Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This shows such gorgeous aromas of cocoa powder, red fruits and berries. Full body, with such pretty silky tannins and an amazing savory, juicy and delicious finish. It makes you want to drink. Superb balance and intensity. So approachable yet structured. More than the second wine of Lafleur.
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Decanter
Les Pensées comes from a tiny 0.7ha finger of vines that reaches across the vineyard of Lafleur. It has been made since Jacques Guinaudeau took over in 1987, but really took its current shape from the end of the 1990s when a soil study showed just how different this stretch of the vineyard is from the rest. And in the 2010 you see exactly what it can do. Rich and deep in colour, with powerful aromatics and a silky texture right from the start, supple at nearly 10 years old but nowhere near ready to quit. This wine has muscular tannins, as with all good 2010s, ripped through with blackberry and raspberry fruits. Charming without sacrificing depth. Drinking Window 2020 - 2038
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Wine Spectator
Fleshy and forward, with delicious mulled plum, raspberry and blackberry fruit melded with warm embers, a hint of anise and a long, silky, graphite-tinged finish. Shows lovely range and depth, all within an accessible style. Drink now through 2023.
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.