Chateau Lafleur 2001

DECANTER: "This captures the magic of Lafleur and is utterly moreish. It is so silky, with hints of truffle, tobacco and sweet blackberry fruits from the first sip, opening up to violet flowers and drawn-out finely spun tannins. It’s at a beautiful moment for drinking now, but clearly has a long life ahead of it. 2001 was a vintage that suited the Merlot grape and tasting this as a pairing with the 2002 is a brilliant way to explore the two sides of Lafleur's personality. The vintage was not released en primeur as it came along during the handover of ownership from the Robins to the Guinaudeaus, which is why there is still wine at the estate to share during the vertical. Drinking Window 2019 - 2050"

WEINWISSER: "Dunkel glänzendes Rubin. Sehr vornehme dunkle Beerenfrüchte, absolut harmonisch und seidig, mit feiner Würze perfekt abgestimmt, frische asiatische Gewürze, zart rauchige Tabaknoten, feinmineralisch. Vornehmer, recht schlank anmutender Gaumen in perfekter Balance, seidig, präzise und intensiv in der dichten, wunderbar fleischigen Frucht, feinherbe Süsse, feine Säure, sehr edle Tanninpräsenz, elegant und distinguiert, im Nachklang bleibt eine etwas trockene Herbe am Gaumen. Grosser Klassiker."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Deep shaded ruby. Mature rim. Great depth and poise. Lovely fragrance, balance and quite evolved. Pure aristocratic Pomerol. Rich start, minerally middle and long finish. Neat and fresh. Not opulent, and more Cabernet Franc than Merlot on the nose, but a subtle velvety thing. Build-up on the finish is not a shattering crescendo. "

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat. Zunächst etwas verhalten. Stoffig, feine Nuancen von Bitterschoko, saftige Beerenfrucht, sehr einladend, auch am Gaumen fruchtbetont, frische Struktur, reife Tannine, herrliche Länge, Orangenzesten, bereits sehr gut in Form, süßer Nachhall, gutes Reifepotenzial. (Lagern/trinken +20)"

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Every bottle ages on a different curve. This example was more closed, tannic and less expressive than other bottles recently tasted. The potentail was there, but time and air were needed to allow more of the plum, chocolate and earthy character to emerge."

WINE SPECTATOR: "This wine starts out very tight, with fresh herb and tobacco character, but then it opens to ripe plum, berry and chocolate character. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long, caressing finish. Impressive. Lafleur is always outstanding."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Performing slightly less impressively from bottle than it did from cask, this wine’s Cabernet Franc element has come forward, revealing a distinctive herbal, bell pepper, vegetal character that kept my score from going higher. Nevertheless, there is plenty to like about this 2001 Pomerol. It possesses a saturated ruby/purple color, powerful aromas (kirsch liqueur, raspberries, and blackberries), an earthy, muscular, chunky character, and the most tannic personality of any Pomerol I tasted. While not the huge blockbuster Lafleur can often produce, it is well-built. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2019."