One of the wines of the vintage, but likely to prove slower evolving and more introverted than its 2019 counterpart, the 2020 Lafleur unwinds in the glass with aromas of cherries, raspberries, kirsch, black truffle, orange zest and vine smoke. Full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, it's deep and concentrated, with a tightly wound core of fruit framed by rich, powdery tannins, concluding with a long, saline finish. This is another magical bottle from an estate that just seems to do everything right. Drink 2030-2065. WK April 2023

Violets, lilacs, roses, cocoa, mint, licorice, dark cherries, plums, sandalwood and saffron open the wine. The wine explodes in the glass with the essence of plums, black cherries, dark chocolate and spice. It is not the fruits, it is the intensity, opulent-exotic textures, richness and multiple levels of depth of flavor on the palate that make this an extraordinary tasting experience. And if that isn't enough, the more than 60-second, seamless, finish, with all the fruits that build in intensity seals the deal. With a bit of time to age and evolve, this could hit 100 Pts! The wine blends 53% Cabernet Franc and 47% Merlot. 14.8% ABV, 3.7 pH. Drink from 2030-2060. Tasted Aug 2023

(54% M, 46% Bouchet)
Merlot wild-rose herbal character, subtle, spicy, and fresh behind the dense ripe red fruit, a persistent, subtle, heady perfume; immediately on tasting, a great, rich, yet refined and contained balance, effortlessy concentrated, so finely tannic, so fresh, perfect; deep, sweet, silky, and fleshy, yet for all its richness, also a medium-weight impression, of infinite subtle fragrance, energy, and length across the palate, with a great sense of precision, raciness and definition, followed by fabulously ethereal, scented length. All the delicacy and refinement of Lafleur in an also incredibly juicily seductive parcel. An utterly great red wine. All the Guinaudeau wines are beautifully textured, with absolutely no impression of new wood at all. Oak, whether as an aroma or a texture, simply doesn’t enter one’s mind in the Lafleur family! 2035–60+.

Looking at the flagship 2020 Château Lafleur, it’s based on 54% Merlot and 46% Bouchets (Cabernet Franc) that spent 15 months in just 25% new French oak. This brilliant Pomerol reveals a saturated ruby/purple hue as well as a dense, primordial bouquet of red and black fruits, tobacco leaf, iodine, flowers, and crushed stone-like minerality. A powerful, full-bodied, concentrated Lafleur built for the long haul, it has beautiful overall balance, lots of ripe tannins, and the vintage's focused, pure, structured style front and center. It needs to be forgotten for a solid decade and will evolve for 40 years or more. March 2023

The 2020 Lafleur takes all the elements of this site and dials them up. All of the natural richness and textural intensity of the year comes through in a decidedly flamboyant, opulent Lafleur. It's an immediate Lafleur, that much is obvious. I imagine the classic Lafleur bouquet will develop in bottle, as aeration starts to release some of the classic Bouchet (Cabernet Franc) notes that are such signatures. Today, the sumptuousness of Merlot really drives the wines' balance, with the Bouchet felt mostly in the structural profile. I can't wait to see how this ages.

Smooth, supple and alive in the glass, this has an energy and brightness. It’s compact and there’s density and concentration, but coiled right now, almost narrow, driving the flavours vertically. Seriously elegant, sophisticated and intellectual with the savoury elements of wet stone, liquorice, dried earth, tobacco and an iris and violet florality lingering and dominating, but this manages to be complex and detailed with polished tannins and a sense of absolute purity. A great Lafleur that will take its time, only just offering a glimpse of what’s to come. Drinking Window: 2028 - 2060
Tasted by: Georgina Hindle (at Bordeaux, 03 Jan 2023)
Part of Pomerol 2020 in bottle: overview plus top-scoring wines

The 2020 Lafleur is raised in 30% new oak, the rest, for the first time, used at Grand Village for 8 months to reduce the oak influence and season the barrel. (In fact, Jacques Guinaudeau did this in the past). It was bottled in April 2022 after two months settling in large stainless-steel. It has a showstopping nose with stunning delineation and terroir expression. There is a strong mineralité that floods through on the nose, something almost…igneous about the aromas, struck flint and that basalt element that I observed out of barrel. It's a very striking, uncompromising bouquet that expands with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine yet sturdy tannins, intense black fruit intermixed with dark chocolate that ebbs with aeration, revealing more floral aromas after 20 minutes. There is a sense of symmetry on the finish and an extraordinary long aftertaste, while all the time, retaining freshness and vitality. Just wonderful. Feb 2023

There’s such beautiful clarity to this with freshly crushed grapes, flowers such as violets, and hints of chocolate. Aromatic. Full and linear with refined tannins that give length and focus. Poised. Such brightness. Needs five or six years to show it’s greatness. May 2023

54% Merlot, 46% Bouchet (Cabernet Franc). Cask sample.
A great Lafleur and one of the wines of the vintage. Dark and dense on the nose with a chocolate note from the Bouchet (Cabernet Franc) and hint of minerality. Whack of fruit and plentiful but really fine tannin on attack. Initially, broad, dense and full then tightens up and disappears into the distance. Drive and persistence and minerally freshness throughout. Enormous ageing potential. (JL)