Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
Deep-set, dark stony aromas with hints of graphite, before dark cherries and plums frame a measured approach to oak. It rolls out very smooth tannins on the palate amid fresh blackberry and dark-plum fruits. Some warming oak spices to close. Finishes really fresh. This is impressive. Best from 2021.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Produced mainly from Merlot with just 2% Cabernet Franc, the 2015 Lafleur-Gazin has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and is scented of warm black cherries, black raspberries, forest floor and red roses with touches of bay leaves and new leather. The medium to full-bodied palate has a firm foundation of chewy tannins and just enough freshness curtailing the intense black and red fruit flavors, finishing with a lovely herbal lift.
-
Wine Enthusiast
Sumptuous Merlot dominates this ripe wine. Plenty of tannins give backbone to the powerful fruit and intense acidity. The wine is firm, both from wood aging and fruit tannins, and needs to age. Drink from 2025.
-
Wine Spectator
Ripe, with a silky and refined structure that lets alluring plum, cassis and bitter cherry fruit flavors glide through, inlaid with singed apple wood details and a light tobacco thread. The fruit is persistent, showing a flash of savory at the very end. Best from 2020 through 2030.
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.