The more traditional cuvee, the 2010 La Fleur Morange is an equal-part blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc from a tiny, 4.5-acre parcel. This is showing better from bottle than it did from barrel. Remarkably, it has 15.5% natural alcohol, which may be the highest level of natural alcohol of any of the wines from the better estates in Bordeaux. Of course, there is not much of it, since yields were 17 hectoliters per hectare, so there are only about 200+ cases of this wine in the marketplace. Dense purple, with oodles of mulberry, black raspberry and violets, this is a beautiful wine, elegant, but at the same time massively fruity, thick, unctuously textured and long. I am sure some serious tannins are lurking beneath in this extravagantly endowed, sumptuously textured Bordeaux. Drink this wine over the next 15+ years.

Fabulous aromas of berries, including blackberries, plus smoke and spices. Hazelnuts, too. Full body with a silky, tannic texture and a tangy, savory aftertaste. Lots of orange peel and berry character. Fresh and lively. Very ferrous and chocolatey. This would be even better after 2016, but it’s great now. A blend of merlot and cabernet franc.

Dark and alluring, showing a solid graphite underpinning and riveting charcoal and tar notes lending definition to the core of crushed plum, blackberry and boysenberry fruit. The long, smoldering finish has lots of grip, but it's integrated and should really handle cellaring well. Best from 2015 through 2028. –JM