Chateau Lafleur 2021

JAMES SUCKLING: "It’s the mid-palate that really impresses you with a depth, focus and polish of such beauty and complexity. Hint of fresh tomatoes. It’s medium- to full-bodied with layers of fine tannins and fruit. Cherries, oranges and violets throughout. Just a hint of spices. Persistent and fascinating for the vintage. 52% cabernet franc and 48% merlot."

WEINWISSER: "Dunkle, viskose Farbe. Supertiefgründig und feinsinnig, duftet der Lafleur hochfein, mit offener, zarter, sehr differenzierter Frucht. Das braucht Zeit. Im Mund kommt dann gleich die großartige, weite Struktur feinkörnig und dezent im Hintergrund verankert zum Tragen. Immer wirkt er konzentriert und likörig, leichtfüßig und seidig, mit enormer Tiefgründigkeit und unmerklicher Wucht. Superrassiger, transparenter Lafleur, der sich ganz finessenreich und äußerst balanciert präsentiert. Delikatesse pur, traumhafter Wein!"

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2021 Lafleur has turned out brilliantly in bottle, unfurling in the glass with aromas of mulberries and raspberries mingled with complex top notes of mint, rose petals, exotic spices, licorice, blood orange and iris. Medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, it's polished and suave, with an enveloping core of sweet, pure fruit framed by ripe tannins, concluding with a long, perfumed finish. It's a blend of 52% Cabernet Franc and 48% Merlot."

DECANTER: "Floral and mixed berry nose. This is rich, ripe and round from the first sip, almost so you'd forget you’re drinking a 2021 – not plush but something to chew on here, textured and fleshy. Deep in terms of penetrating flavour yet with tension, too, keeping the precision and focus. Barely a detail out of place, and it’s perhaps still not showing it’s true potential, but I love the mineral markers, the finesse and the underlying power. Delicious, totally keeps the magic signature of the estate despite the vintage conditions."

JEB DUNNUCK: "An utterly quintessential Lafleur, the 2021 Château Lafleur is a blend of 52% Cabernet Franc and 48% Merlot. Sensational framboise, woodsmoke, spring flowers, tobacco, and graphite are just some of the nuances, and it's medium to full-bodied, has a layered, multi-dimensional texture, ultra-fine tannins, and a stunning finish. It's clearly the wine of the vintage and has more depth, layers, and length than just about every other wine in the vintage. It deserves 5-7 years in the cellar and will evolve beautifully over the following two decades. Not enough can be said about the talent, dedication, and attention to detail that regularly occurs at this address, and clearly the results are in the bottle."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Feine Kräuterwürze, tabakig unterlegte Brombeernuancen, schwarzer Pfeffer, zart nach Orangenzesten. Komplex, aber mit mittlerem Gewicht, feine Herzkirschen, finessenreicher Säurebogen, mineralisch und elegant, harmonisch, bleibt gut haften, würziger Anklang im Abgang, zarte Süße im Nachhall, verfügt über gutes Entwicklungspotenzial."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "It is impossible not to notice the multiple layers of black cherries, dark chocolate, black raspberries, and salt that show on the palate. This is a gorgeous vibrant, sapid, and racy, wine with salinity in the finish that allows the wine to continue lingering while enticing you to take another sip. This is the Pomerol of the vintage! Produced from a blend of 52% Cabernet Franc and 48% Merlot, 13.5% ABV, harvesting took place September 17-24 for the Merlot and October 2 for the Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2028-2060."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "A blend of 48% Merlot and 52% Cabernet Franc (Bouchet), the 2021 Lafleur has a deep garnet-purple color. After a swirl or two, the nose erupts with classic notes of fresh plums, boysenberries, and pencil shavings, leading to suggestions of tar, tilled soil, black truffles, and underbrush. Medium-bodied, the palate is built like a brick house, featuring a solid structure of firm, grainy tannins and great tension to support the muscular black fruits, finishing long and earthy."