Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesAromas of rose petals, raspberries, plums and musk introduce the 2021 Pensées de Lafleur, a medium to full-bodied, seamless and enveloping wine that's deep and sensual, it's ripe tannins entirely concealed in an ample core of succulent, pungently perfumed fruit. As I've written before, this cuvée derives from vines growing in the part of Lafleur's vineyard through which a water course once flowed and where the soils are richer in clay and better hydrated. It's a blend of 59% Merlot and 41% Cabernet Franc; this bottling hasn't really been a "second wine" since the late 1990s—but the market doesn't seem to have caught on. Barrel Sample 94-96
Barrel Sample: 93-95
A very pretty second wine with cherry, plum and mineral aromas and flavors. Medium body. Creamy, fine-grained tannins. Hints of crushed stone and peach stone. 59% merlot and 41% cabernet franc. Barrel Sample: 94-95
Barrel Sample: 91-93
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.
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.