David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

The nose reveals, dark currants, ripe, slightly liqueur; blackberries, black plum, dark cherries, black raspberries, charred strawberries, hints of cooked rhubarb and raspberries. Mixed berry licorice/cola, anise, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, touch clove, steeped fruit tea, herbaceous notes, leather, tobacco, charcoal, wood shavings, limestone minerals, dry stones, a little forest floor, dark fresh florals, lavender & violets.

The body is round, lush with some dusty tannins on the long set. It’s really beautiful right now but, there is still better things ahead over the next 5-8 years before it peaks. It’s silky & satiny. The structure, length, tension and balance are really starting to hit its stride. Dark currants, ripe, slightly liqueur; blackberries, black plum, dark cherries, black raspberries, plum, charred strawberries, hints of cooked rhubarb and raspberries. Mixed berry licorice/cola, anise, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, touch clove, mocha powder, medium dark spice, steeped fruit tea, herbaceous notes, mint, expresso roast, leather, cedar, limestone minerals, dry stones, crushed dry rock & clay, a little forest floor, dark fresh florals, lavender & violets. The acidity is round & beautiful...really shows the greatness of the vintage. The finish is; lush, rich, ripe, elegant, well balanced, polished and quite persistent.

Photos of, Chateau La Fleur de Bouard, the tops of the stainless steel tanks that flow by gravity into the tanks that hang from the other side of the floor/ceiling and their Merlot vines.

I think this was under $35 when I bought it in futures.

Producer history & notes...Chateau La Fleur de Bouard was started by Hubert de Bouard, the owner of Chateau Angelus and Chateau Bellevue in St. Emilion. Hubert de Bouard purchased the vineyard from in 1998. This is a relatively new wine, as the first year for the wine was produced with the 2000 vintage.

Chateau La Fleur de Bouard is produced from a specific a two hectare parcel of old vines that are around 45 years of age, situated on the Lalande de Pomerol Plateau. The vineyard for Chateau La Fleur de Bouard Le Plus is planted to 100% old vine Merlot.

In 2011, La Fleur de Bouard completed a multi-year, top to bottom reconstruction of their entire wine making making facilities and the chateau, making this one of the most modern estates in the Right Bank. The most striking new feature is their hanging, reverse, conical, stainless steel vats as shown in my photos.

The production of La Fleur de Bouard sees a five day cold soak at 10 degrees Celsius and a four-week maceration in “OVNI” stainless steel tanks. The wine is vinified in a combination of stainless steel vats and short, squat shaped oak barrels. The wine receives regular pigeages.

Malolactic fermentation takes place in 100% new, French oak barrels from four different coopers, Taransaud (40%), Demptos (40%), Darnajou (15%) and Vicard (5%). Aging sur lies takes place in 100% new, French oak barrels for an estimated 33 months prior to bottling. The wine requires collaring time for the oak to fully integrate into the wine, and for the secondary notes to develop. — 12 days ago

Bie Nathasith

9.1

Blackcurrant with touch of french oak and liquorice. Medium to full with fine tannin and moderate finish lingering.
— 3 days ago

Chris England

9.4

23 year old St Estephe @ £115 that’s drinking rather lovely right now 👍

📍 Chateau Montrose 1995

🏵 94 points

🍇 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc & 1% Petit Verdot

🍷 Dark garnet ruby

👃 Minerals, gravel, pencil lead, earth & wet leaves through stewed spiced blackcurrant, prune, date & plum w/ farmyard, liquorice, herbs, smoke, leather, mocha & black tea 😍

👄 Med body of deluxe smooth silky blackcurrant, plum & red berry in dark mocha, minerals & black tea

🎯 Med earthy dark aged mashed fruit coating w/ mineral tea linger
— 8 hours ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.0

Vintage 2009 / My favorite ‘petit’ #bordeaux always reliable and comforting. Very true to type. Cherries and cassis in smell. Supple taste. From magnum. Not ready yet but developing nicely. Partnered with goose rillettes. — 6 days ago

Mike Evans

9.5

Lemon creme brûlée in a bottle, with more acidity than I would have predicted 20 years ago. For a long time this was my third favorite of the brilliant 1988 to 1990 run, but it may have passed the 1990 and is closing in on the 1988 as the balancing acidity becomes more and more apparent. — 5 days ago

with Kevin and Stan

Adam Reinhard

9.0

This producer continues to deliver. — 5 days ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.2

Vintage 2015 / Mostly #merlot from selected plots in the 22 ha vineyard, with #cabernetsauvignon. Yesterday the regular cuvee was more pleasant with frivolous red fruit. Today after 24 hours aeration the bouquet of this wine is more open: pleasant spicyness and impression of cherries and plums. The cedar smell of sigarboxes. And my God such a velvety taste, roundness in excelsis! This wine has potential to be cellared but it’s super seductive now. #blaye #bordeaux Partnered it with dry aged entrecote, forest mushrooms and red wine sauce. — 11 days ago

James Forsyth

9.0

Like a Hell's Angel without their bike: it's all about the leather and not much more. Unlike the biker, it's not too burly and quite attractive. — 7 days ago

Anthony De Blasi

9.0

Still not revealing much and I'm starting to think that this is it. Good wine but missing that little extra touch... — 13 days ago

Mike Branham

9.0

A nice bordeaux that tastes like a cab — 6 days ago