CRITIC REVIEWS
Neal Martin
Tasted from an ex-chateau bottle at the Lafleur vertical dinner at Attersee in Austria. On this occasion it is difficult to separate the 2005 and 2009 Lafleur, although to reiterate my comments last year, they are very different and paradigms of the vintage. The bouquet has a ravishing, floral bouquet of violets and rose petals that explode from the glass. The palate is voluptuous, spherical and extraordinarily pure. It is far more generous and giving than the 2005 with raspberry and wild strawberry on the crescendo of a finish. The texture is to die for – pure satin. This wonderful should be cellared for at least a decade, although I suspect it will be approachable before the 2010. Tasted June 2012.
Jeb Dunnuck
The 2009 Lafleur (55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot) is an incredible wine in the vintage, not due to its concentration or richness, but due to its purity, finesse, and elegance! Revealing a deep ruby/purple color and perfumed notes of black raspberries, violets, forest floor, and spring flowers, this seamless Pomerol hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a layered, multi-dimensional, weightless texture, and ultra-fine tannin. With perfectly integrated oak, a perfumed, complex style, and no hard edges, it’s as sexy and seamless as it gets. If this wine doesn’t put a smile on your face, I can’t imagine what would. It’s already impossible to resist (it blossoms with time in the glass) but I suspect it will cruise in the cellar for another 2-3 decades.