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The 1989 Lafleur is now asserting itself as the best of the 1988/19889/1990 triumvirate, and that means it is very good. The bouquet is utterly entrancing from first acquaintance, with effervescent and multi-faceted brambly red fruit, black truffle, earthenware and light roasted chestnut scents—quintessential Pomerol. The palate has plenty of concentration, though the passing years have tempered that, smoothing the tannins and manifesting a cornucopia of secondary dried blood and chestnut notes. I cannot remember bottles being quite as elegant as this magnum, and the peacock's tail on the finish is something to behold. Utterly sublime. Tasted from ex-château magnum at Kate & Kon's 40-year vertical in Austria.
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Wine Spectator
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
The 1989 Lafleur is a vintage that I have not encountered for several years. It has a typical Pomerol nose with black fruit, aniseed and a touch of fish oil. It's a bit wild and feral, but that's why you fall for its charms. The palate is beautifully balanced with impressive depth, a little more open than it was a decade ago. Maybe in the interim, it has parted with the "laser-like focus" I noted previously. However, it is very persistent, with a twist of sour cherry and brown spices toward the finish. Superb. You could drink this now, but there is more to give. Tasted at the 1989 Bordeaux dinner at 67 Pall Mall.
Tasted at the Pomerol Comparative Exploration tasting in London, the 1989 Lafleur was perhaps the real surprise of a memorable evening of wine. What comes across on the nose is the detail, the precision with pure black fruit, crushed minerals, subtle floral scents and a palpable sense of energy. It evolves in the glass, later revealing smoke, Italian cured meats and a touch of bay leaf. The palate is simply crystalline with pitch perfect acidity, astonishing precision and laser-like focus that takes your breath away. I have never encountered a 1989 Lafleur with this detail and clarity, a wine that seems to improve every time I encounter it, which is regrettably once in a blue moon. Whilst I do not think the 1989 will surpass the 1982 Lafleur, my God, it is coming damn close.
About the producer
The Société Civile du Ch. Lafleur is the collective name for the Guinaudeau family’s wines and estates. These are some of the Right Bank’s most famous wines, including Ch. Lafleur and Les Pensées in Pomerol, along with Les Perrières, Les Champs Libres and Ch. Grand Village in Fronsac.