Chateau La Fleur de Bouard 2020

93-94

Juicy and smooth, this is rich and intense—evocative and heady. Well balanced given the potency, with creamy black fruits, wet stone touches, and liquorice and clove spice on the finish. Clearly still youthful with wood showing, but this will be nice once that settles and softens. Everything feels quite purposeful and in harmony in terms of texture, structure, and acidity; the flavors just need to meld a bit more. Good potential.

Bright and fleshy red with notes of ripe dark berries, sweet spices, citrus peel, moist earth, toast and blue flowers. Medium- to full-bodied with attractive crunchiness and succulence, firm, juicy tannins and a deep dark-fruited character. Structured and long. Better from 2025.

82% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot. Cask sample. Deep colour. Ripe and generous but not overtly aromatic. Fruit-driven and well constructed, but perhaps lacks a little relief and freshness. (JL)

Smoked notes, cherries, and black, red, and blue fruits come to the fore effortlessly. There is richness, supple textures, and layers of creamy-textured, ripe, sweet plums on the mid-palate and through the finish. This is in contention for the best vintage I have tasted from this estate. Drink from 2024–2041.

Dark ruby, purple reflections, faint ochre brightening on the rim. Restrained, fine wood nuances, some juniper and liquorice, soft notes of wild berries, shy bouquet. Medium-bodied, red cherries, fine tannins, fresh and mineral, good persistency, salty finish, good ageing potential, versatile.

The 2020 Château La Fleur De Boüard showed beautifully, with the more elegant, finesse-driven style that this estate has been moving toward front and center. Ripe black cherries, mulberries, toasted spice, and beautifully integrated oak all emerge from the glass. Medium to full-bodied, balanced, and elegant on the palate, it has fine tannins, a terrific sense of freshness and purity, and outstanding length. It will benefit from 3-4 years of bottle age (it's far from unapproachable even today) and will drink fabulously well over the following decade.

Kunz barrel sample 2021: silky, creamy, opulent bouquet, strawberry jelly, cherries, chocolate cream, nougat, mocha, vanilla. Fruity, velvety palate with powerful, sweet fruit, fine tannins, creamy structure, diverse sweet aromatics, long, powerful finish. Has room to improve.

Silky, creamy, opulent bouquet with strawberry jelly, cherries, chocolate cream, nougat, mocha, vanilla. Fruity, velvety palate with powerful, sweet fruit, fine tannins, creamy texture, varied sweet aromatics, long, powerful finish. Can still improve. 17/20 2025 - 2038

The 2020 La Fleur de Bouard is a blend of 82% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 4% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it offers baked black plums and cedar notes, leading to hints of fruitcake, baked raspberries, and Chinese five spice. The full-bodied palate is laden with juicy black fruits and spicy accents, supported by velvety tannins, finishing long and fragrant.

Lovely nose combining crunchy fruit and a bouquet of violets, before evolving towards a hint of white pepper. The palate is very well balanced, mixing juiciness, elegance, and already well-integrated tannins. The substance leaves an impression of power still held in check, with a slightly rebellious teenage vibe.

Still clearly influenced by its ageing, Fleur de Boüard highlights its complexity with layers of red berries, cherries and blueberries, followed by roasted notes. Lively and juicy on the attack, the wine has body and perfectly integrated tannins. Lovely fruity intensity on the finish, with persistent length.

The nose is elegant and offers a certain power (in finesse), lovely precision and a subtle incisive edge. It reveals notes of boysenberry, pulpy/juicy blackcurrant and, more lightly, plum, combined with touches of cornflower, licorice, pepper, as well as a very discreet varietal/terroir hint (local biotope). The palate is fruity, elegant, very discreetly tight, delicate, and offers smoothness, indulgence, lovely roundness/definition, and airy richness. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of juicy/radiant blackberry, purple plum and, more lightly, cornflower, combined with touches of crushed blue fruits, fleshy strawberry, as well as hints of lilac, chocolate, cardamom, a subtle hint of tea, vanilla, and an imperceptible hint of cinnamon (in the background). The tannins are elegant and plush. Good length. A fine chew on the finish/persistence.