Chateau Lafleur 2015

THE WINE ADVOCATE: THE WINEADVOCATE:"The 2015 Lafleur is a blend of 54% Cabernet Franc and 46% Merlot. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it's profoundly scented of plum preserves, chocolate-covered cherries and blueberry pie with nuances of black olives, lavender, unsmoked cigars and cast iron pan plus a touch of Indian spices. The rich, medium to full-bodied palate is completely packed with tightly wound fragrant earth, black fruit and exotic spice layers, supported by perfectly ripe, wonderfully velvety tannins and seamless freshness. The epically long finish delivers a sum that is greater than the many compelling characters imparted on the nose and palate, whispering promises of a whole myriad of provocative finishes to discover throughout this wine's very long future. This exquisite masterpiece is not to be missed."

JAMES SUCKLING: JAMES SUCKLING:"Very deep and dark fruits on the nose with black mushrooms and wet earth and just a hint of stones. Touch of rust. Full-bodied, tight and focused. Lots of tannins yet this is so polished under the surface of the wine. Draws you in and holds you with its unique personality. Some tile and clay character to it. Makes you think. Try in 2025."

JEB DUNNUCK: JEB DUNNUCK:"The 2015 Lafleur is straight-up as good as it gets and is a monumental, legendary wine in the making. Made from close to an even split of Merlot and Cabernet Franc from this magical, tiny terroir in Pomerol, it reveals a saturated ruby/purple color as well as a stunning bouquet of black raspberries, kirsch liqueur, white truffles, earth, and an awesome sense of minerality. Deep, full-bodied, moderately tannic, and fabulously concentrated, all while remaining insanely elegant and seamless, it’s a profound wine that needs 4-6 years of bottle age and will keep for 3-4 decades."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER:"Truffles and a garden of herbs, roasted plums, cherries, espresso and a background note of cocoa are only the first things you find. Once the wine leaves the glass, there is a wealth of concentrated, ripe fruits. Opulent, bordering on decadence, there is a balance between wild fruits and elegance. The complexities here allow you to continue exploring the wine with each sniff and sip. The finish remains with you for close to 50 seconds. This is a wine for aging, so be prepared to wait at least 15 or more years. I discovered that "Bad Ass" is a term only used by Americans as the phrase was not understood by the family during the tasting. But I can assure you, this is one bad ass wine."

FALSTAFF: FALSTAFF:" Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, dezente Randaufhellung. Hochattraktives Bukett, reife rotbeerige Nuancen, feiner Gewürznelkentouch, facettenreich. Stoffig, seidige Textur, am Gaumen dunkle Beerenfrucht, perfekte Tannine, zarter Schokotouch, dunkle Mineralität, salzig im Abgang, hier treffen ein perfekter Cabernet Franc und großartiger Merlot in idealer Weise aufeinander, dieser Wein bleibt bereits in dieser Jugendphase minutenlang haften. Ein Lafleur mit allen Anlagen zum Klassiker."

WEINWISSER: WEINWISSER:"Dunkles Granat, recht satt in der Mitte, rubiner Rand. Kein einfaches Unterfangen, diese Lafleur-Fassprobe nasal anzugehen, sie wirkt dezent medizinal oder auch mineralisch, rote Fruchtschalen, Kräuternuancen und helle Edelhölzer. Zeigt sich zurückhaltend. Im Gaumen füllig mit cremigen Tanninen, man spürt deutlich seine Grösse und man weiss auch, dass ein hoher Cabernet-Franc-Anteil immer eine schlechte Bank für Jugendavancen ist. Das Finale endet süss mit rotbeerigem Schimmer. Aus Erfahrung und aus der Jahrgangsvorgabe kann man hier sicher sein, dass dies ein grosser Lafleur wird. Mir schienen aber die früheren Jahrgänge bei Fassproben aufdringlicher und kraftvoller. Und die haben mir - ganz ehrlich gesagt - damals auch besser gefallen. Besonders im Hinblick auf die ganz alten, legendären Lafleurs. Die heutigen sind anders, feiner und vielleicht auch zu allgefällig. Mir fehlt die alte Supplement-Genialität. Aber man muss das Neue auch akzeptieren, ohne den Wein zu strafen. Denn die Klasse ist – im Prinzip – fraglos da."

DECANTER: DECANTER:"Both varieties were good this year,’ insists Baptiste Guinaudeau. True to form, this is a complex, crafted wine with enormous depth and detail. The palate is unctuous and layered, the carpet of ripe tannin providing tremendous presence and persistence. Huge ageing potential."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Tasted blind. Juicy and opulent but not too sweet. So reverberant! It’s all on the finish, which is a tad drying but it’s a good wine."