Lafleur 1983

Tasted from an ex-chateau bottle at the Lafleur vertical dinner at Attersee in Austria. After one or two less than stellar bottles, this one reaffirms my adoration for the Lafleur 1983 that was crafted by Jean-Claude Berrouet and Christian Moueix no less. It has a ravishing, precocious bouquet with vibrant red berry fruit, truffle, wild mint and incense that soars from the glass in a similar fashion to the 1982. The palate is a little darker than the nose suggests, but it is beautifully balanced with fine tannins and real tension. There are touches of white pepper and dried blood infusing the fruit that fans out wondrously on the multi-dimensional finish. This is probably at its peak, but it will continue to offer pleasure for many, many years. Tasted June 2012.