These notes are to accompany La Fleur Morange – the carpenter's wine, a profile of a rather interesting right-bank producer, Jean-François Julien, seen here in the younger of his two vineyards in St-Émilion. This complements my earlier set of tasting notes published in 2008. See also my review of the 2009 vintage, tasted en primeur in 2010. For other reviews of this wine (going back to 2000), search on Fleur Morange in our tasting notes database.
Deep crimson. Little sign of ageing. Rich and spicy on the nose with some char and inkiness but masses of fruit. Enough acidity – not a pastiche wine. Still youthful with tannins just starting to be submerged by fruit but very much still there. There is clearly much more ambition in this wine than in many a 2006. Long and rich. (JR)
Blackish ruby. Not that much nose. Round, polished tannins and lots of depth, ripeness and concentration. Like the 2006, it has this char/inkiness quality and wonderful persistence. I would penalise this just for its lack of aroma. But again there is huge ambition. (JR)
Unlike the 2006 and 2007, this does not have an essay of several hundred words in both French and English giving the wine's viticultural and oenological background. Deep ruby. An interesting tarry nose with great concentration. Lovely roundness and the tannins are much better managed than in the 2006, for example. You could drink this with great enjoyment today. It will surely develop more complexity but it is beautifully made. Refreshing finish after all the ripeness. (JR)
Very bright crimson – but look at that alcohol! Intensely concentrated nose and enormous tension on the palate. This is a baby. But one that wants to win Wimbledon. Kerpow! At the moment it has so much of everything – including acidity as well as tannin – that it's a little painful to drink now. But I feel sure it's going to make a great bottle some day. I can see parallels with Pavie again (see my note on the 2005 vintage tasted blind en primeur). (JR)
Dark blackish crimson. This winemaker has not accepted that this is a lesser vintage! Big and round and an absolute charmer. Another wine that you could enjoy young but with excellent balance – both very ripe and with good refreshment value. This is surely one of the better 2011 right-bank wines? (JR)
