Complex aromas of blackberry and whole white truffles with hints of wet earth and stones. Full body and structured with gorgeous, velvety tannins, but reserved and polished. Very long finish with fabulous fruit. Goes on for minutes. This is all class: the red wine of the vintage. Better in 2019.

This Lafleur effort in 2011 is truly stupendous and once again shows the greatness of its terroir. This was one of the driest vintages on record here and the berries were incredibly small, giving concentrated juice. The extraction, however, has been done with great skill, and the wine is beautifully fresh, balanced and textured. Deeply coloured, the primary black fruit nose builds and builds in the glass. A blend of 53% Cabernet Franc and 47% Merlot, there's real depth and complexity with plush, polished tannins and a concentration of delicious dark fruits - plum, mulberry and damson - joined by touches of dark chocolate, cured meat and spice. It's still very much in its first flush of youth and is not even close to being broached. Read more at https://www.decanter.com/wine-reviews/france/bordeaux/chateau-lafleur-pomerol-bordeaux-france-2011-21469#D2soLsKS2KW09lu7.99

A contender for wine of the vintage, the wine offered layers of ripe, richly textured, plums, truffle, mocha and black cherry. For Lafleur, a wine that often needs 2 decades before it's fun to drink, this will start drinking well by the time it's 10 years of age. Read more at:https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/search-wine-tasting-notes/?szSearch=2011+Lafleur

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)

(NM93-95 points) Tasted at the property with the entire Guinaudeau family (baby commenting through the intercom.) The Grand Vin is a blend of 47% Merlot cropped on 31st August and 12th September and 53% Cabernet Franc cropped on 22nd and 23rd September. It has a generous bouquet with scents of raspberry, wild strawberry, oyster shell and a touch of kirsch, more open and approachable than the 2009 and 2010. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, crisp tannins. It has wonderful fruit concentration and minerality, very good depth on the back palate that is lacquered in truffle tinged black fruit. It has wonderful focus: a linear Lafleur with a persistent finish. Excellent.

(92 - 94) This tiny jewel of a property has produced a beautifully rich 2011 Lafleur from a blend of 53% Cabernet Franc and 47% Merlot. The Merlot was picked between August 31 and September 12, and the Cabernet Franc between September 22-23. The 2011 reveals a floral-scented bouquet with notions of kirsch, licorice and black raspberries. It is medium to full-bodied with terrific fruit purity, good minerality and slightly more acidity and freshness than are found in such ripe vintages as 2009 and 2010. At present, the Guinandeau family, the owners, are using between 50-60% new oak in an attempt to emphasize their great terroir and the extraordinary fruit quality they achieve from both the old vine Cabernet Franc and Merlot. This cuvee possesses some serious tannin and will undoubtedly need 5-6 years of cellaring after its release, but it should be one of the longer-lived wines of the vintage, lasting 25+ years. RP

The 2011 Lafleur has an almost Left Bank-like bouquet, well-defined and poised, quite fresh with tobacco and cigar box scents emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins with a fine bead of acidity. Quite fresh and lightly spiced with white pepper and tobacco emerging towards the finish. This is a deeply impressive Pomerol in context of the growing season. Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting. -- Neal Martin