Lafleur 1988 (1.5L)

A strong candidate for the wine of the vintage, Lafleur's 1988 is still extremely youthful, requiring another decade of cellaring. The color remains a dense opaque plum with no signs of lightening at the edge. The reticent but promising nose of kirsch, minerals, violets, and Asian spices still needs to be coaxed out of the glass. Full-bodied, dense, and concentrated, with exceptional power, layers of highly extracted fruit, and superb purity, as well as mouthsearing tannin, this is a wine for the true connoisseur. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2035. Last tasted 7/97-Robert M. Parker, Jr., The Wine Advocate

The 1988 Lafleur was last tasted in 2012 at the Attersee tasting conducted just before publishing my Pomerol tome. I had forgotten how well this vintage showed at the time and deeply impressed how well it performs after almost three decades. There is now just a little ageing on the rim but the core remains a healthy dark purple color. The bouquet is just wonderful, armed with gorgeous black fruit, tobacco and a hint of liquorish, and a distant touch of Japanese green tea. The palate is medium-bodied but is endowed with considerable density in context of the vintage. There is much more matière here compared to the 1988 Petrus. It is not quite as rigid as it was five years ago and this bottle demonstrates a precocious, almost mellifluous finish that is more like a 1990 than 1988. Outstanding. Tasted at the “International Wine & Business” Lafleur dinner at Ten Trinity, London.-Neal Martin, Vinous Media, Tasted 9/18