2004 LaFleur - Pomerol

FRANCE / BORDEAUX / POMEROL
  • 95 WA
  • 94 WS
  • 91 IWC
  • 80 JR
  • Variety
    Red Bordeaux Blend
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SKU: 52683-2004-750-3A
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  • International Wine Cellar | Rating: 91

    Good dark red. Currant, minerals, graphite and nutty oak, along with some funkier notes of leather and musky tobacco. Supple, deep and fine-grained but with a cooler character than the 2005. Less black and more red in character than the 2005, throwing off notes of raspberry, mocha, coffee, leather and underbrush. Finishes with substantial, slightly edgy tannins. This one will be fascinating to follow.
    Author: Stephen Tanzer
    Issue: May/June 2007

  • Jancis Robinson | Rating: 16

    Less dark than the other Pomerols tasted and with more development showing at the rim. Smoky and gently meaty with some cedar notes. Much fresher on the palate than I expected from the nose, almost delicate with a leafy edge. Finishes spicy and a bit dusty.ÿ (JH)
    Author: Julia Harding MW

  • Wine Spectator | Rating: 94

    Subtle yet complex aromas of raspberry, dark chocolate and flowers follow through to a full-bodied palate, with ultrafine tannins and a long, caressing finish. Very refined and pretty, with a solid core of fruit. Hard not to drink now. This is really seamless in texture, with fabulous tannins. 1,000 cases made.
    Author: James Suckling

  • Wine Advocate | Rating: 95

    Tasted at Justerini and Brooks agency tasting in London. I absolutely adored the Chateau Lafleur 2004 when I first tasted it from barrel. Now with a decade on the clock, it is beginning to truly fulfil its promise as one of the wines of that vintage. It has a deep garnet hue. The nose demonstrates a sense of energy married with outstanding delineation: blackberry, blueberry and freshly shaved black truffle. The palate is extremely focused and tense, the acidity perfectly judged, and though the growing season perhaps curtails the sustain on the finish, there is coolness and a nonchalance here that is captivating. There remains some adolescent broodiness here, but give it another 3-4 years and you will have a great Pomerol and a great Lafleur on your hands. Tasted February 2015.
    Author: Neal Martin
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    Located in the Pomerol appellation, Chateau Lafleur is among the few properties whose quality often rivals or exceeds that of the famed Chateau Petrus. The small Lafleur estate is owned and operated by Sylvie and Jacques Guinadeau and only produces about 1,000 cases per year. The property was previously known as Le Manoir de Gay in the 1700s and was subsequently divided into Domaine de Lafleur and Chateau Le Gay by the Greloud family. It was Henri Groloud's son-in-law, Andre Robin, who contributed his personal motto, "Qualite passe quantite" (quality surpasses quantity), to the winemaking practices at Lafleur. The estate has benefited from additional help from winemaking consultant Jean-Pierre Moueix since the 1980s. Chateau Lafleur produces about 250 cases of a second label called Les Pensees de Lafleur consisting of grapes that do not meet the standards of the chateau's grand vin.

    Lafleur's 4.5 hectares of vineyards consist of approximately 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc situated on a plateau rich in gravel and clay as well as potassium and iron deposits. The wine offers a strong perfume from the Cabernet Franc portion of the blend and reveals flavors of concentrated black fruits, spice and minerals. It is a structured wine, displaying refined acidity, ripe berries, and focused tannins. Chateau Lafleur can age for up to 50 years in select vintages.
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    Located in the southwest of France, Bordeaux is the single largest fine-wine-producing region in the world, with more than 15,000 growers spread over 57 appellations and more than 700 million bottles produced annually. The region boasts a two-thousand-year winemaking history and some of the wine world's most recognized and highly sought-after names. Red Bordeaux blends comprise eighty percent of production, but dry and sweet whites are also well-known. The region is divided into the Left and Right Banks (of the Dordogne River); Cabernet Sauvignon prevails in the former and Merlot in the latter.
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    White Bordeaux blends are most commonly composed of Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc, and come in a range of dry and sweet styles. Sémillon contributes body while Sauvignon Blanc adds high acidity, a characteristic that is particularly important in the sweet wines of Bordeaux.

    Sauternes is one of the world’s most prestigious regions for sweet wine production, made possible by Sémillon’s affinity for noble rot. Wines from world-renowned Château d’Yquem are fermented and matured in new oak for up to three years and can age for decades in bottle. These wines display complex aromas of melon, honey, apricot, citrus peel, mango, and butterscotch and develop added complexity and aromas with age.

    The best dry wines from this blend come from producers such as Château Haut-Brion, Château Pape Clément, and Domaine de Chevalier in Pessac-Léognan and Graves. These wines are typically fermented and matured in new oak and display a full-bodied richness with concentrated nutty flavors overlaying the fruit.

    Due to its freshness and flavor profile, dry white Bordeaux blends pair well with almost any white food, including all types of fish, poultry, veal, and pork. The sweet wines of Bordeaux pair well with foie gras, oysters, blue cheese, spicy food (particularly Asian cuisines), any dish with sweet notes, and of course, dessert.
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    Collector Data For This Wine

    • 346 bottles owned
    • 46 collectors