Château Lafleur--Vintage 1986

Offered duty paid, but available in bond. VAT at 1… Read more

Château Lafleur, Pomerol by Anthony Hanson MW Château Lafleur is one of the jewels of Pomerol, and an insider's secret. Its size is tiny - just 11 acres of vineyard, yielding, on average, less than 1000 cases of wine per annum. The vines are in one block, superbly situated on Pomerol's gently-undulating, gravelly, central plateau. It touches Châteaux Petrus, La Fleur-Pétrus, Le Gay, Vieux Château Certan and Hosanna. Although vines were planted in Pomerol from Gallo-Roman times, and the Knights of Malta had vineyards in the area, small-holders owned most of the land. The wines were little-known, before the nineteenth century. Château Lafleur dates from 1872, when the present owner's great- great- grandfather, Henri Greloud, bought it. His family already owned nearby Château Le Gay, but he did not merge the two vineyards. He put up small buildings to vinify the produce of Lafleur, recognising that this land was different, and special. The wine is still made and aged within these old stone walls, though now in a modern vat-house, with temperature-controlled barrel-store. Most of the top Pomerol properties are dominated by plantings of the Merlot grape, but this is not so at Lafleur, where Cabernet Franc makes up the other half of the vineyard. This is surely because the land of Lafleur - its terroir - is unusually varied, being made up of five different soil-types around the themes of sand, gravel and clay. Undeniably, the complexity of the soils, allied to the blending of the two noblest wine grapes of the district, account for the originality and complexity of the wines of Lafleur, and its spectacular potential for ageing. Today, this is very much a family-run business, which is rare in Bordeaux. Owners Jacques and Sylvie Guinaudeau, with their son Baptiste, tend the vineyards like a large garden, every vine being deemed worthy of special care. Soon after taking on the tenancy of the vineyard from Jacques's aunt, in 1984, they created a second label, Les Pensées de Lafleur, under which name are bottled any parts of the production not worthy of the top label. And the produce of the youngest vines is sold off in bulk, to ensure that Les Pensées is an elegant, fine and balanced wine, in its own right. The average age of the vines is over 30 years, some being more than 50. Approximately 50 per cent of the oak barrels used are new each year, the others having served for one vintage. A harmonious intricacy of perfumes and flavours, with luscious, silky texture and great length of aftertaste are hallmarks of this château. The Guinaudeau's became sole owners of Château Lafleur in 2002, following their aunt's death the previous year. Lafleur is sometimes spoken of in the same breath as Pétrus, but a more apt comparison would be with Cheval-Blanc, whose vineyards lie on the Pomerol border, with soils and vineyard plantings which are not dissimilar to Lafleur's. Amongst Pomerol châteaux, Lafleur enjoys the highest possible respect today, with its great rarity bringing extra fascination. Never before have wines been consigned directly for auction by this extraordinary Pomerol property. Prior to the sale, a Masterclass Tasting of nine vintages of Lafleur - from 2001, through the monumental 2000 back to 1986 - will be held at Christie's King Street, with Jacques & Sylvie Guinaudeau present to introduce their wines. Highlights of the sale include : from Pensées de Lafleur, Mags. & Bts. 2000, 1999, 1998, 1995, with Mags. of 1990. From Ch. Lafleur : An Imperial, Double Magnum, Mags and Bts. 2000; an Imperial, Mags and Bts 1998; a Double Magnum, Mags and Bts. 1995; a Double-Magnum 1990; with magnums and bottles of 1989. The wines consigned have lain untouched at the family's home since bottling, so condition and provenance are therefore without parallel.

3 magnums per lot

Details

SUPERB RANGE OF VINTAGES OF CHATEAU LAFLEUR DIRECT FROM THE CHATEAU

Lying in Weybridge, Surrey (EHD)

Offered duty-paid, but available in bond

Offered in original wooden cases

LAFLEUR 1986

Vintage note: In 1986 bud break was delayed, though the weather improved and the flowering was successful. The summer was hot and dry until the latter part of September when, after a useful sprinkling of rain, there was a violent storm which dumped 10cm of rain on the city of Bordeaux and its immediate surroundings. The harvest began at the very end of September and continued into October in glorious weather M.B.
Tasting Note: Deep; sweet fruit; fairly full-bodied, rich, fleshy. Very satisfactory. (Tasted blind I thought it must be the '85) Sept 1998 M.B.
Château Lafleur--Vintage 1986
Pomerol
3 magnums per lot

Special notice

Offered duty paid, but available in bond. VAT at 17.5% will be charged on the hammer price on removal of the lot from bond.

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