Chateau Lafleur 2006

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Flowers, fresh churned earth, cherry pipe tobacco, cocoa and cigar box aromas are making their presence known. Still young, the wine is fresh, supple and tannic. While the wine demands time and the tannins are clearly present, they are ripe tannins that give structure to the wine. The sweet, ripe, spicy, almost exotic fruits in the finish feel great on your palate. The wine is long, with a good sense of purity. But patience will be rewarded here. Give this at least 7-10 more years of sleep."

FALSTAFF: "Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, jugendliche Reflexe, violetter Rand. In der Nase intensive, mineralisch unterlegte Würze, zarte Edelholzaromen, noch etwas verschlossen, mit dunkler Beerenfrucht unterlegt. Am Gaumen eine wunderbare Note von kandierten Veilchen, finessenreicher Strukturbogen, schokoladige Tannine, kleidet den Mund völlig aus, hält minutenlang an, Nougat und wieder florale Nuancen im Nachhall, delikat, und schon in der Jugend sehr vielversprechend."

WEINWISSER: "Vornehmes Granatrubin, leichter Rand. Kühle Nase, edle, leicht rauchige Würze, dunkle Beeren, zart blättrige, auch erfrischende Noten, sehr vornehm und klassisch. Dichter, süsser Gaumen mit edler, fleischiger Kirsch- und Brombeerfrucht, eingekochte Waldbeeren, rauchig und würzig wie Zedernholz, nussige Mokkanoten, kräftiger Körper, herbes, ins Fruchtbett gelegtes Edeltannin, sehr nobel und lang, etwas herb im Finale, Grafitnoten im Nachklang. Vornehmer, grosser Wein mit gewaltigem Potenzial. (709 EUR, weinart.de; 1.500–2.750 CHF bei hautprestigewines.ch, gerstl.ch; cantina-ratti.ch)"

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Looks quite evolved. Polished, lifted, light leathery notes with Burgundian fragrance. Really rather charming and it certainly has some luscious fruit in the middle. Though it is not terribly persistent."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Tasted at the château and then blind at Farr Vintners´ tasting, the 2006 Lafleur is a vintage that I have not tasted for a few years. It has a well-defined bouquet with kirsch, strawberry, touches of melted tar and that hint of cooked meat that I picked up on out of barrel. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly coarse tannin on the entry, tarry black fruit, cohesive in the mouth with a touch of black pepper that leads to a conservative finish, which feels just a little austere at the moment. It is an impressive Lafleur from Jacques Guinaudeau, even if I would not place it within the top tier of vintages that he has overseen with his son Baptiste in recent years. Tasted April 2016."

JAMES SUCKLING: "On the nose this shows many of the floral and dark berry notes of the 2005, but less intense. Full and silky, with beautiful juicy fruit on the palate and a long, delicate finish. I love how this prepares your palate for pleasure. Don’t touch this until 2015. Find the wine"

WINE SPECTATOR: "This starts off very slow, then opens to violet and lilac, with crushed raspberry and strawberry. Full-bodied, with racy, intense acidity and tannins. Powerful and layered, with wonderful, subtle fruit and a long finish. Best after 2015."