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Chateau Lafleur & The Five Crus: Terroir - Genetics - People

Chateau Lafleur & The Five Crus: Terroir - Genetics - People

"Forget Bordeaux". This is what Omri Ram, winemaker of Lafleur, first said when we sat down for a tasting last year. "Forget Bordeaux as this is our individual style of wine that showcases terroir and vine genetics in a way that challenges the traditional Bordeaux style". There is no doubt about it, the Lafleur Crus are unique wines that showcase the Bouchet varietal (a very old iteration of Cabernet Franc) upon three key soils: Limestone, Gravel, and Clay. 

As you may have noticed, the term Cru is often used here to describe all 6 wines on offer today. Thanks to Omri's visit in December I was able to further understand that there is no hierarchy among this Chateau. While other estates have Grand Vins and Second Vins, here at Lafleur it is all a horizontal presentation where each wine is sourced and produced from the same plots vintage after vintage.

First and foremost the Guinaudeau family, owners of Lafleur, are farmers and not chemists. They spend majority of their time within the vineyards perfecting the grapes while still on vine to then translate seamlessly into wine. As some of the last Vignerons in Bordeaux (owners who are also the farmers), they have a level of skill unmatched by most and utilise this in every plot. Now I could go on and on about this family and the Chateaux, thanks to the wealth of knowledge and passion that came from Omri's visit, yet I will keep it short and reiterate that these wines stand out as some of the greatest wines of the Bordeaux region to this day.

Don't be afraid to open a few bottles young, these are wines that can be drunk young or old, just remember to give them some air before enjoying to really showcase the development of flavours. They are discreet and dynamic wines that will make you question which region from which you are drinking.

Jacques Guinaudeau on Château Lafleur

It was my great great grandfather Henri Greloud who bought this 4.5 hectare vineyard block at the hamlet of Lafleur on Pomerol's plateau in 1872. After renewing the vineyard and constructing the house and cellars, he baptized the new Cru using the historical name of the plot: Château Lafleur. A brilliant, prophetic-like idea, Henri had doubtlessly imagined the wines that would emerge here one day. In this almost perfect square of a "garden-vineyard" many great millesimes were born, such as 1947 and 1982. 

In 1985 Sylvie and I took the reins of this mythical Cru. In 2002 we became the sole proprietor of Château Lafleur after purchasing it with our three children: Baptiste, Clara and Noemie. 

The complexity of the wines crafted at Château Lafleur originates from the unique characteristics of each vineyard. The vines at Château Lafleur are planted on top of three distinct soils:
To the northwest, the sandy-clay gravels of Lafleur.
To the south and east, the clay gravels of Lafleur.
At the heart of the vineyard, the gravelly sands of Lafleur.
This very rare association of soils allows us to explain in part the singularity of Château Lafleur.

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