Lafleur 2021 (750ML)

96-98 VM / 95-97 JD / 

The 2021 Lafleur was picked 17 and 24 September for the Merlot and on 2 October for the Bouchets (to give Cabernet Franc its proper name in these parts). It has a very focused bouquet with dark berry fruit, crushed rock, iris flower and just a touch of blue fruit. The palate is silky smooth on the entry with a fine bead of acidity. Beautifully-balanced, conveying palpable energy, this is cool, calm and collected on the finish, brushing off the hurdles of the growing season like water off a duck's back. Baptiste and Julie Guinaudeau have conjured not just one of the finest Pomerols of 2021, but one of the finest Bordeaux wines. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

Very polished with fine tannins that finish intensely. It’s a medium-to full-bodied red with focus. Blackberry and blackcurrant flavors. Hints of tobacco and nutmeg, too. -James Suckling.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the 2021 Château Lafleur be the wine of the vintage. Based on 52% Bouchet (Cabernet Franc) and 48% Merlot, it's hard to believe this is a 2021 when tasting it, and it has more density, depth, and class than just about every other wine out there. Gorgeous black raspberries, framboise, spring flowers, scorched earth, and graphite define the bouquet, and it's medium to full-bodied, perfectly balanced, and has incredible tannins and a salty, mineral-drenched vibe on the finish that's something to behold. Wines in 2021 that stand up to what was achieved in 2016, 2018, and 2019 are few and far between, but this might be one of them. This is as singular as they come and shows the absolute best of the vintage. Bravo. -Jeb Dunnuck.