Lafleur

Chateau Lafleur has been in the Greloud family since its inception in 1872. It was originally part of the same property as Chateau Le Gay, which it now neighbours alongside Petrus and Vieux Chateau Certain. Its founder, Henri Greloud, divided Chateau Le Gay and Lafleur between his sons, with Charles being given Lafleur. After passing from cousin to cousin, today, Henri’s great-great grandson, Jacques Guinaudeau, owns and manages the estate with his wife Sylvie and their three children. The Guinaudeau’s uphold a well-used family motto of “qualité passé quantité” – quality surpasses quantity. From Lafleur’s tiny 4.5 hectares of vineyards it is understandable that production is equally as small, with around 1000 cases produced each year and painstakingly managed by the owners themselves; it is often said that Chateau Lafleur is more closely run to a domaine in Burgundy than a Chateau in Bordeaux. With such small production, Lafleur’s wines have become incredibly sought after, reaching cult standards for the most discerning and wealthy investors.

The vineyards are situated on the gravel-rich soil of the Pomerol plateau. Chateau Lafleur uses a higher proportion of Cabernet Franc that its neighbours in addition to Merlot, giving the wine a highly perfumed nose with complexity to rival Chateau Petrus. The Grand Vin is aged in small, 50% new oak barrels for 18 months. Once released, the best vintages of Lafleur can age incredibly well, with the best lasting for up to 50 years.