2023 Chateau La Fleur-Petrus, Pomerol

Very tight for this chateau, with blackberry, chocolate and black-cherry character, as well as a hint of smoky oak. Full and very poised with focus and beauty. 96.5% merlot, 3% cabernet franc and 0.5% cabernet sauvignon.

Strongly scented, tobacco, tar, dark chocolate, blackcurrant, cedar and olive - savoury. Seamless elegance combined with energy here, lots of life and lift, bright acidity, bright crunchy fruit, great tannins, powdery and filling, providing the support. Still a little compact, but this is clean and concise, persistent and just so easy to see the finesse. Generous but controlled, stylish and chiselled, it has power with a cherry chocolate core, minerality and lots of cool menthol elements. Nice construction and presentation. Lots of drinkability and charm on offer in equal measure. A little powdery on the finish but it’s super long. Top buy!

The 2023 La Fleur-Pétrus is very attractive, unfurling in the glass with aromas of dark berries, sweet cherries and plums mingled with hints of incense and spices, discreetly framed by new oak. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and layered, it's deep and textural, its rich core of fruit framed by plenty of sweet, powdery tannin.

Vibrant plum colour, richly textured from the first moments, bringing you squarely into Pomerol. Intense concentrated espresso and liqourice, the construction is expertly done, with lifted architecture, confident tannins and lift on the finish, turning on the pleasure factor as it opens in the glass. Harvest September 7 to 19.

The 2023 La Fleur-Pétrus was picked September 7 to 19. Now this is a level up from the Hosanna with greater precision and focus—very pure and more terroir-driven. The palate is sleek and smooth on the entry with svelte tannins a perfect line of acidity and a very harmonious finish that fans out nicely. This is a refined La Fleur-Pétrus that should age well in bottle.

96.5% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 0.5% Petit Verdot. Cask sample. Violet-ruby hue. Red-berry aromas. Really refined palate, the fruit juicy and pure, the tannins extremely fine. Not much sweetness but clean, fresh and persistent. Plenty of charm. (JL)