“Purple berry and blackberry aromas with cracked black pepper, violets and lavender. It’s full-bodied and layered and broadens in the mouth. Gorgeous, ripe tannins. Long and thought-provoking. A milestone for the vineyard. 99-100pts.”
James Suckling
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“54% Merlot, 46% Bouchet (Cabernet Franc). Cask sample. A great Lafleur and one of the wines of the vintage. Dark and dense on the nose with a chocolate note from the Bouchet (Cabernet Franc) and hint of minerality. Whack of fruit and plentiful but really fine tannin on attack. Initially, broad, dense and full then tightens up and disappears into the distance. Drive and persistence and minerally freshness throughout. Enormous ageing potential. 19/20.” (22/04/2021)
Jancis Robinson
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“The 2020 Lafleur is a blend of 46% Cabernet Franc and 54% Merlot picked September 4–18. Like the Les Pensées, it is initially backward and requires 4–6 minutes’ coaxing. Then it reveals intense black fruit, iris, incense and basalt, very focused and quite serious, somehow restless at being rudely awakened during its élevage. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-boned tannins and superb delineation, weighty in the mouth but paradoxically weightless on the finish. There is superb attack, incredible length and a persistent saline finish. The Cabernet Franc, or Bouchet to give it its proper name in Pomerol, is in full flight in this Lafleur, although it is not as immediate as the 2020 Petrus. But it is certainly one of the appellation’s most intellectual offerings and will be fascinating to watch as it ages. 97pts.”
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Neal Martin, Vinous
