Much to my surprise, I learned that Château Lafleur has had its malolactic fermentation done in barrel for several years now- though with a bit of a twist than what is the standard recipe for this on the Right Bank. Only...
Much to my surprise, I learned that Château Lafleur has had its malolactic fermentation done in barrel for several years now- though with a bit of a twist than what is the standard recipe for this on the Right Bank. Only fifteen percent of the barrels used for the malo are new barrels, with the other eighty-five percent “broken in” for six months at the Guinaudeaus’ Lalande de Pomerol estate prior to being used for the malo at Lafleur. When I asked Baptiste Guinaudeau why the estate was doing in malolactic in barrel these days, he replied “that it is the only way to keep our various small lots of wines separate during the initial elevage, and this allows us greater flexibility when making the final blend for Lafleur to only use the very best lots in the grand vin.” It would probably be interesting in the future if the estate could purchase enough small stainless steel or cement tanks to allow the lots to be kept separate and still do the malo in tank, rather than barrel, just to see if there is any difference in the quality of the terroir in the finished wine. But, that said, the 2011 Lafleur is one of the undisputed stars of the vintage and a great wine in the making, as it offers up a deep and brilliantly pure nose of black raspberries, black cherries, a bit of meatiness, complex soil tones, a touch of current leaf, cigar ash and a very suave base of new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and beautifully balanced, with superb mid-palate depth, firm, very refined tannins (particularly for 2011) and simply stunning length and grip on the still very primary finish. This is a great Lafleur in the making, but it is not quite in the same league as the great Lafleurs that preceded it in the 2010 and 2008 vintages. (Drink between 2025-2065)