Chateau La Fleur 2020
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Suckling
James - Decanter
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Parker
Robert
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A rich and layered red that shows plenty of fruit and velvety tannins, with a citrusy and black olive undertone to the ripe and flavorful fruit. Full and intense. Give it two or three years to soften and refine.
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Decanter
Smoky tar and cloves on the nose here, a little tight and chewy but clearly well made. The tannic frame is fully in play but softened by rich berry fruits and plenty of bitter chocolate shavings. A Dassault wine, with the house signature.
Barrel Sample: 92 -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 La Fleur has a deep garnet-purple color and beautifully perfumed notes of rose oil, chocolate-covered cherries and ground cloves, over a core of preserved plums and kirsch, plus a waft of fragrant earth. The medium to full-bodied palate is soft and juicy, delivering bags of freshness and a lifted finish.
Barrel Sample : (89 - 91)
Other Vintages
2022-
Suckling
James -
Dunnuck
Jeb - Decanter
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Suckling
James
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Suckling
James
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Spirits
Wine &
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Enthusiast
Wine
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Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
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.
Marked by its historic fortified village—perhaps the prettiest in all of Bordeaux, the St-Émilion appellation, along with its neighboring village of Pomerol, are leaders in quality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These Merlot-dominant red wines (complemented by various amounts of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon) remain some of the most admired and collected wines of the world.
St-Émilion has the longest history in wine production in Bordeaux—longer than the Left Bank—dating back to an 8th century monk named Saint Émilion who became a hermit in one of the many limestone caves scattered throughout the area.
Today St-Émilion is made up of hundreds of independent farmers dedicated to the same thing: growing Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and tiny amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon). While always roughly the same blend, the wines of St-Émilion vary considerably depending on the soil upon which they are grown—and the soils do vary considerably throughout the region.
The chateaux with the highest classification (Premier Grand Cru Classés) are on gravel-rich soils or steep, clay-limestone hillsides. There are only four given the highest rank, called Premier Grand Cru Classés A (Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Pavie) and 14 are Premier Grand Cru Classés B. Much of the rest of the vineyards in the appellation are on flatter land where the soils are a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial matter.
Great wines from St-Émilion will be deep in color, and might have characteristics of blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice, chocolate, grilled meat, earth or truffles. They will be bold, layered and lush.