Pomerol Red Bordeaux Blend

Dynamic and punchy with great fruit still. Quite four square compared to the more silky 75’s alongside with plum, violets and supple fruit. At the edges the fruit showing a touch of fatigue and a slight dryness in the long finish. Not as supple and elegant as the PÈtrus but vibrant and memorable.

A rich crimson in colour. Initially a note of Animale (Barb thought a brief note of cow yard) amongst the dusty cherry, dark fruits, violets and mushroom notes. Great balance between the 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc. Medium bodied with smooth supple tannins. The next day: Elegance with length - shows the quality of the fruit IMO. My first Lafleur, I think, and it was excellent as expected.

Licorice fruit. Tangyand intense. Gorgeous deep fruit. Still quite tight. But great. Wire

Glossy and beautiful. Luscious slick fruit with rounded dark cherry and hints of dried herbs. Amazingly textured and intense. Wow

Lovely luscious fruit. Poised. Iodine and salt with plums. Very good

Lush and plush. Dark plum and black cherry with a hint of violet. Beautiful and luscious in the palate with some hints of graphite and black pepper. Great stuff

The 2006 Lafleur is a vintage that I have not encountered for a little while. It is similar to how it tasted at a decade old with wild strawberry, blackberry and hints of cooked meat on the nose, still pretty backward and needing time to meld fully. The palate is medium-bodied with still a slightly coarse entry that I don't think would be accepted by Baptiste Guinaudeau today, slightly tarry toward a dense and somewhat muscular finish. Maybe it's just missing Lafleur's usual charm? Yet it's still an impressive Pomerol that requires more cellaring. Tasted at 67 Pall Mall for The Complete Bordeaux Vintage Guide dinner. (Neal Martin, Vinous, December 2023)

The 2013 Lafleur has an almost Left Bank nose: tobacco and graphite scents misleading you towards perhaps Saint-Julien! At least there is decent freshness. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, light for Lafleur but well-balanced with an attractive, harmonious and peppery finish. This Pomerol ends on a high note, though it will never be regarded as a "great Lafleur". Tasted at Bordeaux Index's 10-Year On tasting. (Neal Martin, Vinous, August 2023)

The 1995 Lafleur was bought and served blind by Baptiste Guinaudeau at a dinner in Saint-Émilion. It's not dissimilar to the bottle drunk in 2018. On the nose, there is black fruit with graphite and game hints. Given that it is now 27 years old, the 1995 is maturing at a glacial pace. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins that loosen up with aeration. With blackberry, black truffle and a touch of smoke, this Lafleur exudes Cabernet Franc on the finish. I thought that it might be ready to drink now, but this suggests it would be better to wait. Tasted in Bordeaux. (Neal Martin, Vinous, January 2023)

wow. Deep plum and violet. Lush and supple. Gorgeous and long.