Composed of 52% Cabernet Franc and 48% Merlot, the 2017 Lafleur displays a deep garnet-purple color. It slowly unfurls in the glass to reveal a profound nose of plum preserves, mulberries, boysenberries and licorice with nuances of grilled meats, black truffles, cast-iron pan and crushed rocks plus fragrant wafts of cinnamon stick and violets. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is charged with fantastically energetic black and blue fruits, framed by super-ripe, finely grained tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with epic length. At this stage of the game, qualitatively the 2017 Lafleur is one to two ticks short of where the 2015 and 2016 vintages are. This said, I'm anticipating there are a lot of latent nuances here waiting to emerge, snuggly filling this substantial structure over the next decade. It should be quite delicious in 6-8 years, but I'd give it 10-15 at least for maximum impact.

A structured and muscular red with blackberry, dark-chocolate and mineral character. Violet undertones. Very tight and tannic. Full-bodied, extremely closed and concentrated. Steely.

This is a majestic blend of sensuous textures, rocks, stones, ripe, sweet, dark red fruits, intensity, depth, length and purity. This is an intellectual vintage of Lafleur. The wine will need time to express its true intricacies and essences. The fruit is there, you’ll find the depth and layers of velvet tannins, but it is easy to see that most of the future magic is still held in reserve. The wine was produced from a blend of 53% Cabernet Franc and 47% Merlot. The Merlot was harvested September 8 and September 12. The Cabernet Franc was picked September 28 and 29. The wine reached 14.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.78.