This wine was incredibly tannic and backward from cask, but out of bottle it has shrugged off the excess tannin and seems to be developing far better than I thought it would. The color is dense/ruby purple, and the wine shows notes of sweet kirsch and blackberry liqueur, with a liquid minerality and a hint of violets. The wine is full-bodied, quite tannic, very dense and backward, but gorgeously concentrated, pure, and intense. This looks to be a classic Lafleur meant for significant long-term aging. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2040+. Last tasted, 11/02.

Black truffles, with intense ripe blackberry and black cherry. Superperfumed. Very spicy, with brown sugar and meaty undertones. Full-bodied, with supertight, powerful tannins and a long and rich finish. This is a weight lifter on the palate for its muscular tannins, but it finishes with finesse and beauty. Wow.—'88/'98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Best after 2015. -JS

This wine was incredibly tannic and backward from cask, but out of bottle it has shrugged off the excess tannin and seems to be developing far better than I thought it would. The color is dense/ruby purple, and the wine shows notes of sweet kirsch and blackberry liqueur, with a liquid minerality and a hint of violets. The wine is full-bodied, quite tannic, very dense and backward, but gorgeously concentrated, pure, and intense. This looks to be a classic Lafleur meant for significant long-term aging. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2040+. Last tasted, 11/02.