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Vintage 2015
Baptiste Guinaudeau is quick to stress that 2015 was not an easy vintage. Despite the excellent start to the growing season, in particular the perfect flowering, there was concern in mid-summer about the lack of water, especially for the Merlot and Sémillon. However, this was alleviated at precisely the right moment with rain arriving in late July and early August. The rain resuscitated the vines allowing for a quick, even véraison. Into September, conditions were mostly dry, with warmth in the day and fresher conditions at night. It was also windy which further helped to concentrate the grapes. The Merlot harvest took place between 11th and 20th September and gave Merlot of a quality level not previously experienced at the property. The Cabernet Franc, harvested in the first days of October, are amongst the ripest ever seen at Lafleur. The biggest risk, noted Baptiste, was in harvesting too late, macerating too long and using too much wood. Their objective in the cellar was to work on the silkiness and elegance of the wines rather than the power. The Guinaudeaus consider the 2015 more sophisticated than the great 2009, more alluring than the imposing 2010, perhaps nearest to 2005 but with additional finesse and elegance in the tannins.
Whoever it was who coined the old phrase about the best things coming in small packages must of course have been thinking about Château Lafleur. As Jancis Robinson memorably said, Lafleur is “terroir transmitted into bottle” and owning bottles of Lafleur permits the drinker to experience one of Bordeaux’s most exceptional sites, a hallowed ground that has delivered a litany of multi-faceted, highly distinctive and totally compelling wines over its history.
The 2015 is a beauty that follows easily in the footsteps of Lafleur’s most revered vintages. The silky quality of the tannins renders it almost disarmingly approachable, acting as a disguise for a wine of depth and intensity that will give pleasure for decades to come. The Guinaudeaus’ ability to transmit the terroir into bottle is achieved by dedication, thoughtfulness and total respect for their vines. As they say themselves, they are ‘at the service of Lafleur’. These are people with the soil under their fingers, with the wine in their blood.
With its limited production, Lafleur is available strictly by allocation. The Guinaudeaus’ wish for stability in pricing rewards those who faithfully follow their work year upon year. Despite its high scores and acclaim, the 2015 is priced substantially below the prices for available vintages of comparable quality, surely the first condition for justifying an En Primeur purchase.
Alongside Lafleur, there is a miniscule amount of Les Pensées de Lafleur, the 1er cru to the Grand Cru. With a parcel of vines being replanted, production is a mere handful of barrels, a frustration today but a sacrifice made to safeguard future quality. In 2012, we saw the first prototype vintage of a wine called “A Louima”. This experiment was so successful, matching cuttings of Sancerre-sourced Sauvignon Blanc onto the clays of the right bank, that the eventual wine, christened ‘Les Champs Libres’ in recognition of the freedom to try something new, became an instant hit. In 2015, we see a further evolution, with the inclusion of a small parcel of old-vine Sémillon which adds a further dimension to the wine. Fast becoming a cult ‘collectible’, offered in 3-bottle cases, this is surely one of the most exciting new wines to have emerged from Bordeaux in recent years.
2015 CHÂTEAU LAFLEUR
£2250 Per 6 Bottles In Bond, on allocation only, larger formats available on request
Silence descends as Lafleur awaits. As always, the taster must do the work: there are no easy fireworks here. First impressions are of purity, cleanliness, calm and control. The fragrances are offered up with measure, seamlessly gliding from one aromatic to the next, hinting at the full panoply yet never showing anything excessive. All of the elements are there: both red and black fruits, spices, a little touch of licquorice even, some smoke and pepper, nothing out of place yet building in intensity all of the time. On the palate, there is a surprise: the strong tannins are coated in a velvet caress. There is obvious beauty here, unusual in a young Lafleur which is so frequently brooding. The shape and form are clear-cut yet without any sharp edges, the textures so refined and the wine sewn in with minerals, gentle spices and flowers. The Cabernet Franc asserts itself further as the wine is worked, the Merlot providing the cushion, the richness. On the finish, there is drive but also nonchalance, a feeling of a wine in total control, not concerned to look back, only going forwards. Drink 2023-2040+. 19.5 points, Armit Wines
The 2015 Lafleur is a blend of 51% Merlot and 49% Cabernet Franc picked 11-15 September and 1-2 October respectively. As usual, I waited for the Grand Vin to open in the glass, so I chewed the fat with Baptiste Guinaudeau before I started to tap away at the laptop. It unfurls beautifully delivering small red cherries, cranberry and Japanese nori aromas that gain intensity with every swirl. The palate is medium-bodied with full and rounded tannin, very complex with layers of cranberry and raspberry fruit, veins of white pepper and bay leaf, structured on the finish but not as foreboding as the leviathan 2010 Lafleur. It will still require ten years in bottle to reach its plateau, but it will be one of the standout wines of the vintage. 97-99/100 points, Neal Martin, eRobertParker.com
2015 LES PENSÉES DE LAFLEUR
£468 Per 6 Bottles In Bond, allocation only, larger formats available on request
A seductive, silky opening brings an instant smile before a more earthy, serious middle is revealed. The fruit combines the freshness of redcurrant and wild strawberry with darker notes of bramble and blackcurrant. As you work the wine, its scale and density become more apparent but without losing touch with its velvety textures. The finish is very elegant, yet driven and purposeful.Drink 2020-2030+ 17.5 points, Armit Wines
The 2015 Les Pensees de Lafleur is a blend of 54% Merlot, picked on September 21, and 46% Cabernet Franc that was picked on October 2. It has a broody bouquet with cranberry and raspberry coulis aromas, touches of dried herbs and brine developing with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with lightly spiced red berry fruit, vibrant in the mouth, very harmonious with superb precision on the finish. What a gorgeous deuxième vin from Baptiste Guinaudeau. 91-93/100 points, Neal Martin, eRobertParker.com
2015 LES CHAMPS LIBRES
£111 Per 3 Bottles In Bond, on allocation only, larger formats available on request
87% Sauvignon Blanc: 13% Sémillon. The addition of the Sémillon has added a little richness and weight to this cuvée but without losing the electricity that it carries. A nose of confit lemon and lime with elderflower over the top, the red clay and limestone soil asserts itself with mineral presence on the mid-palate before a finish of great clarity and lingering beauty. Drink 2017-2022. 17+ points, Armit Wines
The 2015 Les Champs Libres (from the Guinaudeau family at Château Lafleur in Pomerol) includes a little Semillon Blanc this year. It was picked between September 5-9. It has an attractive bouquet with lime cordial, dried pineapple and honeysuckle scents that are very well defined. The palate is fresh and crisp on the entry, vibrant and energetic, the 100% new oak barely noticeable. This is one of the less-known gems from the Guinaudeaus and it comes highly recommended.91-93/100 points, Neal Martin, eRobertParker.com
