Professional reviews
Robert Parker (96)
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.
James Suckling (98)
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.
Vinous (95)
The 2021 Lafleur reflects a cooler growing season and is a patently more classical Pomerol. But it is fresh and vibrant on the nose, open with enticing oyster shell scents entwined with black fruit. The palate is comparatively lighter in style with tensile, saline tannins that are gritty in texture. It does not possess the substance and grandeur of a great Lafleur, but it will drink earlier than others and deliver all the freshness and vitality you could wish for. Tasted from ex-château magnum at Kate & Kon's 40-Year vertical in Austria.
Jeb Dunnuck (96)
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.
