Les Pensées, Pomerol, 2023
Omri explained 2023 is "not a solaire vintage, it’s not a “classical” cool vintage, it’s not another hybrid vintage like 2016, 2018 or 2020 with a wet, cold spring and then a very hot, dry summer… The best we’ve come up with so far is it’s an extreme vintage with no real extremes… It felt extreme when we were working in the vineyard, it was challenging and complex, but when we look back at the data, it was quite unremarkable.” The wines they have produced certainly are remarkable and very much appeal to our palates. They are dense, but less overly fruity than recent greats like 2019 and 2022. They have wonderful aromatics and bright, tense cores of fruit framed by gloriously ripe tannins packed with detail. It's a masterful range, which sits right up there with the very best from these estates. The 2023 Pensées is one of the most enthralling examples of this cuvee we can recall tasting. Produced from 70% Merlot and 30% Bouchet this has all the usual charm with a more complex, serious character. Initially floral with salty, earthy notes. So silky, contoured rather than voluptuous, refreshing dark berries and griotte with layers of earth and stones, a very serious, controlled Pensées with a tear drop shaped finish, hints of coffee beans, cacao and flowers. Very smart indeed.
critic reviews
A blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Bouchet (Cabernet Franc), the 2023 Pensees de Lafleur has a deep garnet-purple color. It needs a swirl or two to spur it on to gallop out with powerful notes of juicy black plums, wild blueberries, and raspberry preserves, leading to an undercurrent of wood smoke, charcoal, bay leaves, and Sichuan pepper. The medium-bodied palate is light on its feet and beautifully poised, with very fine, silky tannins and alluring freshness, finishing very long and earthy.
Unusually high Merlot for Pensees, this combines gorgeously rich texture with mouthwatering salinity on the finish, moving through plump and plus black cherry and raspberry fruit. The team here always knows how to skilfully construct a wine, and this picks up concentrated notes of fennel and mint that raise the game. 25% new oak for ageing.
The 2023 Les Pensées contains more Merlot this year, at 70% of the final blend. It was picked between September 7 to 17. This has another very minerally bouquet, well-defined, quite nervy and focused, with a subtle marine influence. The palate is medium-bodied with impressive concentration and freshness on the entry. Black plum and a touch of dark chocolate come through, framed by a slightly granular texture. Cracked black pepper emerges on the structured but not heavy finish. Excellent.
The 2023 Pensees de Lafleur is an especially serious rendition of a cuvee that is generally more forward and demonstrative than its stablemate Lafleur. Unfurling in the glass with deep aromas of cherries and dark berries mingled with violets, orange zest and spices, it's medium to full-bodied, with a broad attack that segues into a fleshy, layered core of real depth and density, underpinned by rich, powdery tannins and concluding with a long, harmonious finish. It's a blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc.