Château Lafleur, Pomerol, 2013
As one might expect, the Grand Vin is quite a step up and is a contender for our 'wine of the vintage'. Produced from 45% Merlot and 55% Cabernet Franc, from the same 4.5 hectare plot purchased by Jacques' great-great grandfather in 1872. A spectacular bouquet of black fruit gums, cassis, fine herbs, coal, crushed rocks and liqueur chocolates. This is brooding, complex and intellectual, but not without a healthy dose of joy. There is a fleshiness to the mid palate, it's not corpulent, but it is generous and richly layered as well as being taut, focussed and muscular. It may not be as profound as say the 2010, but it is nonetheless a spectacular, rather more open style of Lafleur that will no doubt be an absolute pleasure to drink in a decade. Philosophical and hedonistic in one - a truly great wine.
critic reviews
The 2013 Lafleur is probably near the top of the tree as one of the worst vintages in recent years. To be frank, it is found lacking compared to, say, the 2014. With light earthy scents, the nose lacks the amplitude and complexity that you expect from this Pomerol. The palate is balanced and clean with no signs of greenness, yet it does not offer anything near the nuance or concentration that one expects. It has an easy-drinking and affable nature but is an atypically early-drinking Lafleur. Tasted from ex-château magnum at Kate & Kon's 40-Year vertical in Austria.
Medium garnet in color, the 2013 Lafleur starts off quite herbal, with notions of rosemary and wild sage giving way to a core of raspberry coulis and kirsch, plus hints of crushed rocks, lavender, and tobacco leaf. The medium-bodied palate delivers a good core of fruit with an herbal undercurrent and firm, chewy tannins, finishing savory.
Silky, melted tannins, edges of smoked caramel, cold ash and woodsmoke. Has a serious dark fruited edge to it, blackberry and cassis that is unusual in the vintage, with floral curls. You could drink this now, but here you feel it is holding things back, crouched for a further reveal in a few years time. Stands out in this lineup, and is a rare 2013 in its ability to hold its line, with grip and length. 50% new oak.
The 2013 Lafleur was one of my favorite wines from barrel because, as Baptiste Guinaudeau remarked when I visited the property, he did not try to make a Pomerol beyond what it could be. The nose might not possess the complexity of the best vintages of Lafleur, but it is clearly delineated and fresh, with blackberry and raspberry fruit, a subtle granitic scent tucked underneath. The palate is medium-bodied with quite firm tannin, as is often the case for Lafleur, with crunchy red berry fruit and a stony, almost reserved but fresh finish that lingers nicely in the mouth. This is an excellent wine considering the growing season.