Pensees de Lafleur - Pomerol 2019

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Pensees de Lafleur Description

Fruit of the shared passion which drives for more than 140 years the same family, the wines of Chateau Lafleur are crafted without any concession to fashion. Deep and complex, they are distinguished by the precision of their tannic structure and their legendry mineral character arising from this mythic terroir. The small surface and naturally low yields of the vineyard make Chateau Lafleur a very rare cru, reserved for great connoisseurs.

Decanter: 97 Points

A dark and heady nose, bramble fruits and spice, coffee and blackcurrant nuances. Gorgeous texture that stands out immediately, this is succulent but not overtly mouthwatering. Serious and broad shouldered, there's a meatiness to the texture with grippy tannins but still with a velvet like quality that have such presence in the mouth. This feels so expressive but also so controlled - spherical and fleshy but with a background of iron, wet stone and graphite. Finishes direct and poised, focusing the palate to a long mineral-edged lingering taste. Such complexity, I love this wine.

James Suckling: 97 Points

Wine Advocate: 96 Points

Unwinding in the glass with aromas of raspberries, violets, rose petals, Egyptian musk and spices, the 2019 Pensées de Lafleur is full-bodied, layered and velvety, with a deep, fleshy, concentrated core of fruit, lively acids and ripe, powdery tannins, concluding with a long, penetrating finish. Derived from vines growing in the part of Lafleur's vineyard through which a water course once flowed and where the soils are richer in clay and better hydrated, it's a blend of more or less equal parts Cabernet Franc and Merlot; this bottling hasn't really been a "second wine" since the late 1990s—but the market doesn't seem to have caught on. For now, it remains the best way to experience the Guinaudeau family's magic touch in Pomerol, for the price of a good Médoc second growth. - William Kelley