Chateau Lafleur - Les Perrieres 2023

JAMES SUCKLING: "This is really crunchy and pure with a black-cherry, orange-peel and mineral character. It’s medium-bodied with intensity and purity. Salty, minerally and vivid. Exciting. From limestone soils."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "Les Perrieres 2023 is 100% Bouchet (Cabernet Franc). "This is the first time we've done 100% Cabernet Franc here, it is supposed to be a varietal copy of Lafleur. We loved the effect of the Cabernet Franc on the limestone this year." commented Omri Ram. It has a deep garnet-purple color and the nose is so floral with scents of roses and lavender opening out to reveal a core of redcurrant jelly, black raspberries, and fresh black cherries, followed by hints of pencil shavings and wild sage. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is graceful and energetic, prancing with vibrant red berry and floral-inspired flavors, supported by very fine-grained tannins and fantastic tension, finishing on a long, lingering, mineral note. This is stunning."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2023 Les Perrières de Lafleur reveals aromas of violet, dark wild berries, spices and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, enveloping and deep, layered and textured, it has a good depth of fruit with powdery tannins, concluding with a saline, lead pencil-inflected finish. Crafted entirely from Cabernet Franc, it’s one of the most singular Les Perrières produced by Baptiste Guinaudeau and his team."

DECANTER: "Violet, allspice, tomato leaf, dried herbs, tobacco on the nose with some floral notes and minty freshness. Juicy and lithe, clean and clear. Succulent but so pure and linear - straight and well defined not expansive but pretty and easy to taste at this point. Nothing harsh, all harmonious. Sweet, sour and umami soy flavours - so many different elements going on at the same time with a sweet lift at the end. Given its 100% Cabernet Franc (usually around 70%), this is a little atypical, quite singular, with plenty of interest. So much brightness and energy with an exceptionally long length."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Feine frische Kräuterwürze, dunkle Waldbeeren, etwas Sanddorn, zart nach Lakritze, erstmals ein purer Cabernet Franc (oder Bouschet), Nuancen von Tabak, floral, zarter Eisentouch. Stoffig, sehr pur und frisch, vibrierend und mineralisch, salzig und lange anhaftend, zeigt seine Muskeln nur im Ansatz, ein straffer Speisenbegleiter mit gutem Reifepotenzial."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Cigar box, mint, spice, crushed rocks, black raspberries, sea salt, and red plums fill the perfume. The fruit is bright, fresh, crisp, and racy, The marine influence is quite strong, adding its salt-crusted nuances to the red berries on the mid-palate, and in the finish. This is the only vintage featuring 100% Cabernet Franc. The property has not decided if this is a trend, or a one-time-only wine. So, if you are a Cabernet Franc fan, get it while it is hot! The harvest took place September 20-September 27. Drink from 2027-2040."