Chateau Lafleur - Pensees de Lafleur 2021

JAMES SUCKLING: "Very perfumed with plums, burnt oranges, raspberries and peaches as well as violets, following through to a medium to full body with a firm and layered palate and a gorgeous finish. Polished. 59% merlot and 41% cabernet franc."

WEINWISSER: "Betörende Waldhimbeere, rotes Johannisbeergelee, betörender Iris-Duft und ein Hauch Moschus. Am subtilen Gaumen mit seidiger Textur, engmaschigem reifem Tanningerüst, sehr komplexem Körper. Im konzentrierten Finale schwarzbeerige Konturen gepaart mit tiefschürfender Terroirwürze – ganz langes Rückaroma mit salzigem Extrakt. Ragt in seiner Klasse deutlich hervor."

DECANTER: "Saline, mineral notes on the nose, crayon, liquorice and graphite with light blackcurrant and blueberry. Strong and intense, a lovely weight to this in the mouth, texture and flesh, but smooth, well constructed and harmonious. This has something to chew on at first then sleeks out and focusses towards the finish, ending sharp with liquorice and wet stones. Delicate and nuanced, not in your face at all, more confident perhaps than Grand Village but less detail immediately on show. A great effort in 2021 but it's sleeping now, will need more time."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Aromas of raspberries, mulberries, iris and rose petals introduce the 2021 Pensées de Lafleur, a medium to full-bodied, supple and suave wine that's polished, pure and velvety, its sweet core of fruit built around lively acids and ultra-refined tannins, concluding with a long, precise finish."

JEB DUNNUCK: "Stunning stuff, the 2021 Château Lafleur Les Pensées has the classic Pomerol sexiness and opulence that defines the vintage. Redcurrants, ripe red fruit, spice, chocolate, and a beautiful sense of minerality and earth all define the aromatics, and it's medium-bodied, with round, supple tannins, beautiful purity, and a gorgeous finish. It's the second wine of this estate but as good as just about every Grand Vin out there."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "A blend of 59% Merlot and 41% Cabernet Franc (Bouchet), the 2021 Pensees de Lafleur is medium to deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a lot of shaking to wake up scents of juicy black cherries, raspberry preserves, and mulberries, opening out to reveal notes of allspice, red roses, and garrigue, plus a hint of bay leaves. Medium-bodied, the palate is tight-knit and refreshing, delivering an impressive intensity of mineral-laced, red berry flavors and soft, rounded tannins, finishing on a persistent, chalky note."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, breitere Randaufhellung. Zart nach Hagebutten, rote Waldbeeren, etwas Sanddorn, floral, zarte Kirschfrucht. Wirkt leichtfüßig am Gaumen, feine rote Kirschen, reife Tannine, mineralisch und frisch, bereits zugänglich, salziger Nachhall, ein charmanter Speisenbegleiter."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Roses, truffle, tobacco, plums, licorice, and chocolate appear in the aromatics. On the medium-bodied palate, the wine is supple, bright, and creamy, with fresh, sweet, juicy cherries topped with dark chocolate. It is the elegance, and purity of the fruits on the palate, and in the finish that stands out here. You can enjoy this with pleasure on release, or age it for more secondary notes. The wine blends 59% Merlot with 41% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2026-2038."