Lafleur - Pomerol 1999

Wine Advocate

93 / 100

par Robert Parker le 30/04/2002

This wine is a brilliant success, it is one of the stars of the vintage. Lafleur's 1999 is atypically powerful and concentrated, with an inky, saturated purple color followed by a sensational nose of black cherry jam intermixed with liquid minerals, raspberries, and licorice. It is super concentrated, extraordinarily pure, with moderately high tannin. This dense, powerful, impressively endowed wine should turn out to be a classic for Lafleur. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2025.

Wine Spectator

92 / 100

par James Suckling le 31/03/2002

Tight and rich. Gorgeous, subtle aromas of blackberry, milk chocolate and licorice. Full-bodied, with a good core of fruit and silky tannins. Long and racy. Serious Lafleur. Best after 2005. 2,080 cases made.

Wine Advocate

91-94 / 100

par Robert Parker le 30/04/2001

The 1999 appears to be a sure bet. Readers may recall that Lafleur was one of the few Bordeaux vineyards to harvest before the heavy rains. The result is a dense purple-colored wine with terrific cherry cough syrup, licorice, truffle, and mineral aromas. Although tannic, it is full-bodied, dense, opulent, super-concentrated, and extremely long and well-balanced. It may turn out to be the finest Pomerol of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2025.

Wine Advocate

91-95 / 100

par Robert Parker le 30/04/2000

Just when I thought Lafleur might be abandoning its high octane, backstrapping, full throttle style of winemaking, the 1999 was conceived. This precocious terroir, which had very low yields, was partially harvested on September 11, one of the earliest right bank properties to harvest (forgetting the hail-damaged St.-Emilion vineyards that were forced to pick after September 5). A blockbuster effort, the 1999 may be the most powerful wine produced at this estate in more than a decade. Atypical for the vintage, it boasts a dense purple color as well as an explosive nose of spring flowers, minerals, black raspberries, cassis, and kirsch. Enormous in the mouth, ferociously tannic, full-bodied, and powerful, it is hard to believe that such a prodigious wine could have been produced in this vintage. Black fruits (particularly raspberries) continue in the wine's flavors. The finish is whoppingly long, but oh, so tannic. This is not for those seeking immediate gratification, as it will require significant cellaring (an aberration for a 1999 Bordeaux). Anticipated maturity: 2010-2035.