Château La Fleur de Gay 2018

The barrique notes are noticeable but not overdone, the structure is slim, dense and fresh; elegant, and it seems even more balanced than en primeur. Pleasing, to be sure, but with a touch of flair.

Bright and fresh, with a mix of cherry, plum and raspberry notes that are steeped with dark tea and laced with alder and savory threads through the finish. Solid, textbook example of the vintage. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2022 through 2034.

Blueberries, blackberries, pepper and herbs with hints of black tea leaf and iodine. It’s full-bodied and savory with firm tannins and a mouthwatering finish. Succulent at the end. Try after 2024.

From bottle, the 2018 La Fleur de Gay comes across as over-ripe and monolithic. Unfocused aromatics and an abrupt finish are penalizing.

No effort is needed to detect the flowers, plum and licorice packed perfume. Dark in color with lush, silky, textured fruit, the finish with its chocolate covered black raspberry and dark cherry hits all the right notes. 93-95 Pts

Opaque black-purple with a violet rim. Concentrated morello cherry bouquet, followed by a full load of cassis and chocolate pralines. On the palate, generous and dense with a tightly knit body, polished tannins, and brilliantly supporting freshness. A catapult-like finish with Alpine blueberries, cassis, and blackberry jelly, as well as dark noble woods. What a concentrate, with immense aging potential.

Kunz barrel sample 19: concentrated, dense, velvety, complex bouquet; blueberry jelly, strawberries, blackberries, pralines, mocha cream, dried fruits, black tea. Dense, velvety, multi-layered palate with dense, creamy fruit, plenty of fine tannins, varied, sweet aromatics, well-muscled structure, long, finely opulent finish.

Concentrated, dense, velvety, complex bouquet: blueberry jelly, strawberries, blackberries, pralines, mocha cream, dried fruit, black tea. Dense, velvety, multi-layered palate with compact, creamy fruit, plenty of fine tannins, varied, sweet aromatics, a well-muscled structure, and a long, finely opulent finish. 19/20 2026 - 2050

La Fleur de Gay 2018 is deep garnet purple in color. It offers scents of baked plums, warm blackberries, and black cherries, with hints of smoked meats and forest floor. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has fine-grained tannins, bright, crunchy fruit and a lifted finish.

Dark, intense color. A great, complex nose of red fruits. Notes of truffle and licorice. Dense on the attack, supple mid-palate, particularly flavorful, with a caressing texture; the wine finishes long and melting. It's very good.