Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (98-100)

This hits you right off the first nose, driven by slate and crushed rocks, setting the tone and the architecture, guiding the fruit through the palate. Cassis, bilberry, tobacco leaf, graphite, crushed mint, finessed and sculpted, this is a gorgeous Lafite, with fine tannins and the squid ink character that seems to be present in all of this stable of wines except Moulin de Duhart. Hidden power, where nothing is too much and yet everything is concentrated, once again proving that the terroir at this particular spot has its own personality that stands out every year. High Cabernet as ever, combined with around 15% press wine. Not the concentration of 2022, but in many ways showcasing the essence of Lafite more squarely, and this will delight anyone lucky enough to own it in future years. 45hl/h yield, highest since 2015, harvest September 7 to 29. 100% new oak. New cellar underway, due for completion in 2027. I am giving it 10 years to begin entering its opening window, a little less than usual but it will make no difference to how long you can cellar it.

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (98-100)

This hits you right off the first nose, driven by slate and crushed rocks, setting the tone and the architecture, guiding the fruit through the palate. Cassis, bilberry, tobacco leaf, graphite, crushed mint, finessed and sculpted, this is a gorgeous Lafite, with fine tannins and the squid ink character that seems to be present in all of this stable of wines except Moulin de Duhart. Hidden power, where nothing is too much and yet everything is concentrated, once again proving that the terroir at this particular spot has its own personality that stands out every year. High Cabernet as ever, combined with around 15% press wine. Not the concentration of 2022, but in many ways showcasing the essence of Lafite more squarely, and this will delight anyone lucky enough to own it in future years. 45hl/h yield, highest since 2015, harvest September 7 to 29. 100% new oak. New cellar underway, due for completion in 2027. I am giving it 10 years to begin entering its opening window, a little less than usual but it will make no difference to how long you can cellar it.

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (98-100)

This hits you right off the first nose, driven by slate and crushed rocks, setting the tone and the architecture, guiding the fruit through the palate. Cassis, bilberry, tobacco leaf, graphite, crushed mint, finessed and sculpted, this is a gorgeous Lafite, with fine tannins and the squid ink character that seems to be present in all of this stable of wines except Moulin de Duhart. Hidden power, where nothing is too much and yet everything is concentrated, once again proving that the terroir at this particular spot has its own personality that stands out every year. High Cabernet as ever, combined with around 15% press wine. Not the concentration of 2022, but in many ways showcasing the essence of Lafite more squarely, and this will delight anyone lucky enough to own it in future years. 45hl/h yield, highest since 2015, harvest September 7 to 29. 100% new oak. New cellar underway, due for completion in 2027. I am giving it 10 years to begin entering its opening window, a little less than usual but it will make no difference to how long you can cellar it.

Decanter (94)

Ripe tones on the nose; bramble fruit with perfumed scents - gorgeous rose scents appear after a few minutes, expanding and becoming more expressive. Juicy and succulent, vibrant and thrilling on the palate, there's a sense of energy here, a liveliness straight away with high acidity and a saline, slate mineral edge to the blackcurrant and blackberry fruit. Lovely clarity and purity with textured tannins that are well integrated but give the taut and refined frame. Great focus and complexity, less textured in terms of tannins compared with 2019 but this is wide and expansive, suggesting plenty of ageing potential.

Decanter (98)

The depth and concentration of the vintage meant that Lafleur remained fiercely closed for a number of years, emphasising even more than usual how different it is from many of its Pomerol siblings. Today it is uncurled and impossible to ignore. Still an intellectual take on this most exceptional of Pomerol vintages, complex and subtle with wisps of cold ash and flint against a richer blackberry cushion of fruit, richly textured but still firmly in control. Now inching towards its full expression, tantalisingly close and sure to deliver this level of brilliance for decades to come. 50% new oak.

Vinous - Neal Martin (93)

The 1999 Lafleur flies under the radar between the feted 1998 and 2000 vintages. However, it should not be under-estimated. It has a lucid deep color. The bouquet is not dissimilar to the previous bottle tasted in 2012, blessed with pure blackberry and briary scents, hints of gravel that render it not a million miles away from a Left Bank. The palate is very well balanced and seems silkier than ever. Whilst it does not possess the mineral core of the 1998, it has a disarmingly pure and graceful finish. Whilst not a Lafleur of immense length or grandeur it is approachable and beautifully crafted. Tasted at the “International Wine & Business” Lafleur dinner at Ten Trinity, London.

Vinous - Neal Martin (93)

The 1999 Lafleur flies under the radar between the feted 1998 and 2000 vintages. However, it should not be under-estimated. It has a lucid deep color. The bouquet is not dissimilar to the previous bottle tasted in 2012, blessed with pure blackberry and briary scents, hints of gravel that render it not a million miles away from a Left Bank. The palate is very well balanced and seems silkier than ever. Whilst it does not possess the mineral core of the 1998, it has a disarmingly pure and graceful finish. Whilst not a Lafleur of immense length or grandeur it is approachable and beautifully crafted. Tasted at the “International Wine & Business” Lafleur dinner at Ten Trinity, London.

Vinous - Neal Martin (100)

The 2000 Lafleur is a benchmark wine that prefigures the estate's wines in the 21st century. Though I have tasted it a dozen or so times from bottle, this was my first time in magnum…and what a wine! Showing only modest bricking at its rim, the nose is a symphony of aromas, an aromatic Pandora's Box: blackberry, wild hedgerow, black truffle, pencil box and gravel give way to more red fruit and rose petals. The palate has a heavenly balance with perfectly pitched acidity that effortlessly counterbalances the sheer weight and density of this wine. Previous examples have warned me away from cracking this open, but despite its larger format, this example is the first that entertains the notion of drinkability. That said, the 2000 is clearly a Pomerol that will span decades. The grandeur of this Lafleur is entrancing. Tasted from ex-château magnum at Kate & Kon's 40-Year vertical in Austria.

Wine Spectator (95-100)

This is seductive. Opulent aromas of chocolate, berry, plum and minerals. Full-bodied, with a fabulous concentration of fruit and supersilky tannins. This is the best wine of Pomerol and one of the most beautiful of 2003. Really exciting. Score range: 95-100

Wine Spectator (95-100)

Fascinating aromas of plums, dried flowers and hints of toasty oak. Full-bodied and muscular, with a long finish. Very, very impressive. Racy and well-toned for the vintage. Very well structured. Score range: 95-100

Wine Spectator (95-100)

Fascinating aromas of plums, dried flowers and hints of toasty oak. Full-bodied and muscular, with a long finish. Very, very impressive. Racy and well-toned for the vintage. Very well structured. Score range: 95-100

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

An absolute monster of a wine, the 2005 Château Lafleur is epitome of this vintage with its dense, massive style. A blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, its deep plum hue is followed by a rich, powerful, full-bodied Lafleur that has lots of ripe currant and darker, smoky black fruits as well as notes of scorched earth, saddle leather, and flowers. It has a stacked mid-palate, an inward, concentrated mouthfeel, ripe yet still present tannins, and a great finish. It’s still in need of another 5-7 years, if not a decade of bottle age, and will probably see its 100th birthday in fine form.