78% Merlot and 22% Cabernet Franc, 30% New Oak. The nose is dominated by oak notes of chocolate, tobacco and cedar. The palate is more fruit driven. It’s plummy and ripe with silky textures. Medium-low acid. There are still tannins to resolve without food, but it’s ok with food. The 15.5% alcohol is felt down the throat and not on the palate, but it’s barely holding it in. It has the texture and fruit profile of higher-end Bordeaux but for a lower price and ultimately less precision and intensity.
https://winediplomats.com/
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A - Ruby, medium plus, clear N - Clear, medium intensity, red berries, blackberries, oak, dark cherries, barn, leather T - Dry, body medium, accidity medium, tannins medium plus, all the flavours above, finish medium plus C - Good
Ticks the boxes, perhaps a bit dull. All you could expect from a decent Bordeaux S.
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When i first tasted this, I thought, jesus, this tastes like a Napa Petite Sirah, and lo, it lists a 15.5% ABV on the bottle. Fifteen-point-f'ing-five percent alcohol.
It is certainly the least conventional and least representative bottle of bordeaux I have ever had - more like a Barossa bdx blend than anything resembling the old world. Tons and tons of purple fruit with some raisin character; sinus-clearing alcoholic heat; good tannic structure, good acidity, a hint of mint. Absolutely nothing green or cedary here, as this is FULL THROTTLE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR HOLD ON TIGHT BOYZ fruit and booze.
It is more or less the precise opposite of what I like in my Bordeaux - there are plenty of other places in the world that can make blackberry pie wine - but I don't think its objectively bad. There are probably a lot of inexperienced drinkers who would be blown away by this, and I assume that's the market they're going for.
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What a pity, I’ve really enjoyed previous vintages but the ‘18 at 15.5% is excessive (and not a fine example of good viticulture). Very ripe plum although not jammy but the concentration and alcohol warmth was just too much for me to find enjoyable.
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We drank 3 bottles at the BBQ. 2010 Chateau Sociando-Mallet. Decant for 1 hour. Very good! ! The quality is very stable, I will be happy to open a few more in the future. 92
2009 La Fleur de Boüard. Decant for 30 minutes. Beautiful Pomerol. Very nice aroma, juicy. This is definitely ready to drink. Balanced and mature. 91
2018 Chateau Grand Village. Decant for 1 hour. Strong tannins, blackberries and tobacco. High alcohol content, slightly sweet, a bit wild. It takes time to soften. This is a wine with great potential and value. 90
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Lush, silky, sweet, supple-textured, fresh cherries, tobacco leaf and floral notes come alive in the nose. On the palate the wine is elegant, lifted and soft, with layers of sweet red fruits that hit all the right notes. Produced from blending 78% Merlot and 22% Cabernet Franc, this is one of the great value wines you can purchase by the case, if you can find it..
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Flowery in nature, you find an earthy, leafy, tobacco, spice and cherry profile. The wine is medium bodied, silky, soft and fresh, with loads of ripe, dusty black raspberries in the finish. It was produced from a blend of 78% Merlot and 22% Cabernet Franc, setting a record for the highest amount of Cabernet Franc in the blend. 91-93 Pts
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3/1/2024 - Wine Diplomats Likes this wine: 91 Points
78% Merlot and 22% Cabernet Franc, 30% New Oak. The nose is dominated by oak notes of chocolate, tobacco and cedar. The palate is more fruit driven. It’s plummy and ripe with silky textures. Medium-low acid. There are still tannins to resolve without food, but it’s ok with food. The 15.5% alcohol is felt down the throat and not on the palate, but it’s barely holding it in. It has the texture and fruit profile of higher-end Bordeaux but for a lower price and ultimately less precision and intensity.
https://winediplomats.com/
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7/17/2023 - WilliamPaget Does not like this wine:
No doubt the folks at Lafleur can make good wine. This is not one of them. Raging acidity. Disjointed. Far from flawed, but not great.
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10/25/2022 - MichelNL Likes this wine: 80 Points
A - Ruby, medium plus, clear
N - Clear, medium intensity, red berries, blackberries, oak, dark cherries, barn, leather
T - Dry, body medium, accidity medium, tannins medium plus, all the flavours above, finish medium plus
C - Good
Ticks the boxes, perhaps a bit dull. All you could expect from a decent Bordeaux S.
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9/3/2022 - Ianjaig wrote: 88 Points
Fine but a little one dimensional.
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2/8/2022 - blank blank wrote: 86 Points
When i first tasted this, I thought, jesus, this tastes like a Napa Petite Sirah, and lo, it lists a 15.5% ABV on the bottle. Fifteen-point-f'ing-five percent alcohol.
It is certainly the least conventional and least representative bottle of bordeaux I have ever had - more like a Barossa bdx blend than anything resembling the old world. Tons and tons of purple fruit with some raisin character; sinus-clearing alcoholic heat; good tannic structure, good acidity, a hint of mint. Absolutely nothing green or cedary here, as this is FULL THROTTLE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR HOLD ON TIGHT BOYZ fruit and booze.
It is more or less the precise opposite of what I like in my Bordeaux - there are plenty of other places in the world that can make blackberry pie wine - but I don't think its objectively bad. There are probably a lot of inexperienced drinkers who would be blown away by this, and I assume that's the market they're going for.
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1/24/2022 - SimonHea Does not like this wine: 80 Points
What a pity, I’ve really enjoyed previous vintages but the ‘18 at 15.5% is excessive (and not a fine example of good viticulture).
Very ripe plum although not jammy but the concentration and alcohol warmth was just too much for me to find enjoyable.
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12/11/2021 - Khon Kaen Likes this wine: 90 Points
We drank 3 bottles at the BBQ.
2010 Chateau Sociando-Mallet. Decant for 1 hour. Very good! ! The quality is very stable, I will be happy to open a few more in the future. 92
2009 La Fleur de Boüard. Decant for 30 minutes. Beautiful Pomerol. Very nice aroma, juicy. This is definitely ready to drink. Balanced and mature. 91
2018 Chateau Grand Village. Decant for 1 hour. Strong tannins, blackberries and tobacco. High alcohol content, slightly sweet, a bit wild. It takes time to soften. This is a wine with great potential and value. 90
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12/11/2021 - aloktu Likes this wine: 90 Points
Beautiful young wine. Decanted, so very soft tannins, soft and ripe blackberries, blueberries, some raspberries
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3/9/2021 - Jeff Leve wrote: 92 Points
Lush, silky, sweet, supple-textured, fresh cherries, tobacco leaf and floral notes come alive in the nose. On the palate the wine is elegant, lifted and soft, with layers of sweet red fruits that hit all the right notes. Produced from blending 78% Merlot and 22% Cabernet Franc, this is one of the great value wines you can purchase by the case, if you can find it..
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4/19/2019 - Jeff Leve wrote: 92 Points
Flowery in nature, you find an earthy, leafy, tobacco, spice and cherry profile. The wine is medium bodied, silky, soft and fresh, with loads of ripe, dusty black raspberries in the finish. It was produced from a blend of 78% Merlot and 22% Cabernet Franc, setting a record for the highest amount of Cabernet Franc in the blend. 91-93 Pts
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4/5/2019 - dvansteenderen Likes this wine: 91 Points
Geproefd op Château Lafleur op vrijdag 05.04.2019.
Zacht, rijp en prettig. Laurierdrop. Balans. Mineraal, ziltig. 90-92
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