Château La Fleur de Boüard 2017

A bold and ripe style, with dark plum, cassis and blackberry purée flavors gliding through, laced with anise, black tea and singed alder notes. The seamless finish lets everything play out nicely. Drink now through 2029. 266 cases made.

The 20th anniversary since Hubert de Boüard bought the estate, making the frost loss particularly tough, as it meant the blend is an atypical 100% Merlot. They have done an excellent job all the same – this is bright, cheerful fruit, good weight, carefully extracted and well put together. Some of the wines that normally go into Le Plus de la Fleur de Boüard (not made) are in this, and they perhaps add to the plush texture. The winemaker is Philippe Nunez, who also works with de Boüard on his consulting. Only first‑generation bunches were used, giving a 25 hl/ha yield.

Black cherry, cocoa, truffle and licorice are omnipresent here. On the palate, the wine is already delicious. Medium-bodied with a satin-like texture, this will be a good romp upon release. Due to the frost, only La Fleur <a href="https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/bordeaux-wine-producer-profiles/bordeaux/st-emilion/angelus/">de Bouard</a> was produced this year, yielding 1,000 magnums. However, as 2017 marks their 20th anniversary, those magnums will be sold in a celebratory box with a one-time-only label.

Garnet ruby with a violet rim. Airy red currants, with lavender and rosewood in the background. On the delicate palate, silky texture and gently supporting tannins. Red-berried on the finish, comes across like a light version of the Plus, but is true to the vintage and ends with finely sandy extract. Due to frost, no Plus was produced this year.

Kunz barrel sample 18: (100% Merlot) Silky, fruity, powerful, sweet bouquet, blackberries, chocolate, tobacco. Balanced, medium-bodied, fruity palate with sweet fruit, fine tannins, medium body, sweet aromatics, and a fresh finish.

(100% Merlot) Velvety, fruity, powerful, sweet bouquet, blackberries, chocolate, tobacco. Balanced, medium-bodied, fruity palate with sweet fruit, fine tannins, medium-bodied structure, sweet aromatics, fresh finish. 17/20 2023 - 2036

Supple tannins on the attack, with a fresh, well-balanced profile.

Deep garnet red with violet highlights. A fruity, refreshing bouquet with notes of red berries and spices. Lush attack. On the palate, the wine is juicy, with a gourmet touch and fine-grained tannins. These give the wine good dimension and provide solid support. Only the finish is somewhat drying, yet it also shows beautiful fruit intensity.

Deep, dark red color. Intense, fruity, ripe-style nose with an original touch of pine needle. A suave, distinguished wine that glides across the palate with brilliant flavor. It finishes sappy and long, on a straight yet fleshy frame. A delicious, unspittable finish. Blend of 95% merlot and 5% cabernet sauvignon. Very low yield of 24 hectoliters over 40 hectares!