1996 Château Lafleur
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Tasting notes
Like many of its Right Bank counterparts, the 1996 Lafleur was compromised by a growing season that completely favoured the Left Bank. It just lacks brightness and vitality on the nose, which foregrounds gravel and leather but is missing the fruit behind it. The palate is simple with slightly dry tannins, but this is not an astringent Lafleur and there is a sense of balance on the Médoc-like finish. Not the best Lafleur by a long way, but I prefer it to the under-performing '96 Petrus! Tasted from ex-château magnum at Kate & Kon's 40-Year vertical in Austria.
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Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
The 1996 Lafleur is not a vintage that I have seen much, although the bottom line is that in this tricky Right Bank season it is better than the disappointing Petrus. Raspberry, black truffle and leather on the rather lean nose, the palate stocky and burly if missing the refinement and precision of a great vintage. There is a sense of attractiveness to this Lafleur, but it does lack that crucial ingredient – charm.
Magnum Warm and round on the nose though much lighter than, say, the 1999. Hint of mossiness. Very mellow and lively too. Quite gentle and evolved. Beautiful balance. Great freshness. Not too dissimilar to the 2000 Pensées. Very slightly suppressed fruit – low level TCA? Hardens up on the finish. A little rustic on the finish. (JR)
As I suspected, the 1996 Lafleur is a painfully backward, austere wine that represents a modern day clone of this estate's 1966. It possesses a backward, tannic, Medoc-like character, with none of Pomerol's hallmark generosity. The wine exhibits a saturated dark purple color, as well as a distinctive mineral, black raspberry, and berry-scented nose with the steely, mineral Lafleur character well-displayed. Powerful, long, and rich, but excruciatingly tannic, this wine may or may not resolve all of its tannin. In short, it is an impressively constituted wine that is no sure thing. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2025.
About the producer
The Société Civile du Ch. Lafleur is the collective name for the Guinaudeau family’s wines and estates. These are some of the Right Bank’s most famous wines, including Ch. Lafleur and Les Pensées in Pomerol, along with Les Perrières, Les Champs Libres and Ch. Grand Village in Fronsac.