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  • Country ranking ?

    432
  • Producer ranking ?

    5
  • Decanting time

    3h
  • When to drink

    from 2020
  • Food Pairing

    Roast leg of lamb

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A blend of 92% Merlot, 7.5% Cabernet Franc and 0.5% Petit Verdot, the 2015 la Fleur-Petrus is a little reticent on the nose to begin, offering up beguiling notes of tilled soil, black olives, charcuterie and dried Provence herbs over a core of preserved plums, black cherries and black raspberries with touches of tar and new leather. Full-bodied, rich, plush and seductive in the mouth, it finishes with persistent, slowly revealing earthy/savory layers, which will keep you reaching for another glass. Feb 2018, www.robertparker.com

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The Story

This great château is located on the plateau of Pomerol next to its famous neighbours Château LAFLEUR and Château PETRUS. It was acquired by Ets. Jean- Pierre MOUEIX in 1953.
Today the estate is composed 90% of Merlot with an average vine age of 30 years and 10% of Cabernet Franc with an average vine age of 50 years.  Christian Moueix' obsessive work in the vineyard focuses on sap flow and the treatment of each vine individually.  In the cellar, vinifications are extremely precise but quite traditional: vinification in cement and stainless steel, aging in oak barriques for 18-22 months (usually ~50% new oak).

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Wine Information

The 2015 vintage brings together the 3 plots of LFP, all situated within 1,500 feet of each other, at the highest elevation of Pomerol alongside the other top properties of the appellation.  LFP 1, the original block, is made up of large gravelly soil with an iron-rich underlayer, drained by its northerly slope.  The great elegance of the wine is what made LFP’s quality reputation, and gave it the distinction as Pomerol’s seductress, if you will.  LFP 2 sits in the center of Pomerol and is made up of gravelly clay, which along with the greater warmth the particular block receives, results in a wine of tremendous suppleness and dark fruit character.  LFP 3, the southern plot, has a remarkably fine, deep gravelly soil, with natural drainage toward the south, and produces a velvety, dense and structured wine.

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Vintage 2015

Full report of Bordeaux 2015 by Andrew Caillard MW “Next in line in a great series of vintages; 2000, 2005, 2009, 2010 and 2015.

 

2015 is a wonderful Bordeaux vintage without the hype or hysteria associated with 2009 and 2010. The wines are generally expressive and generous with wonderful concentration and structure. Given another year in barrel, the wines should gain more complexity and fruit volume. Châteaux, in all sub-regions, are enthusiastic about the beautiful fragrance, clear fruit aromas and lively energy of the wines, and believe the vintage to be the best since 2010. More than once, the expression “a vintage of the decade” was mentioned. I have tasted through most of the top wines, some on more than one occasion, and I am convinced that this is a vintage worth supporting. It’s a very successful vintage.

 

The weather conditions were generally ideal with perfect flowering and set for spring. A hot, dry, sunny period in June and July kept the vines in balance; Near-drought conditions resulted in excellent cluster development. Veraison (in which the grape berries change from green and hard to colored and fleshy) began towards the end of July. Light rains refreshed the canopies and hydrated the grape clusters. Cooler weather arrived in August with above average precipitation. Northern Médoc was exposed to heavy rains, but no berry splitting or significant disease pressure was reported. The cooler conditions leading up to harvest in September allowed the grapes to retain their aromatic potential and ripen relatively evenly.

 

Red wines from the Right Bank and the Left Bank are generally impressive in their concentration, vigor and freshness. Although all wines are tasted extremely young, it is easy to see the quality and dimension of the vintage. Merlot performed particularly well, with many Châteaux picking intermittently over a three-week window to achieve optimal freshness, flesh and maturity. Cabernet Franc, its companion in many wines, gives an attractive “tannin seam” and structural vigor. Observers are already calling it a right bank year (St Emilion & Pomerol). Ch Vieux Château Certan, described as “La Force Tranquille”, and Château Petrus were my two top Right Bank wines, followed by Château Ausone. All have a buoyancy and precision that bodes well for the future.

 

The southern left bank (Margaux and Pessac-Léognan) also found some beautiful concentrated wines. The alcoholic strength and tannic maturity seem to correlate with this impression. Cabernet Sauvignon, typically “needing to take its time”, produced wines of beautiful aromaticity, concentration and vitality. The success of this variety depended on the sophistication of harvesting and selection during blending. Château Margaux and Château Palmer are amazing wines. Château Haut Brion and Château La Mission Haut Brion made dense chocolate styles. Château Haut Bailly is particularly refined and nicely balanced.

 

At Château Batailley, the introduction of a second wine and greater attention to differentiation led to one of the best vintages in its history. Many small refinements and decisions in the vineyard and cellar have allowed several large châteaux in St Julien, Pauillac and St Estephe to make beautiful wines too. The difficult selection process is particularly evident on the Left Bank. Château Margaux and Château Cos d’Estournel have chosen to rigorously defend their first wines through very careful picking and selection. Only 35% and 39% (respectively) of the harvest were dedicated to their Grand Vin. Ch Cheval Blanc de St Emilion represented 95.1% of the harvest, leaving no reason to make Petit Cheval in 2015.

The attention to detail in the vineyard, especially after the August rains, and the huge investments in optical sorting machines (costing around 200,000 euros each) at harvest ensured that the grapes were in good condition before vinification. It’s quite incredible how the fruit arrives in the cellar these days. Attention to detail has become the norm within the Grand Cru Classé community. The First Growth Estates with their huge financial investments in vineyard practices and cellars, have all produced impressive wines this year. Perhaps the most evocative of all is Château Margaux. The death of the estate's longtime winemaker, Paul Pontallier, on Easter Sunday from cancer shook the Bordeaux wine community. He was a man for all seasons. He brought out the best in his people and their wines, whatever the vintage offered. 2015 Château Margaux, in all likelihood, will be the greatest vintage in its modern history.

 

Despite the somber mood of this year’s En Primeurs 2015 tastings, the energy of spring brought a feeling of renewal. Buds in the vines, white and pink flowers in full bloom, pure chirping of baby birds and vibrant new wines of the vintage promised the animation and maturation of life. The colors, densities, flavors and tannic quality of the young red wines suggest a great vintage in the making. It is one of the most curious practices in the wine trade to comment on unfinished wine, but somehow the predictions become more or less right. Over the next year, the wines will develop more complexity, richness and volume in fruit barrels. The tannins, oak and fruit will integrate more.

 

The sweet aperitif/dessert wines of Sauternes and Barsac also performed very well. The combination of uniform maturation and optimal outbreaks of botrytis cinerea produced magnificent wines. Some are calling it the best vintage since 2001, arguably the greatest vintage in recent memory. While Ch d’Yquem looked stunning, the elegant Ch Climens style, still in many parts, will look wonderful. Typically, this wine is tasted from multiple barrels, and my notes are a composite of eight different elements. The scent, dynamism, freshness and line are incredible. Dry whites, primarily Sauvignon Blanc or Gris dominant, are refreshing styles with an appealing freshness and vibrancy. Ch Haut Brion Blanc is an amazing wine, but its release price will reflect its rarity.

 

Châteaux will likely bring out the vintage in two installments to capture the appetite of the global wine trade. Early bids will likely be a bit higher than last year's opening prices. This will go against the advice of traders who have been operating with very low margins for many years. The weakening of the pound sterling and the Australian dollar against the euro may be a stumbling block for some buyers, but there will be value and opportunity in this upcoming open season. For Australian buyers, this is absolutely the best way to buy Bordeaux. Provenance is guaranteed, allocations confirmed and the price will always be lower than future imports, due to the structure of the Bordeaux market.

Better market conditions in China and the United States, combined with a significant vintage both in quantity and quality, will allow Bordeaux to regain momentum after a four-year period of stagnation and uncertainty. The game of cat and mouse between the Châteaux, the merchants and the wine trade begins now. Whatever the outcome, Bordeaux will continue to be the benchmark for great wines for many decades to come. There is something completely unique, invigorating and evocative about mature Bordeaux wines. The best of 2015 will be transformative and delicious to drink. All you need is patience, moderately deep pockets, and the willingness to buy!

 

Margaux/ Beautiful wines with magnificent fruit density and fine, sinuous tannins. It’s been a few years since Margaux shone so brightly. Ch Margaux, Ch Palmer, Ch Rauzan Segla, Ch Rauzan Gassies, Alter Ego de Cg Palmer. Ch Pavillon Rouge, Ch Malescot de St Exupery, Ch D’Angludet, Ch Kirwan, Ch Cantenac Brown and Ch Brand Cantenac are highlights.

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Tasting note

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Written Notes

Tasted in October 2018.  More refined and sophisticated wine here than Latour-a-Pomerol and Hosanna, more intense and with bigger depth. Silky and velvety. Simply excellent.

  • 96p
Rich, intensive fruit, in a mix of both dark and red, and Elegant with very smooth and silky tannin like a Hermes scarf slipping through your hand. Really sweet and feminine, delicate and complex. Very long finish of sweet red plum and cherry. This is my favourite from JP Moueix. 95-96
  • 96p
Dark purple red with violet hue and almost black core. Initially quite closed, opens up well displaying pure fruit aroma, dark berries, hints of toasted oak and mild spices in the background. On the palate well structured with velvety tannins, sweet fruit and a spicy aftertaste. A great example for elegance and persistence.
  • 96p
Medium deep colour. Redcurrant plum floral star anise aromas. Supple sweet fruited wine with dense red currant plummy fruit, fresh sinuous fine tannins, savoury oak notes. Lovely persistence. Aniseed kick at the finish. Still elemental but will develop very well. 96 points
  • 96p
Ruby. Dark fruits, some exotic notes, scented, red berries, nuanced, deeper, layered nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, juicy, fruity, ripe, elegant yet structured, firm yet open, detailed, long. 95-97
  • 96p
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Information

Origin

Pomerol, Bordeaux

Vintage Quality

Extraordinary

Value For Money

Very good

Investment potential

Below Average

Fake factory

None
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