“All the delicacy and refinement of Lafleur in an also incredibly juicily seductive parcel. An utterly great red wine” – Michael Schuster
We are delighted to announce the release of the entire 2020 portfolio from the Guinaudeau family: Château Lafleur, Les Pensées, Les Perrières, Les Champs Libres, Château Grand Village and Chateau Grand Village Blanc. For the second year, we have been unable to travel to Bordeaux to taste from barrel, however, we have it on good authority that the range is the best ever.
Read MoreOmri Ram describes 2020 as “A great vintage! We’ve never had this level throughout the whole range, it’s fascinating to see how much the Grand Village and Les Perrières have improved, the latter really is a beautiful interpretation of Lafleur genetics on limestone terroir.” Whilst the results are cause for celebration, Omri described the vintage as a game of “High stakes poker. You could win big, but equally, you could lose everything in a flash.” Omri refers to 2020 as a “New solar vintage”, similar to the conditions seen in 2016 and 2018. A wet, mild winter resulted in a precocious budbreak, which exposed the vines to a much greater risk to spring frosts (the team spent ten nights out in the vineyards). Then there was a perfect window for early flowering in May before a switch back to oceanic conditions with lots of rain and mildew pressure. With this humidity, there was prolific vegetative growth. The team at Lafleur were primed for the eventual switch to summer. “We helped the ‘lazy vines’ prepare for the heat and drought by reducing the canopy and cutting secondary shoots. It’s a very precise, manual process. We also kept opening the soils to help capture every drop of moisture… Conditions were beautiful for the harvest. The berries were very small, but not as small as 2018 or 2010, and they seem to have captured the whole growing season. They reflect both the solar influence, as well as the freshness from the rainy, cool spring.”
Once again, the Guinaudeau team has navigated the tightrope of the vintage and triumphed. Those critics who are based in Bordeaux and the few who managed to make the voyage are all unanimous in their praise. Omri again, “We managed to harness all the aspects of the vintage and have created something quite beautiful. The terroir and genetics show in the richness, density and salty mineral finish. But the terroir really shows on the palate, there’s zero weight, even Les Pensées with its natural roundness finishes with precision. Les Perrières is the most linear and precise example to date. It’s so chiselled, it makes me think of a quarry, it speaks so clearly of its terroir. Lafleur takes all the aspects of Les Perrières, but because of the gravel, it intensifies them. Character wise, it is very unique, more harmonious than 16 and18.” Omri pays special mention to Grand Village Rouge. “We’re extremely happy with Grand Village. For the first time, one feels something of Lafleur in the 2020.”
2020 Château Lafleur
“Merlot wild-rose herbal character, subtle, spicy, and fresh behind the dense ripe red fruit, a persistent, subtle, heady perfume; immediately on tasting, a great, rich, yet refined and contained balance, effortlessly concentrated, so finely tannic, so fresh, perfect; deep, sweet, silky, and fleshy, yet for all its richness, also a medium-weight impression, of infinite subtle fragrance, energy, and length across the palate, with a great sense of precision, raciness and definition, followed by fabulously ethereal, scented length. All the delicacy and refinement of Lafleur in an also incredibly juicily seductive parcel. An utterly great red wine. All the Guinaudeau wines are beautifully textured, with absolutely no impression of new wood at all. Oak, whether as an aroma or a texture, simply doesn’t enter one’s mind in the Lafleur family! 2035–60+. 98–100/100” – Michael Schuster
The whites are also reaching new peaks. We’ve frequently applauded Les Champs Libres for its laser-like precision and energy. Now these characteristics are evident in the Grand Village Blanc too. Omri describes the 2020s as “A similar style to the 2019s with a little more flesh”. They will no doubt be ravishingly intense examples.
Allocations
Château Lafleur is one of the most sought-after wines in the world. As ambassadors, it is our responsibility to distribute to clients who are buying primarily for drinking. As such, Lafleur, Les Pensées, Les Perrières and Les Champs Libres will be subject to our allocation process. Please place your orders through your account manager and we will let you know if you are successful in due course. In line with our producers’ expectations, we ask for wines not to be sold or moved out of Cellarers Wines Ltd (except to a home delivery address) within five years of release from the producer. We reserve the right to withhold the offer of future allocations to clients we believe are not observing this rule.
The wines listed are abroad and are expected to ship late 2023.