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Tasting notes
The 2006 Lafleur is a little better than previous bottles, opening nicely with blackberry, Italian delicatessen, light crushed stone scents and a hint of bay leaf. It is a conservative but exhibits more terroir expression than the 2007. The palate is firm and structured and lacks a bit of flair, but there is ample concentration with an appealing, grippy finish. Just give it a couple more years. Tasted from ex-château magnum at Kate & Kon's 40-Year vertical in Austria.
Critic scores
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Robert Parker
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
The 2006 Lafleur is a vintage that I have not encountered for a little while. It is similar to how it tasted at a decade old with wild strawberry, blackberry and hints of cooked meat on the nose, still pretty backward and needing time to meld fully. The palate is medium-bodied with still a slightly coarse entry that I don't think would be accepted by Baptiste Guinaudeau today, slightly tarry toward a dense and somewhat muscular finish. Maybe it's just missing Lafleur's usual charm? Yet it's still an impressive Pomerol that requires more cellaring. Tasted at 67 Pall Mall for The Complete Bordeaux Vintage Guide dinner.
Tasted at the château and then blind at Farr Vintners' tasting, the 2006 Lafleur is a vintage that I have not tasted for a few years. It has a well-defined bouquet with kirsch, strawberry, touches of melted tar and that hint of cooked meat that I picked up on out of barrel. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly coarse tannin on the entry, tarry black fruit, cohesive in the mouth with a touch of black pepper that leads to a conservative finish, which feels just a little austere at the moment. It is an impressive Lafleur from Jacques Guinaudeau, even if I would not place it within the top tier of vintages that he has overseen with his son Baptiste in recent years. Tasted April 2016.
About the producer
The Société Civile du Ch. Lafleur is the collective name for the Guinaudeau family’s wines and estates. These are some of the Right Bank’s most famous wines, including Ch. Lafleur and Les Pensées in Pomerol, along with Les Perrières, Les Champs Libres and Ch. Grand Village in Fronsac.