Château La Fleur de Gay 2015

Stewed palate, sweet candied plum, orange zest. Smoky clove, cedar spice. Huge tannins and a dry fruit finish.

Lots of delicious, smoky and ripe fruit character. Chocolate, too. Full body, round and juicy tannins and a decadent, rich finish. Gorgeous, young wine. Drink in 2021.

Tasted blind. Very dark, concentrated blackish ruby. High-toned. Sweet and very Pomerol in concentration. A bit hot on the finish, but there’s no doubting its dark-chocolate origins. Just a touch sandpapery on the finish. (JR)

The 2015 La Fleur de Gay is dark and sumptuous in the glass. Plum, bittersweet chocolate, cloves, new leather, incense and tobacco all meld together in this unctuous, flamboyant Pomerol. The tannins need time to soften, but there is plenty to look forward to. This is an especially ripe style, but it all works nicely.

Plummy, rich, plush and polished, the wine is medium-bodied, silky and elegant. The fruit is fresh, vibrant and sweet, with lift and polish on the palate. It will need at least 5 years to soften and for the oak to come together.

100% Merlot. Aged in 100% new oak. Production: 6,500 bottles. Deep purple, dense core, garnet glints at the rim. Very floral at first: mulberries and red plum flesh, followed by fruit tea and herbal notes, showing highly concentrated fruit aromatics. On the palate, it offers very dense, silky extract, where the fruit shifts strongly to cassis, Damassine plums and elderberry, with an almost hyper-aromatic finish. This is an enormous elixir of ultra-dense Merlot.

BARRELS – BLEND Usually, estates declare their blend. At La Fleur-de-Gay, that’s not necessary. Anyone who knows this wine knows it’s 100% Merlot. And it’s aged in 100% new oak. Uniquely, they also disclose the percentage shares of the five barrel suppliers. Quite interesting… 25% Taransaud 21% Darnajou 18% Radoux 18% Demptos 07% Cadus P.S. The 2014 and 2015 vintages were produced in the brand-new cellar. 100% Merlot. Aged in 100% new oak. Production: 6,500 bottles. Deep purple, dense at the core, with garnet glints at the rim. Very floral at first; mulberries and red plum flesh, followed by fruit tea and herbal notes, showing very concentrated fruit aromatics. On the palate it offers a very dense, silky extract; here the fruit shifts strongly to cassis, damassine plums and elderberry, with an almost over-aromatic finish. This is a tremendous elixir of highly dense Merlot.

Silky, finely opulent, dense bouquet of blackberries, black cherries, raspberry jelly, subtle dried fruit notes, mocha, delicate caramel, red liquorice. Tightly knit, creamy, aromatic palate with a creamy texture, plenty of fine tannins, concentrated, full aromatics, sweet fruit, very long, opulent finish. Can improve further. 18/20 2024 - 2040

La Fleur de Gay 2015 is medium to deep garnet in color. It trots out of the glass with easygoing scents of baked black cherries, warm plums, and juicy blackberries plus hints of licorice and cinnamon toast. Concentrated and full-bodied, the palate has a plush texture and just enough freshness to support the voluptuous fruit, finishing long and spicy.

Already a great charmer, this wine with violet notes shows refined intensity.

Candid, silky and dense, this wine combines indulgence and balance, with a very fine aromatic definition.

A mellow, full wine with lovely length, charming.

Garnet-red color. An elegant, pleasing bouquet with notes of licorice, cinnamon, and black berries, tending towards candied, and, paradoxically, a hint of mint, bringing freshness. A touch of dark chocolate. The attack is supple, elegant, and fruity. On the palate, the wine is creamy, with lovely freshness and tannins perfectly integrated with very fine grain. The structure, which provides a life-saving vibrancy, appears late and offers excellent support to this wine. It will allow the wine, together with the tannins, to age over time. A filigree, elegant wine, endowed with a power that it reveals only gradually.

This has a toasty, fleshy profile, with an alluring mocha note melded with a core of dark plum, boysenberry and blackberry preserve flavors. A velvety swath of fruit runs through the finish. Best from 2019 through 2029. 667 cases made.

Intense, dark color, slightly evolved. The nose shows very ripe fruit, with a touch more oak than the 2016, but without excess. Fleshy on the attack, smooth as it unfolds, particularly aromatic mid-palate, the wine develops with complexity and depth, full of flavor, finishing long and noble with just a hint of oak. It will integrate.