LaFleur is the best Bordeaux blend for collectors who can afford to wait decades for their wine to mature.
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Yet the 2005 vintage will offer you more than just an incredible drinking experience. This vintage is also among the most promising age-worthy Bordeaux, and it could easily live to see its 50th, and perhaps even 100th, birthday. To make the most out of this investment, you’ll need to be patient while this wine matures fully over the next 20 years, minimum.
What Makes 2005 LaFleur So Mythic?
LaFleur has already earned a reputation as one of the best producers of Bordeaux blends in history, and it’s not unusual for this estate to earn perfect scores from critics. However, even compared to some of LaFleur’s greatest past vintages, 2005 Pomerol has few equals. Critic Robert Parker claims that the 2005 is even higher in quality than both the 1982 and 2000 Pomerol vintages from this estate–this means that the 2005 may very well be LaFleur’s finest vintage of the modern era, equal only to the 2009 vintage. So, what made this vintage so much finer than most of its modern peers? The answer lies in its firm, very backward, structure.
When you think of the best Bordeaux vintage in modern history, you likely picture a forward, mature wine that already tastes refined and sophisticated, even in its youth. The 2005 LaFleur is the polar opposite; after more than 10 years in storage, this wine is as vibrant and closed off as a bottle half its age. It still broods like an angsty teenager, and its youthful moodiness may not subside for another decade, at least. While this isn’t great news if you want to sample this wine right now, it’s very promising for collectors who are looking for a Bordeaux that will last for decades in a cellar. For the best investment results, you’ll need to exercise extreme patience with 2005 LaFleur Pomerol and ensure that you have safe, reliable wine storage in place long before you buy this bottle. This is the type of wine that will age beautifully in a professional storage warehouse where it can sit undisturbed for the next 20 years. It’s best not to move this wine around too frequently, as this will negatively impact the wine’s flavor and could affect your wine bottle’s provenance. Professional storage is especially helpful with this wine since you can leave your wine in one place, even if you move to a different city.
How LaFleur Compares to Other 2005 Bordeaux Bottles
LaFleur wasn’t an anomaly in 2005–most Bordeaux estates experienced a perfect growing season that dramatically increased the quality of their wine that year. This was partially the result of hot, dry harvest conditions throughout Bordeaux in 2005. Weather conditions were consistently warm from the late spring through most of the summer during the 2005 growing season. By the end of the season, some light rainfall increased the acidity levels in the grapes at the last possible moment before harvest, offering these wines a perfect balance of sweetness and astringency. In Pomerol, wine quality was especially high, meaning that you can buy nearly any bottle from any producer in the region without worrying about quality.
However, although wine quality was high across the region, LaFleur is still among the most reliable investment choices that you can make. Due to its prominent, youthful tannins and sharp acidity, 2005 LaFleur may last longer in a cellar compared to its less acidic Bordeaux peers. Overall, you should look to the acidity levels of 2005 Bordeaux to learn which wines will age longest–some producers received more rainfall, and thus had higher acidity levels, than others.
Is 2005 LaFleur the Best Bordeaux Blend for Your Cellar?
While 2005 resulted in some of the best Bordeaux blends overall, there are still a few common characteristics to this vintage that some collectors may not appreciate, especially if they’re more interested in “classic” Bordeaux. To start, the 2005 vintage is ultra-concentrated and almost racy in flavor. The sugar levels are well-balanced with the acidity–there’s just a lot more of both in the blend. If you’re the type of collector who loves a bold, modern wine, like California cult Cabernet or Australian Shiraz, you’ll probably enjoy the raciness of 2005 LaFleur Pomerol. But if you’re more interested in forward, delicate, subtle Bordeaux, then the 2005 vintage may not be for you. Even after this wine reaches maturity, it will likely retain some of its boldness, which may not appeal to every wine connoisseur.
If you’re looking to make a significant profit on your investment, and you aren’t interested in drinking the wine yourself, then the 2005 LaFleur is an easy choice for any collector, regardless of which types of wines you usually enjoy. Futures of this wine typically sell for less than $800 per bottle, and today, the 2005 vintage is worth about $1,700. To get a sense of how this wine will perform in the future, you can look to other high-quality vintages like the 1982, which currently sells for an average of nearly $5,000 on the secondary market–a $4,200 jump in price over the course of just 30 years. If you buy the 2005 vintage now, and wait 20 years to sell the bottle on the secondary market, you could make as much as $3,300 in profit, perhaps more. In this sense, 2005 LaFleur transcends its already-magnificent taste; it also offers an almost guaranteed return on investment for discerning collectors.
Whether you are starting your high-end wine collection or adding to an established portfolio, Vinfolio is your partner in buying, selling, and professional storage. Contact us today to get access to the world’s best wine.
