Château Lafleur--Vintage 1989
6 bottles per lot
CHATEAU LAFLEUR Château Lafleur is almost a misnomer, for there really is no château. It is the simplest of estates, with not even a sign at the entrance. Instead a gravel driveway between the vines leads to a modest home amongst the mere 4.5ha of vines in one single square plot, adjoining the road leading to Pétrus a short distance away. The Lafleur vineyards sit on the crest of the hill with some illustrious neighbours, Le Pin, Pétrus and a little further VCC and in the near distance the vineyards of Château Cheval Blanc. What distinguishes this property then from its neighbours, is the family-run nature of the business; Sylvie and Jacques Guinaudeau have since 1985 managed (and now own) this beautiful property. Jacques's family have been at Lafleur since the estate's origin in 1872. It is amongst, all the corporate ownership in Bordeaux, a family winery, where each vine is tended by hand and according to its individual requirements. Even on such a small plot, different soils demand different decisions of the viticulturist and this wine is made in the vineyard. The family continue to respect the cépages left by the previous owners, the Robin sisters, in some cases the Merlot and Cabernet Franc are interspersed in the vineyard, making individual vine treatment labor intensive yet necessary to produce the very best. The passion and dedication of the Guinaudeau family extends to the winemaking when the goal is to produce a light extraction that is mindful of the terroir and the vintage. The following eight lots, offered in six-bottle original wooden cases, come from the much ballyhooed 1989 vintage which by some measures is coming into full bloom. Michael Broadbent, MW on the 1989 Bordeaux vintage: "Unquestionably a great vintage and one which brought the decade to a resounding close. First, The weather conditions. In May, growth was three weeks ahead of normal. Early flowering in excellent conditions, followed by the hottest summer since 1949 and the earliest harvest since 1983. However, though the grapes were fully ripe the tannins were not, though later-picked grapes did have softer tannins, but at the expense of acidity. When youthful, the wines almost without exception were extraordinarily appealing. I personally thought we were in for another '85 but with extra dimensions; perhaps even an early developer. In fact what seems to have happened is a sort of reversal of roles, the tannin becoming more noticible, turning the '89 into a much longer-haul vintage than I had anticipated. Nevertheless, many superlative wines. 1989 *****" Château Lafleur--Vintage 1989 Pomerol All lots in original wooden cases Parcel: lots 1-8 "It is an enormous, full-bodied, tannic, powerful style of wine, with a dark purple color, an earthy, truffle, plum, licorice, and mineral nose, huge fruit and extract, and mouth-searing tannin in the finish. I would not open a bottle for 5-10 years. Last tasted, 11/96." Robert Parker Bordeaux Book, 3rd Edition (Jan 1998). 6 bottles per lot
Château Lafleur--Vintage 1989
6 bottles per lot
CHATEAU LAFLEUR Château Lafleur is almost a misnomer, for there really is no château. It is the simplest of estates, with not even a sign at the entrance. Instead a gravel driveway between the vines leads to a modest home amongst the mere 4.5ha of vines in one single square plot, adjoining the road leading to Pétrus a short distance away. The Lafleur vineyards sit on the crest of the hill with some illustrious neighbours, Le Pin, Pétrus and a little further VCC and in the near distance the vineyards of Château Cheval Blanc. What distinguishes this property then from its neighbours, is the family-run nature of the business; Sylvie and Jacques Guinaudeau have since 1985 managed (and now own) this beautiful property. Jacques's family have been at Lafleur since the estate's origin in 1872. It is amongst, all the corporate ownership in Bordeaux, a family winery, where each vine is tended by hand and according to its individual requirements. Even on such a small plot, different soils demand different decisions of the viticulturist and this wine is made in the vineyard. The family continue to respect the cépages left by the previous owners, the Robin sisters, in some cases the Merlot and Cabernet Franc are interspersed in the vineyard, making individual vine treatment labor intensive yet necessary to produce the very best. The passion and dedication of the Guinaudeau family extends to the winemaking when the goal is to produce a light extraction that is mindful of the terroir and the vintage. The following eight lots, offered in six-bottle original wooden cases, come from the much ballyhooed 1989 vintage which by some measures is coming into full bloom. Michael Broadbent, MW on the 1989 Bordeaux vintage: "Unquestionably a great vintage and one which brought the decade to a resounding close. First, The weather conditions. In May, growth was three weeks ahead of normal. Early flowering in excellent conditions, followed by the hottest summer since 1949 and the earliest harvest since 1983. However, though the grapes were fully ripe the tannins were not, though later-picked grapes did have softer tannins, but at the expense of acidity. When youthful, the wines almost without exception were extraordinarily appealing. I personally thought we were in for another '85 but with extra dimensions; perhaps even an early developer. In fact what seems to have happened is a sort of reversal of roles, the tannin becoming more noticible, turning the '89 into a much longer-haul vintage than I had anticipated. Nevertheless, many superlative wines. 1989 *****" Château Lafleur--Vintage 1989 Pomerol All lots in original wooden cases Parcel: lots 1-8 "It is an enormous, full-bodied, tannic, powerful style of wine, with a dark purple color, an earthy, truffle, plum, licorice, and mineral nose, huge fruit and extract, and mouth-searing tannin in the finish. I would not open a bottle for 5-10 years. Last tasted, 11/96." Robert Parker Bordeaux Book, 3rd Edition (Jan 1998). 6 bottles per lot
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