La Fleur Pétrus 1995

Dazzling since birth, the 1995 has not lost a thing since bottling. A saturated dark purple color suggests a wine of considerable depth and concentration. The nose offers up gorgeous aromas of sweet kirsch intermixed with black raspberry, mineral, and smoky notes. Full-bodied, with superb richness and purity, loads of tannin, and a layered, multidimensional personality, this terrific La Fleur-Petrus is the finest wine I have tasted at this property in the twenty years I have been visiting Bordeaux. Readers may remember that I previously reported that a 10-acre old vine sector of Le Gay was sold to La Fleur-Petrus, increasing the latter's vineyard to 33 acres. I believe this 10-acre acquisition has beefed up La Fleur-Petrus, a fact particularly evident in this 1995. It is a splendid effort! Anticipated maturity: 2005-2025.