($1; 895) Saturated, bright ruby-red. Brooding, liqueur-like aromas of blackberry, cassis, smoked meat, licorice and menthol. Compellingly dense, sweet and concentrated, with silky fruit that saturates the entire palate without any excess weight. A very backward, firmly structured wine that offers an uncanny combination of early sweetness and firm but harmonious acidity. The wine's dark fruit and licorice flavors spread out impressively on the back end, which features huge but smooth tannins and terrific length and verve. Wow! This will be long-lived.

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Full and sweet and pretty luscious with a firm tarmac spine. Lots of energy. Lively and zappy. With some transparency. Quite forward.

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The 2005 Lafleur is tight and austere at present, but unquestionably enormously endowed. It displays a dense ruby/purple hue as well as a beautiful bouquet that only emerges with coaxing. Aeration is essential in order to release the subtle, restrained scents of licorice, kirsch liqueur, black truffles, and flowers. In the mouth, there is compelling richness, depth, and intensity, but the wine's power, full body, forbiddingly backward style, and high tannins suggest significant cellaring will be required.

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Exhibits a complex nose of crushed blackberry, dried flowers and dark chocolate. Full-bodied, with a rich, powerful palate. Tannic and muscular, with great length. Superracy. Builds and goes and goes. So fine and beautiful. Mythic.

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