Winemaker Notes
Château La Fleur-Pétrus is composed predominantly of Merlot, which lends silkiness and generosity to the wine. Cabernet Franc, planted on gravel and fine clay, contributes rigor and complexity, while a small percentage of Petit Verdot, planted on fine gravel, offers a hint of spice to the finish. The wine has its trademark focused and elegant red fruit complemented by the black and earthy fruit, power and depth the wine has taken on in recent years. The tannins and structure build and unfold so gracefully, it is the epitome of what great Pomerol should display.
Blend: 91% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Ripe black fruit, clove, licorice, pine and walnut husk on the nose. Bitter chocolate and coffee, too. It’s full-bodied with firm, tight tannins. Muscular and very formed. Energetic and precise with long, chewy layers and lots of depth, structure and polish. Superb. Needs time.
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Jeb Dunnuck
One of the most seamless, ethereal wines in the vintage, the 2018 Château La Fleur-Petrus checks in as 91% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot coming from a 45-acre vineyard of deep clay and gravelly soils located on the upper plateau of Pomerol. The vines average 35 years in age, and the élevage spans 16-18 months in 50% new French oak. Unquestionably in the same league as Trotanoy, Le Gay, Lafleur, Hosanna, and the other leviathans of the region, its deep purple hue is followed by a gorgeously layered, multi-dimensional 2018 with full-bodied aromas and flavors of black raspberry and blackcurrant fruits intermixed with spring flowers, dried herbs, and a hint of white truffle. Medium to full-bodied, with stunning symmetry and balance, its tannins are ripe and polished, and it has nicely integrated acidity as well as a great finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of 91% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, the 2018 la Fleur-Petrus has a medium garnet-purple color and a slightly closed-down nose to begin, soon unfurling to reveal earthy notions of black truffles, mossy tree bark and damp soil, over a core of plum preserves, wild blueberries and redcurrants, plus a fragrant waft of menthol lilacs. The medium to full-bodied palate has the most gorgeous, velvety texture with well-knit freshness giving lift to the densely packed black fruit and earthy layers, finishing with a beguiling perfume. Stunning.
Rating: 97+
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Wine Enthusiast
Situated on some of the finest terroir in Pomerol, this estate has produced a powerful while impressively subtle wine. Black fruits, rich tannins and strength come together in a wine that is much more than its elements. Aging will bring out the wine's character.
Editor's Choice
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Decanter
There is ton to enjoy here. It's gorgeous, ripped and muscular, with beautifully sculpted fruits as it opens. Some over-concentration on the finish perhaps, with slight fig and prune notes against the juicier damson and black cherry. Still, this is a gorgeous wine that will age well.
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Wine Spectator
This offers a dark hued mix of plum, blackberry and black currant fruit that rolls through, unwinding to show anise, warm stone and tobacco notes as it does. Savory- and dark earth–tinged finish echoes lengthily. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
A source of exceptionally sensual and glamorous red wines, Pomerol is actually a rather small appellation in an unassuming countryside. It sits on a plateau immediately northeast of the city of Libourne on the right bank of the Dordogne River. Pomerol and St-Émilion are the stars of what is referred to as Right Bank Bordeaux: Merlot-dominant red blends completed by various amounts of Cabernet Franc or Cabernet Sauvignon. While Pomerol has no official classification system, its best wines are some of the world’s most sought after.
Historically Pomerol attached itself to the larger and more picturesque neighboring region of St-Émilion until the late 1800s when discerning French consumers began to recognize the quality and distinction of Pomerol on its own. Its popularity spread to northern Europe in the early 1900s.
After some notable vintages of the 1940s, the Pomerol producer, Petrus, began to achieve great international attention and brought widespread recognition to the appellation. Its subsequent distribution by the successful Libourne merchant, Jean-Pierre Mouiex, magnified Pomerol's fame after the Second World War.
Perfect for Merlot, the soils of Pomerol—clay on top of well-drained subsoil—help to create wines capable of displaying an unprecedented concentration of color and flavor.
The best Pomerol wines will be intensely hued, with qualities of fresh wild berries, dried fig or concentrated black plum preserves. Aromas may be of forest floor, sifted cocoa powder, anise, exotic spice or toasted sugar and will have a silky, smooth but intense texture.