Chateau Lafleur 2017

JAMES SUCKLING: "OMG. What a glorious wine on the nose with aromas of blackberries, black licorice, ink and blood-oranges. Full-bodied, tight and powerful with compact tannins that cascade across the palate, giving this incredible structure and length that makes it seem to go on for ever. Titanium and graphite flavors. Super length. Half merlot and half cabernet franc. Try after 2025."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Composed of 52% Cabernet Franc and 48% Merlot, the 2017 Lafleur displays a deep garnet-purple color. It slowly unfurls in the glass to reveal a profound nose of plum preserves, mulberries, boysenberries and licorice with nuances of grilled meats, black truffles, cast-iron pan and crushed rocks plus fragrant wafts of cinnamon stick and violets. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is charged with fantastically energetic black and blue fruits, framed by super-ripe, finely grained tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with epic length. At this stage of the game, qualitatively the 2017 Lafleur is one to two ticks short of where the 2015 and 2016 vintages are. This said, I'm anticipating there are a lot of latent nuances here waiting to emerge, snuggly filling this substantial structure over the next decade. It should be quite delicious in 6-8 years, but I'd give it 10-15 at least for maximum impact."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "This is a majestic blend of sensuous textures, rocks, stones, ripe, sweet, dark red fruits, intensity, depth, length and purity. This is an intellectual vintage of Lafleur. The wine will need time to express its true intricacies and essences. The fruit is there, you’ll find the depth and layers of velvet tannins, but it is easy to see that most of the future magic is still held in reserve. The wine was produced from a blend of 53% Cabernet Franc and 47% Merlot. The Merlot was harvested September 8 and September 12. The Cabernet Franc was picked September 28 and 29. The wine reached 14.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.78."

WEINWISSER: "50 % Merlot, 50 % Cabernet Franc. Tiefes Granat mit rubinrotem Rand. Der Wein ruht ins sich, komplex und tiefgründig mit Anklängen an schwarze Oliven, Eisenkraut sowie an zarte Jod- sowie Salznote. Im zweiten Ansatz getrocknete Hagebutten und frische Tabakblätter. Am kräftigen Gaumen ein Muskelpaket mit viel Power und unglaublicher Eleganz. Das Fett passt aber zu diesem Bodybuilder. Im langen, tiefgründigen Finale ein Feuerwerk von Preiselbeeren und dunkler Mineralik. Ganz grosser Lafleur für die Ewigkeit. Potenzialwertung!"

JEB DUNNUCK: "After working tirelessly protecting their vineyards during the spring frosts, the team at Chateau Lafleur was rewarded with a normal production of their 2017 Chateau Lafleur, as well as one of the wines of the vintage. Deep purple-hued with a stunning nose of blackcurrants, black raspberries, chocolate, tobacco, and ground herbs, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered mid-palate, and incredible length. It shows the more classic, straight style of the vintage yet has brilliant concentration, awesome tannins, and will last for 30-40 years."

FALSTAFF: "Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung, intensive Herzkirschenfrucht, dunkles Beerenkonfit unterlegt, tabakig-gewürzig, feine Edelholznuancen, facettenreiches Bukett. Straff, kraftvoll, extraktsüß, dunkle Beerenfrucht, straffe, reife Tannine, mineralisch und anhaltend, zeigt bereits eine große Länge, ein Hauch von Nougat im Abgang, bleibt sehr lange haften, tolles Potenzial."

DECANTER: "The more gravelly soils of Lafleur have responded beautifully this year, expressing a real creaminess and density to the black fruits. There's a clear Cabernet Franc edge to the nose and to the attack on the palate, with a corresponding austerity and tightness to the tannins and a slightly chewy finish. There's a sense of momentum as the acidity rises through the palate, and it certainly has some of the power and sense of confident elegance of the 2016 vintage here. They avoided most of the frost damage here, and so were able to harvest the Merlots before the rain, between 8-12 September, and waited until 28-29 September for the Cabernets."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Very dark. Darkly fragrant. Incredibly pure cassis nose and just a touch of graphite/mineral dustiness. Super-elegant fine tannins, more dark charm than Les Pensées. Paper-fine texture slides across the palate in delicate persistence. Layers of paper giving embryonic complexity. Gorgeous. Utterly refined. Incredibly long. (JH)"