1947 Château Lafleur

Tasted 4 Times With Consistent Notes There are many 1947s that were bottled in Belgium. I have had the 1947 Lafleur Belgian bottling, which ranges from very good to occasionally outstanding. As good as it is, the chateau bottling, from which this tasting note emanates, can leave you speechless. This is an extraordinarily profound wine that surpasses Petrus and Cheval Blanc in this vintage, even though they can all be perfect wines. The 1947 Lafleur is more developed and forward than the 1949 and 1945. It reveals a thick, port-like color with slight amber at the edge. The nose offers a smorgasbord of aromas, ranging from caramel, to jammy black-raspberries and cherries, honeyed nuts, chocolate, and truffles. The wine's unctuosity and viscosity are unequaled in any other dry wine I have tasted. There is neither volatile acidity nor residual sugar present, something that many of the greatest 1947s possess. This wine's richness and freshness are unbelievable. The finish, which lasts more than a minute, coats the mouth with layers of concentrated fruit. There have been many great Lafleurs, but the 1947 is the quintessential expression of this tiny yet marvelous vineyard that was ignored by wine critics for most of this century.