2018 La Fleur Petrus

A blend of 91% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, the 2018 la Fleur-Petrus has a medium garnet-purple color and a slightly closed-down nose to begin, soon unfurling to reveal earthy notions of black truffles, mossy tree bark and damp soil, over a core of plum preserves, wild blueberries and redcurrants, plus a fragrant waft of menthol lilacs. The medium to full-bodied palate has the most gorgeous, velvety texture with well-knit freshness giving lift to the densely packed black fruit and earthy layers, finishing with a beguiling perfume. Stunning. Give it a good 3-4 years in bottle and drink it over the next 30 years or more. LPB

The 2018 La Fleur-Pétrus has a wonderful bouquet that exceeds my expectations, featuring black-truffle-infused black fruit and those juniper berries I noticed out of barrel, all beautifully defined and seeming to blossom in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins. There is a slightly granular texture on the entry, matched with a fine bead of acidity. Very harmonious. A pinch of salted licorice appears toward the finish, which might lag behind both Trotanoy and Hosanna in terms of complexity, but delivers impressive persistence.

This offers a dark hued mix of plum, blackberry and black currant fruit that rolls through, unwinding to show anise, warm stone and tobacco notes as it does. Savory- and dark earth–tinged finish echoes lengthily. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2023 through 2036. 3,165 cases made. — JM

Ripe black fruit, clove, licorice, pine and walnut husk on the nose. Bitter chocolate and coffee, too. It’s full-bodied with firm, tight tannins. Muscular and very formed. Energetic and precise with long, chewy layers and lots of depth, structure and polish. Superb. Needs time. Try from 2026.

Inky crimson with purple rim. Dark, ripe black fruit and a slight lift of violets – perhaps the touch of Petit Verdot? Subtle but intense black fruit. Lots of fruit but also an overlay of slightly charry oak. Concentration and fine fruit, with sufficient freshness, all in embryo. Savoury, long, tangy finish with a touch of dark chocolate as an aftertaste.Julia Harding, jancisrobinson.com, April 2019

The 2018 La Fleur-Pétrus is positively rapturous, just as it was from barrel. Mother Nature appears to have taken all the signatures of this site and turned up the volume. Loud. Rich and beautifully layered, La Fleur-Pétrus dazzles with magnificent richness and a finish that is eternal. Blood orange, mint, rose petal, spice and sweet red berry fruit build over time. I can't remember tasting a better young La Fleur-Pétrus. Give it a few years to shed some baby fat. Magnificent.

The floral dominated nose is accompanied by dark cherries, black plums, boysenberry, dark cocoa and truffles. Full-bodied, rich and focused, your palate is taken over by layers of silky, velvet textured fruits, all of which display incredible purity and elegance. This stunning Pomerol will age and develop for at least 3 decades.

One of the most seamless, ethereal wines in the vintage, the 2018 Château La Fleur-Petrus checks in as 91% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot coming from a 45-acre vineyard of deep clay and gravelly soils located on the upper plateau of Pomerol. The vines average 35 years in age, and the élevage spans 16-18 months in 50% new French oak. Unquestionably in the same league as Trotanoy, Le Gay, Lafleur, Hosanna, and the other leviathans of the region, its deep purple hue is followed by a gorgeously layered, multi-dimensional 2018 with full-bodied aromas and flavors of black raspberry and blackcurrant fruits intermixed with spring flowers, dried herbs, and a hint of white truffle. Medium to full-bodied, with stunning symmetry and balance, its tannins are ripe and polished, and it has nicely integrated acidity as well as a great finish. It should drink well for another 20-25 years.

This is extremely good quality - intense, concentrated, inky but not a wine to rush. It takes its time in the glass, with the floral aromatics only beginning to curl out after five minutes before revealing an obvious supple and rich texture alongside fruit that packs a punch, so densely knitted together it feels as though you're walking across a bed of blackcurrants. The wine shows the ambitions of this property but things are not as effortless as in the brilliant 2016 from La Fleur Petrus - my guess is that the gravel soils suffered just a touch more than usual in the heat of the summer. 3.9pH. - www.decanter.com, Jane Anson, March 2019