2014 Lafleur

The Chƒteau Lafleur 2014 is a blend of 44% Merlot picked on 25 September and 56% Cabernet Franc picked on 5 and 6 October, the yields coming in at 28 hectoliters per hectare. Bright purple in color, the bouquet is pixelated. It is decidedly neither powerful or voluminous but instead very subtle and reflects its terroir, hints of sous-bois and truffle filtering through with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine, very precise tannin and nigh on perfect acidity. There is the trademark Lafleur structure and sense of "authority" here, perhaps a little more salinity emerging towards the finish compared to other vintages with a touch of spice right on the finish. It will require the patience of a saint, at least a decade in the cellar, but it will reward you with something heavenly.

The 2014 Lafleur is dark, intense and also wonderfully vivid in the glass. A wine of restraint and total finesse, it will need at least a few years to start coming into its own. Today, it is the wine's persistence and overall harmony that really stand out. There is a level of translucence and energy in the 2014 that is utterly captivating. The blend is 56 % Cabernet Franc and 44 % Merlot, with the Franc super-expressive at this stage. Silky tannins add to the wine's pure appeal. Even at this early stage, the 2014 is brilliant. Feb 2017, www.vinous.com, Drink: 2024-2044