot. The Merlot was harvested September 8 and September 12. The Cabernet Franc was picked September 28 and 29. The wine reached 14.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.78.

Vinous

95-97 / 100

par Neal Martin le 01/05/2018

The 2017 Lafleur was picked 8 to 12 September and 28 and 29 September for the Merlot and Cabernet Franc respectively. It has a very impressive bouquet, frankly, one of the best that I have encountered in Pomerol, perhaps on the Right Bank. Despite the higher proportion of Cabernet Franc, the Merlot is more expressive with black cherries, a touch of cassis, sea spray and a hint of iodine. It just gains intensity with every swirl of the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with firm but fine tannin, layers of black and red fruit mixed with white pepper, sage and a slight ferrous note towards the persistent finish. This is an awesome 2017 from Baptiste Guinaudeau, one of the few that will oblige several years in the cellar.

Wine Advocate

97-100 / 100

par Lisa Perrotti-Brown le 27/04/2018

Lafleur’s 2017 Merlot came in just before the rain. Cellar Master Omri Ram commented, “The 2017 Merlot was very similar to the 2015. With the Cabernet Franc, we waited; we were patient, and it came in ripe yet more fresh than the Merlot.” As it turns out, that combo of the wonderfully decadent Merlot and the galvanizing Cabernet Franc are just magic! Blended of 47% Merlot and 53% Cabernet Franc, the 2017 Lafleur has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and opens with a positively electric intensity of red and black fruits—cherries, black plums, red currants, black raspberries and mulberries—with touches of roses, cinnamon stick, smoked meats and forest floor plus a hint of truffles. Medium to full-bodied with densely packed layers of red and black fruits accented by floral and earthy sparks, it possesses very firm, very finely pixelated tannins and a lively backbone, finishing with epic persistence.

Decanter.com

95 / 100

par Jane Anson le 25/04/2018

The more gravelly soils of Lafleur have responded beautifully this year, expressing a real creaminess and density to the black fruits. There's a clear Cabernet Franc edge to the nose and to the attack on the palate, with a corresponding austerity and tightness to the tannins and a slightly chewy finish. There's a sense of momentum as the acidity rises through the palate, and it certainly has some of the power and sense of confident elegance of the 2016 vintage here. They avoided most of the frost damage here, and so were able to harvest the Merlots before the rain, between 8-12 September, and waited until 28-29 September for the Cabernets.

Drinking Window 2026 - 2040

WeinWisser

19 / 20

par René Gabriel le 25/04/2018

Jean-Marc QUARIN

18,5 / 20

par Jean-Marc Quarin le 17/04/2018

Jamessuckling.com

97-98 / 100

par James Suckling le 06/04/2018

A structured and muscular red with blackberry, dark-chocolate and mineral character. Violet undertones. Very tight and tannic. Full-bodied, extremely closed and concentrated. Steely.