Château Lafleur

Château Lafleur traces its origins to 1872, when Henri Greloud, already proprietor of Château Le Gay and holder of interests at Château La Dominique in Saint-Emilion, purchased a parcel of vines around the corner from Le Gay in Pomerol. His family also owned Château Tertre-Daugay, later renamed Château Quintus under Domaine Clarence Dillon. Rather than folding the new vines into Le Gay, Greloud chose to create a separate property. By 1893 the wine ranked as the third-best in the Pomerol appellation, behind only Vieux Château Certan and Pétrus, according to The Wine Cellar Insider. Ownership passed to Henri's son Charles Greloud in 1900, then in 1915 to André Robin, who also acquired Château Le Gay in the same transaction and had married Henri's granddaughter, Gabrielle Greloud. The Robin family removed the Malbec that had been planted in the vineyard, one of the earliest changes made after André Robin took over in 1915, a change likely made by the early 1920s, according to The Wine Cellar Insider. Robin's daughters, Thérèse and Marie Robin, took over management in 1946 and devoted themselves to keeping the vineyard intact. Jacques and Sylvie Guinaudeau, great-great-grandchildren of Henri Greloud, took stewardship of Lafleur from Marie Robin; the estate's own website states this began in 1985, a date Decanter's coverage of the estate corroborates. Marie Robin died in 2001, and the Guinaudeaus acquired the estate's remaining shares that year; their son Baptiste and his wife Julie joined the family business later in 2001, according to The Wine Cellar Insider.

• Founded 1872 by Henri Greloud, who also owned Château Le Gay and held interests in Château La Dominique and Château Tertre-Daugay (later Château Quintus) in Saint-Emilion
• By 1893 ranked the third-best wine of the Pomerol appellation, behind only Vieux Château Certan and Pétrus, per The Wine Cellar Insider
• Ownership passed to Charles Greloud (1900), then André Robin (1915, who married Henri Greloud's granddaughter Gabrielle), then Robin's daughters Thérèse and Marie Robin (1946)
• Jacques and Sylvie Guinaudeau, great-great-grandchildren of Henri Greloud, have held stewardship since 1985; Marie Robin died in 2001 and the Guinaudeaus acquired the remaining shares that year, when son Baptiste and his wife Julie joined

The Lafleur vineyard sits at the heart of the Pomerol plateau, next to Château Pétrus, La Fleur-Pétrus, Vieux Château Certan and Hosanna, in a near-perfect square shape unusual for the appellation, per The Wine Cellar Insider. Secondary sources put its size at approximately 4.5 hectares (Winedoctor) to 4.58 hectares (The Wine Cellar Insider); the estate's own site does not publish a per-wine hectare figure, stating only that Société Agricole de Lafleur farms 24 hectares of vineyard in total across its six wines. The Wine Cellar Insider describes four soil types: a gravel hillock with brown gravelly soil to the northwest, brown sandy-gravelly soil over a gravelly-clay subsoil to the south, brown sandy-gravelly soil over a sandy-clay subsoil to the east, and a crescent-shaped 0.8-hectare parcel of deeper sandy-silt to brown-sand soil at the center, which supplies Les Pensées. The vineyard is divided into 24 parcels holding close to 21,000 vines (about 7,500 on gravel-clay, 5,250 on gravel-sand at the center, and 8,250 on the largest, more clay-and-gravel section), with Merlot and Cabernet Franc often interplanted in the same row and the vines color-coded by variety. Vine density ranges from 6,000 to 7,500 vines per hectare, and average vine age is about 40 years; some vines predate the 1956 frost and were never replanted.

• Approximately 4.5 hectares (Winedoctor) to 4.58 hectares (The Wine Cellar Insider); the producer's own site gives only a company-wide vineyard total of 24 hectares across all six wines
• Four soil types: gravel hillock to the northwest, sandy-gravelly over gravelly-clay to the south, sandy-gravelly over sandy-clay to the east, and a central 0.8-hectare crescent of sandy-silt to brown-sand soil that supplies Les Pensées
• 24 parcels, close to 21,000 vines, Merlot and Cabernet Franc often interplanted in the same row and color-coded by variety; vine density 6,000 to 7,500 vines per hectare
• Average vine age about 40 years; some vines predate the 1956 frost and were never replanted

The Guinaudeau family describes itself as "farmers and vine growers, committed to preserving our farmers' common sense that set us a part in the universe of Grands Vins," with all farming and winemaking decisions coming from day-to-day hands-on experience, per the estate's own philosophy page. Jacques Guinaudeau has told The Wine Cellar Insider, "It is our job, as vine-growers, to do everything to enable each vine plant to find its best expression. We have to monitor and follow the vines throughout their natural growing season, taking into account the character of each vintage and without excessive intervention," and has compared the vineyard to "a large garden where each plant is given its own particular attention." Soils at Lafleur are never turned, only raked, so that gravel stones stay at the surface to capture and radiate heat; the estate has installed a drainage system and avoids working the soil in July to encourage a slight vine water deficit that aids ripening. Grapes are hand-tended vine by vine and harvested plot by plot, with daily ripeness checks. Vinification takes place in 12 traditional cement vats ranging from 30 to 80 hectoliters, and malolactic fermentation has taken place in barrel since 1991. Following about three weeks of maceration, the wine ages in an average of 25% new French oak, down from as much as 50% in earlier years, with the rest coming from one-year-old barrels previously used at sister estate Grand Village; total barrel aging runs about 15 months before bottling. Les Pensées is vinified separately in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks and aged the same way as the Grand Vin.

• Soils never turned, only raked, to keep gravel stones at the surface radiating heat; no soil work in July to encourage a slight water deficit
• Hand-tended vine by vine and harvested plot by plot; vinified in 12 cement vats of 30 to 80 hectoliters; malolactic fermentation in barrel since 1991
• About three weeks of maceration; averages 25% new French oak (down from up to 50% in earlier years), remainder from one-year-old Grand Village barrels; about 15 months total barrel aging
• Les Pensées is fermented separately in temperature-controlled stainless steel and aged the same way as the Grand Vin

Société Agricole de Lafleur produces six wines. Lafleur itself has been harvested from the same plot since 1872 and is, in the estate's own words, "a mythical wine, a singular association of power, finesse, and remarkable length," balancing the Bouchet and Merlot grape varieties. Les Pensées was created in 1987 by Sylvie and Jacques Guinaudeau as a coveted second wine and, over the following 25 years, evolved into a Grand Vin in its own right, per the estate's own site; it comes from a small stretch of clay at the center of Lafleur's gravel-dominated vineyard. Les Perrières, created in 2018 by Julie and Baptiste Guinaudeau, is described by the estate as "a novel interpretation of the unique Bouchet de Lafleur variety, translated through the great limestone soils on the plateau of Meyney" and "a limestone version of Lafleur." Les Champs Libres, created in 2013 by Julie and Baptiste Guinaudeau, is a Sauvignon Blanc assembled from four parcels on the clay-limestone plateau d'Ambeau. Le Grand Village Rouge comes from the family's original property, founded in 1650 by their direct ancestor Jacques Verdery; the estate calls it "the birthplace of our family of winegrowers" and states the family has lived there for more than 45 vintages. Le Grand Village Blanc, created in 1990 by Sylvie and Jacques Guinaudeau, comes from the same clay-limestone vineyard on the plateau d'Ambeau. None of the six wines is sold direct to consumer; all are distributed through an international network of ambassadors, per the estate's own site.

• Lafleur: harvested from the same plot since 1872; a blend of Bouchet and Merlot
• Les Pensées: created 1987, evolved from second wine to independent Grand Vin over 25 years; comes from a 0.8-hectare clay parcel at the center of the Lafleur vineyard
• Les Perrières: created 2018 on the limestone plateau of Meyney, described by the estate as "a limestone version of Lafleur"
• Les Champs Libres: created 2013, a Sauvignon Blanc from four parcels on the clay-limestone plateau d'Ambeau
• Le Grand Village Rouge and Blanc: the family's original property, founded 1650 by ancestor Jacques Verdery; Grand Village Blanc created 1990

In a letter dated 24 August 2025, the Guinaudeau family announced that, beginning with the 2025 vintage, none of the estate's six wines would carry the Pomerol or Bordeaux appellation; all would instead be labelled Vin de France. The family wrote, per Decanter, "The vintages 2015, 2019, and above all 2022, were all strong evidence of [climate change]. 2025 goes a step further. We must think, readapt, act." Decanter reported the move was made "while maintaining the utmost respect for our fellow producers and the appellations of Pomerol and Bordeaux," citing the need for flexibility around irrigation restrictions, planting densities and permitted grape varieties as heatwaves and drought increasingly challenge Bordeaux's traditional rules. The Guinaudeau family said stepping away from AOC regulation would let it protect the "perennity of our vineyards, the quality and the identity of our wines," adding in the letter, "We change to remain the same." Decanter described Lafleur as the first of Bordeaux's top tier, with six highly sought-after wines, to break with the AOC system, joining a small group of French domaines, including Loïc Pasquet's Liber Pater in Graves and the late Laurent Vaillé's Grange des Pères in the Languedoc, that have left appellation frameworks for greater creative freedom. The announcement came just as the 2025 harvest began, with the family describing early tastings as "shaping up not just as a great vintage, but as an extraordinary one."

• Announced in a letter dated 24 August 2025; effective from the 2025 vintage across all six wines, per Decanter
• Guinaudeau family cited the vintages 2015, 2019 and especially 2022 as evidence of climate change, writing "We must think, readapt, act"
• Decanter: the first of Bordeaux's top-tier estates to leave the AOC system entirely, following domaines such as Liber Pater and Grange des Pères outside Bordeaux
• The family framed the move as protecting the "perennity of our vineyards, the quality and the identity of our wines" while respecting the Pomerol and Bordeaux appellations

Before Robert Parker's first visit to the estate in 1975, Lafleur's reputation was largely confined to the Right Bank, Belgium and a handful of London buyers, according to The Wine Cellar Insider; at that time it sold for about the same price as Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste. Parker's continued attention through the 1980s helped push Lafleur's prices above the Médoc First Growths; today, per the same source, only Pétrus and Le Pin command more on the secondary market. The Wine Cellar Insider names 1945, 1947, 1950, 1961 and 1982 among the estate's legendary vintages, made with little or no selection and little new oak, and lists the wines of 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2020 as among the finest the estate has produced in its history. The 1982 vintage was made by Christian Moueix and Jean-Claude Berrouet with almost no selection and at most about 10% new oak, per The Wine Cellar Insider.

• Robert Parker's first visit was in 1975; before that, Lafleur was known mainly on the Right Bank, in Belgium and to a few London buyers, per The Wine Cellar Insider
• Legendary early vintages cited by The Wine Cellar Insider: 1945, 1947, 1950, 1961 and 1982
• Today only Pétrus and Le Pin sell for more than Lafleur on the secondary market, per The Wine Cellar Insider
• The Wine Cellar Insider names 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2020 among the finest vintages in the estate's history

The Wine Cellar Insider describes Lafleur's style in its best vintages as combining power, elegance, opulence and an exotic, dark-cherry and mineral character, calling it among the longest-lived wines of Pomerol and all of Bordeaux, needing two to three decades to develop; peak maturity generally falls between 15 and 50 years after the vintage. In its own tasting notes, The Wine Cellar Insider found the 2025 Lafleur showing "truffles, flowers, cocoa, black cherries, smoke, and chocolate mint" on the nose, with the palate covered in "pure, sweet, energetic fruit, marine influences, dark cocoa, and a touch of herbs" (a blend of 51% Cabernet Franc and 49% Merlot that vintage). The 2024 vintage showed "orange flowers, black cherries, and black raspberries, combined with red and purple flowers, along with chocolate mint," moving toward "exotic citrus, with lingering notes of dark chocolate, plums, sea salt, and chalk" (55% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot). The site recommends serving Lafleur at 15.5 degrees Celsius (60 degrees Fahrenheit) and pairing it with classic meat dishes such as veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game and roast chicken, as well as Asian dishes and heartier fish courses such as rare tuna.

• The Wine Cellar Insider: power, elegance, opulence, dark cherry and minerality in the best vintages; among the longest-lived wines of Bordeaux
• Best vintages need two to three decades to develop; peak maturity 15 to 50 years after the vintage, per The Wine Cellar Insider
• 2025 vintage blend was 51% Cabernet Franc, 49% Merlot; 2024 was 55% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot, per The Wine Cellar Insider's own tasting notes
• Recommended serving temperature 15.5C/60F, per The Wine Cellar Insider

Primary sources (producer's own site, Société Agricole de Lafleur): https://lafleur.org/en/, https://lafleur.org/en/philosophie, https://lafleur.org/en/lafleur, https://lafleur.org/en/les-pensees, https://lafleur.org/en/les-perrieres, https://lafleur.org/en/les-champs-libres, https://lafleur.org/en/grand-village-rouge, https://lafleur.org/en/grand-village-blanc, https://lafleur.org/en/ambassadeurs. Secondary sources: Decanter (Georgie Hindle, 24-27 August 2025), The Wine Cellar Insider, Winedoctor (partial, subscription-gated beyond the introduction). Last verified 2026-09-08. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs.