Château Lafleur vertical: 1993-2013

Decanter's John Stimpfig tasted 10 selected vintages of Lafleur to mark two upcoming auctions at Christie's with wines from this legendary Pomerol estate.

Château Lafleur is one of the undisputed superstars of Bordeaux’s fine wine firmament. It is, and deserves to be, mentioned in the same breath as Petrus, Ausone and Le Pin in terms of rarity, quality and reputation.

Its tiny, rectangular 4.5ha vineyard was acquired in 1872 by Henri Greloud, and borders Petrus, Vieux Château Certan, Gazin, Hosanna and La Fleur-Petrus in a prime position on the Pomerol plateau. An unusually equal mix of Merlot and Cabernet Franc vines are grown on a mix of soils – clay, gravel and sand. The average age of the vines is now more than 35 years, and some plots are more than 60.

Scroll down to see John’s Lafleur tasting notes and scores

See Jane Anson’s Lafleur 2017 tasting note and rating

Greloud’s descendants, the Guinaudeau family, now farm this land. His great-great grandson Jacques, along with his wife Sylvie, took over responsibility for the property in 1985 and began to meticulously replant thousands of missing vines, a massal selection, following 40 years of very little work in the vineyard. They also put in new drainage and improved the trellising.

The wines

The grand vin is a thoroughbred, ‘vigneron’ wine produced on a Burgundian scale – just 12,000 bottles per year. The blend is invariably vintage specific, but always comes with a high percentage of Cabernet Franc, which provides Lafleur with its hallmark nuance, minerality and thrilling complexity. Lafleur’s ageability is also legendary.

In 1987 the Guinaudeaus introduced a second wine, Pensées de Lafleur, which now has its own distinct identity and terroir definition. It is sourced from a specific portion of the main vineyard that has more clay in the soil. It has an even smaller production, just 3,000 bottles, and is a serious wine in its own right, capable of ageing for two decades or more in top vintages.

The upcoming auctions

On 26 May, Christie’s is staging an auction in Hong Kong featuring a collection of Château Lafleur vintages in a variety of formats and with the promise of pristine provenance.

Christie’s is also holding another Fine & Rare Wines auction in New York on 15 June, which will feature a similar array of Lafleur and Pensées vintages from the same vendor.

According to David Elswood, of Christie’s wine department, collectors are very unlikely to have the opportunity again to bid on such an impressive selection of Lafleur vintages in so many different bottle formats.

Château Lafleur vertical: 1993-2013

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• Anson: Secrets of Château Lafleur

• Top Pomerol 2017 wines

• Bordeaux 2006: Which wines have aged well?