Chateau Lafleur Les Pensees de Lafleur 2017
Chateau Lafleur Les Pensees de Lafleur 2017, developed nicely now that the wine is in bottle. It has a composed bouquet with scents of raspberry preserve, blackcurrant leaf and a touch of chalk, all neatly defined and discretely enmeshed with the oak. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, quite strict tannin. There is an appealing symmetry to this Les Penses, exuding immense precision and tension on the finish without showing off. As I wrote in my primeur note, perfect for those that cannot afford the Grand Vin.
Deeper and more serious Pomerol than it used to be with a blend of 52% Merlot and 48% Cabernet Franc (which Baptiste Guinaudeau prefers to call Bouchet since it is the old name for the Cabernet Franc found here). A lot of Pensées’ 70 are vineyard has been re-grafted whic makes the wine much more elegant and fresh. Great tenderness, here with plums and chocolate like flavours. Delicious.
Chateau Lafleur is located east of Pomerol, a few hundred meters from Petrus. Since its creation in 1872, it has been in the same family, even if surnames varied. There were first the Grelouds until 1915 and then the Robins until 1984. In 1985, the Guinaudeaus, representatives of the 5th generation, took over the farm in rent and finally bought it in 2002. The vineyard covers 4.5 hectares in one piece and has never undergone any parcel modification since its creation.
Grape variety honors merlot and cabernet franc, each representing half of the surface. If the oldest vines predate the 1956 frosts, the average age is 40 years in 2010. Reasoned struggle is in the spotlight in the ranks, to limit phytosanitary products and produce grapes in an environmentally friendly setting. More generally, it is humility that guides the Guinaudeau family’s actions. Humility before the forces of Nature, before the terroir which is everything and that must be respected so that it can be expressed at length, over time. Bernard Burtschy selected the first and second wine from the estate.
