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Tasting notes
The 2025 Lafleur was picked early, from August 26 to 28 and from September 10 to 12 for the Cabernet Franc. Of course, this is the first year when the wine is classified as Vin de France after water was added to the soil, contravening Pomerol's AC rules. Discussing at length with Baptiste Guinaudeau, whilst I can see that it would essentially resuscitate the parched vine, the amounts are too little to affect the wine when considering the actual rainfall figures. For sure, it has a bashful bouquet at first and demands time to really open in the glass, 10 to 15 minutes. Only then does it reveal enticing scents of blackcurrant, bilberry, crushed stone and iris flower, all beautifully defined and very succinct—quintessential Lafleur. The palate is medium-bodied and framed by chiselled tannins that lend this Pomerol beguiling symmetry. What really marks this Lafleur is its tremendous persistence on the finish. It just goes on and on. This is a great Lafleur, irrespective of what it took to get there.
Critic scores
Average Score
Neal Martin
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
A powerful, inward, yet incredibly discrete and classy wine, the 2025 Château Lafleur reveals black raspberries, framboise, graphite, crushed stone, and floral notes on the nose. Based on 49% Merlot and 51% Bouchet, it's full-bodied on the palate, with a deep, rich, layered mouthfeel, remarkable length, and tons of polished tannins. It's an absolute dream of a wine, and I have no doubt this will check in with the top handful of wines in the vintage.
Truffles, flowers, cocoa, black cherries, smoke, and chocolate mint begin to define the nose. The wine coats your palate, covering your mouth, teeth, and gums with layers of pure, sweet, energetic fruit, marine influences, dark cocoa, and a touch of herbs. Long, intense, rich, and polished, this is one of the more sensuous offerings from Lafleur. It is a wine that can age for decades, yet if you prefer your Lafleur on the fruity side, it will be charming to enjoy in its youth. Some of the main keys to the vintage were managing the flowering and working with the tiny berries, which averaged 160 per bunch, with thick skins yielding small amounts of juice, ranging from 1 gram to .7 grams per berry, which provided concentration and flavor. The wine blends 51% Cabernet Franc, and 49% Merlot. 14% ABV. 3.75 pH. Harvesting took place for the Merlot September 20-21, and for the Cabernet Franc, September 30. Yields were 35 hectoliters per hectare. Drink from 2030-2075.
The 2025 Lafleur is a soft, open-knit wine with mid-weight structure and modest complexity by the standards of this property and the Grand Vin. Perhaps this will gain more volume and complexity with time in barrel. Ultimately, though, the 2025 comes across as diluted and light at this stage.
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.