2009 La Fleur Morange Bordeaux Red

2009 La Fleur Morange

96 JD

Featured Review

Another total blockbuster from this fabulous vintage is the 2009 Chateau La Fleur Morange, which is 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc from iron rich soils and 100+ year old vines. This brilliant, brilliant wine sports a deep ruby/purple color as well as a rocking nose of blackberries, scorched earth, iron, spice box, and spring flowers. Beautifully constructed, full-bodied, and layered, with both notable tannins and acidity, it’s still a baby in terms of development and has another 2+ decades of prime drinking ahead of it. Hats off to oenologue Claude Gros for this straight-up fabulous Saint Emilion! Jeb Dunnuck

Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JD

Even more impressive is the absolutely prodigious 2009 St.-Emilion, the finest wine I have ever tasted from La Fleur Morange. The average age of the vines at this tiny estate is close to 100 years, and this 2009 blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc came from yields of 25 hectoliters per hectare. The vines sit on the famous iron-rich soils that the French call crasse de fer, and the result is an amazingly opaque purple wine with an extraordinary nose of blackberries, charcoal, graphite and crushed chalk. It is tightly knit, with full-bodied power and relatively elevated tannins. Its noble sweetness and expansiveness as well as its broad, savory finish make this is a compelling wine of great quality that should hit its stride in 4-5 years and keep for two decades. Bravo to Claude Gros!

Robert Parker | 96 RP

Very concentrated young, with blueberry jam and coffee bean undertones. Full-bodied, with firm tannins and a fruity finish. Plenty of milk chocolate too. Slightly New World style, but impressive. Try in 2018.

James Suckling | 93 JS

Saturated medium ruby. Inky aromas of blackberry, bitter chocolate, iron and graphite. Dense, sappy and chewy with extract, with limestone lift energizing the solid black fruit palate. Still a bit youthfully imploded but not at all heavy. Finishes with a restrained sweetness and building tannins that saturate the sides of the tongue. Hold this for 5 years and then enjoy it over the following 15.

Vinous Media | 93 VM

This has nice intensity, with a racy core of cassis, anise and linzer torte flavors pumping along, backed by fresh acidity and a strong graphite edge, which extends through the finish. Drink now through 2018. 417 cases made.

Wine Spectator | 91 WS

Type of Wine	Bordeaux Red : Picture in your mind a combination of cedar, lead pencil, blackcurrant, plum and mineral aromatics, and texture that caresses your palate like a playful lover. The experience is thrilling from the first whiff to the final seconds of a tannic, generous finish - that is what you'll get from a Bordeaux Red
Varietal	Bordeaux Blend
Country	France : Wine is the lifeblood that courses through the country of France, pulsing with vigorous pride and determination. Viticulture is not just a hobby or an occupation in France; it is a passion, a cherished tradition that has been passed down through generations of wine stained hands. Winemaking is a beloved art that has been ingrained in the culture, an aptitude instilled in sons by fathers and the hallmark for which France’s reputation was built, allowing it to be renowned as, arguably, the most important wine producing country in the world. For centuries, France has been producing wines of superior quality and in much greater quantity than any other country in the world. It boasts some of the most impressive wine regions, coveted vineyards and prestigious wines on earth. The regions of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone, Sauternes and Champagne have become the benchmark, for which others aspire to become. Legendary producers such as Chateaux Margaux, Domaine De La Romanee Conti, Chapoutier, d’Yquem and Dom Perignon are idolized world-wide. France has stamped its name on nearly every style of wine, from the nectar-like sweet Sauternes to hedonistic Chateauneuf Du Papes classic Bordeaux and Burgundy, to its sparkling dominance in Champagne. Many of the most infamous grape varietals in the world, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay originated in France and are not only beloved, but utilized in the creation of some of the greatest wines on earth. French wine production commands the attention of the wine market year after year. With over 860,000 hectares under vine, and numbers close to 50 million hectoliters of wine produced annually, France dominates the market and sets the standard for not only product quality, but also quantity. France’s many contributions to the world of wine have been absolutely indispensable. The country is the originator of the term “Premier Cru,” coined the term Terroir (a French term so complex there is no literal translation) and has laid the blueprint for a structured appellation system, which others have implemented in their own countries. French vineyard techniques and winemaking practices are mimicked world-wide. California vintners have been replicating Rhone style wines for decades, South America has adopted the French varietal of Malbec and countries around the world are imitating Burgundian styled Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. With vast diversity in terroir, France is home to some of the most hospitable winegrowing locations on earth. The combination of topography, geology, climate, rainfall and even the amount of sunlight combined with the long historical tradition of winegrowing and making, has allowed the vintners of France to not only hone their skills, but learn from nature to create a product that like the world in which it resides… is very much alive.