Chateau Lafleur 1988

Tasting Note Chateau Lafleur 1988

Notes of plum and dried fig, along with a hint of pencil shavings characteristic of Bouchet, are detectable. In terms of flavor, the 1988 vintage reflects the somewhat austere character of that year in Right Bank: firm tannins, crisp fruit, and an emphasis on structure rather than density. It has smoothened with age, and now a zesty truffle nuance can be detected in the finish. The 1988 Chateau Lafleur is characterized more by finesse than by power, and its greatest appeal lies in its long finish.

Grape Varieties

The Pomerol is composed  of the two varieties that are blended in nearly equal proportions:

• Merlot, contributes richness and a creamy sweetness. In 1988, it aged better than Right Bank.
• Bouchet, A local name for the Cabernet Franc variety, selected through collective selection from vines planted before the great frost of 1956. This variety imparts richness and floral nuances to the wine.

Cellaring Potential

Firm tannins and true concentration have granted this wine a long aging potential. It is best to let it rest in a decanter for about an hour and serve it at a temperature of 16-18 °C.

About Chateau Lafleur

Just over 4.5 hectares, a short walk from Pétrus, and easy to miss entirely if nobody points it out. Château Lafleur is that small. Pomerol has no classification system, so its standing rests on the wine alone, and the Guinaudeau family has held the property for roughly a century and a half, descendants of the man who developed it in the 1870s. Merlot and Cabernet Franc are planted half and half in gravel, sand, and clay that shifts from one end of the vineyard to the other. Cabernet Franc, known locally as Bouchet, gives the tension and floral side. Baptiste Guinaudeau leads a small team, with Omri Ram as winemaker. In August 2025 the family announced that all six wines under Société Civile du Château Lafleur would leave the Pomerol and Bordeaux appellations and be labelled Vin de France, citing climate.

Terroir & Climate

A 4.5-hectare rectangular plot located on the Pomerol Plateau, adjacent to Pétrus and Vieux Château Certan. The soil consists primarily of gravel mixed with clay and sand, and the proportion of these components varies from one end of the vineyard to the other. The gravel ensures good drainage and imparts power and aging potential to the wine. The clay provides excellent water retention, allowing the vines to continue growing even during periods of drought. And it is precisely because of this gravel that the Cabernet Franc plot is planted with half the number of grapevines as is typical for the Pomerol plot.

Winemaking

Grape sorting is the foundation of the work in the Chateau Lafleur plots. This procedure, which involves two stages of sorting in the vineyard followed by a third stage in the cellar, has been in use since 1987. Harvest workers sort the grapes by hand, plot by plot and variety by variety. Small tanks, gentle maceration, and moderate tannin extraction. Malolactic fermentation is completed in the barrels, a technique introduced in 1991. The aging period is 15 months. For a quarter of the volume, the wine is aged in new oak barrels (French), and for the remainder, in barrels that have already been in use for eight months.

Food Pairing

First, game dishes. Venison ham and roasted hind legs pair well, as the meat's texture harmonizes with the wine's richness, and the fruity aromas of Merlot soften the distinctive flavors of game. Duck breast served with chestnuts is another classic dish that pairs particularly well with aged wines. For cheese, Comté or Gruyère is recommended. And Pomerol, with its deep, rich flavor, pairs beautifully even with an empty plate.