Château Lafleur Gazin, Pomerol, 2022
This Jean-Pierre Moueix estate is well situated between Gazin and the original plot of La Fleur Petrus. The 8.5 hectare vineyard on clay, silt and gravel soils is planted with 94% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc. It used to be a somewhat rustic style; however, Edouard and Christian have transformed the wine here into a real beauty and it still remains one of the best value wines in the appellation. The 2022 is produced from 100% Merlot and is another handsome effort. Opening with suggestions of minty eucalyptus and hedgerow fruits, this segues to an intense palate of blackcurrant and raspberry. Whilst the profile is quite dark and mineral, it is vital and finishes with refreshing acidity and a touch of salinity. A very well measured Pomerol.
critic reviews
From a Moueix property between (as the name suggests) Lafleur and Gazin, this is pure Merlot. The nose suggests rather sweet plum cake, with a little blackberry leaf and chalk dust. A similarly plump and fruit forward palate, with dried black plums, damsons, tobacco oak and cedar, with a rich wrapping of nicely grained tannins. It finishes firm and sappy, with a clamping down of the tannins in the finish. Plump and eager to please, I can see this drinking well in four or five years. So don’t delay! The alcohol on the label is 14.5%.
Tough to steer 100% Merlot through the drought of 2022 (just 458 mm of rain from November 2021 through to October 2022 in Pomerol, pretty much half the average) but they have done a good job here. This is enjoyable, plenty of grilled caramel notes and luscious red cherry fruits. Acidity feels pretty low compared to normal, it's a lovely wine that I would happily suggest opening now and over next decade. JP Moueix owners of this 8.64ha estate on classic Pomerol gravel, clay and sand soils, harvest September 5 to 13.
The 2022 Lafleur-Gazin comes from a Pomerol estate that has been on the rise in recent years. It has a very attractive bouquet with blackberry, black truffle and iris flower scents, with hints of melted tar in the background. This is focused and classy. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins. It is very well balanced and far more sophisticated than previous vintages. This eases off the accelerator toward the finish but has the sapidity to leave you wanting more. It is worth seeking out.
The 2022 Lafleur-Gazin unwinds in the glass with aromas of minty blackberries, cherries, petroleum jelly and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, supple and gourmand, its satiny attack segues into a rich but vibrant core of fleshy, perfumed fruit. Owned by the firm of J-P Mouiex since 2020, this is an estate in the ascendant.