Lafleur
Since 2000 Chateau Lafleur has rivaled Petrus for top Pomerol. Their rising reputation is closely linked to significant praise from Robert Parker. They’ve developed special practices to get the best out of their unique soil, which gives their wine great character.
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Vinous - Antonio Galloni (94+)
The 2016 Acte 8 is fabulous. The 2016 literally soars out of the glass with a stunning range of aromatics. Rose petal, blood orange, pomegranate, mint and sweet raspberry are all vivid. Once again, I am totally blown away by the purity of the flavors. Even with all of its intensity, the 2016 retains terrific freshness and energy. Most of the clonal material now is from Lafleur. With their 2016, the Guinaudeau family challenges many of the preconceptions of what Fronsac is and can be. This is a stunning wine.HK$3,000.00 -
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (94+)
The 2016 Acte 8 is fabulous. The 2016 literally soars out of the glass with a stunning range of aromatics. Rose petal, blood orange, pomegranate, mint and sweet raspberry are all vivid. Once again, I am totally blown away by the purity of the flavors. Even with all of its intensity, the 2016 retains terrific freshness and energy. Most of the clonal material now is from Lafleur. With their 2016, the Guinaudeau family challenges many of the preconceptions of what Fronsac is and can be. This is a stunning wine.HK$2,400.00 -
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (100)
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!HK$42,270.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (100)
If tasting the 2019 Château Lafleur doesn't just blow you away, I'm not sure what will. A perfect wine, if such a thing exists, it offers such a complex, singular profile in its black raspberries, kirsch liqueur, licorice, exotic flowers, white truffles, and sandalwood. On the palate, it has serious structure, yet the tannins build with time in the glass, and the mid-palate density and balance are so flawlessly integrated, you have to actually hunt for the structure. Pure, sensationally rich, and at the same time elegant, with awesome depth of fruit, this is what wine dreams are made of. It might be the finest young wine to ever pass my lips. It needs a solid decade of bottle age, 15 years would be even better (it will still blow your mind any time over the coming decade), and it will evolve gracefully over the following 30-40 years.HK$20,000.00 -
Wine Advocate (99)
One of the wines of the vintage, but likely to prove slower evolving and more introverted than its 2019 counterpart, the 2020 Lafleur unwinds in the glass with aromas of cherries, raspberries, kirsch, black truffle, orange zest and vine smoke. Full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, it's deep and concentrated, with a tightly wound core of fruit framed by rich, powdery tannins, concluding with a long, saline finish. This is another magical bottle from an estate that just seems to do everything right.HK$28,200.00 -
Vinous - Neal Martin (90)
The 2012 Pensées de Lafleur comes across a little bretty on the nose, and this obscures some of the terroir expression. I would have liked more complexity here. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, solid with good grip, yet it lacks a bit of charm (not that this Pomerol seems overly concerned). Is it holding something back or just a bit too serious? Tasted blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.HK$5,800.00 -
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (93+)
The 2016 Pensées de Lafleur is a flat out stunning second wine. Black cherry, plum, chocolate and leather are some of the many notes that fill out the wine's layers. Today, the Pensées comes across as surprisingly dark and powerful. This is a very serious second wine. Accordingly, readers should plan on cellaring it for at least a few years.HK$2,000.00