2022 Château Lafleur | MG

The 2022 Lafleur is a wild, exotic wine. Totally mind-bending, Lafleur completely defies any of the conventional definitions of Pomerol. The aromatics alone are mesmerizing. Red plum, blood orange, espresso, rose petal, crushed rocks and spice all soar out of the glass. The Bouchet (Cabernet Franc) is so expressive here. Even with all of its intensity, the 2022 remains light on its feet. There is simply no other wine like Lafleur on the Right Bank. Magnificent.

- Antonio Galloni (01/2025)

A very tight yet energetic Lafleur showing brambleberries, black olives, leather, lavender and orange peel. It's very primary with perfectly ripe grape character, particularly cabernet franc. Medium- to full-bodied, this has solid density, powerful intensity and totally resolved tannins. Rather weightless. What a wine. The new 1950? This needs time, at least until after 2030, to reveal its true greatness. (01/2025)

The Grand Vin 2022 Château Lafleur checks in as 51% Bouschet (an older selection of Cabernet Franc) and 49% Merlot brought up in a mix of new and used barrels. It's a ripe, incredibly powerful Lafleur that has a rare mix of voluptuousness as well as a dense, structured core. Red and black currants, iron, bloody meats, truffly earth, and violet notes are just some of its nuances, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a broad, layered, expansive mouthfeel, tons of ripe, velvety tannins, and a great finish. It needs to be forgotten for a solid decade but will evolve for 30-40 years. (02/2025)

The 2022 Lafleur has turned out even better in bottle than I anticipated. Wafting from the glass with exotic aromas of mulberries, potpourri, iris, blood orange and incense, it's full-bodied, dense and layered, with a deep and multidimensional core of sweet, succulent fruit underpinned by velvety tannins, concluding with a long, expansive, rose-inflected finish. Élevage has brought a sense of harmony and classicism to the volume and richness that were already apparent en primeur, delivering a Lafleur for the ages.

- William Kelley (03/2025)