CHATEAU LAFLEUR
Decanter|July 2020
With a history stretching back several centuries and an understated yet focused approach to maintaining the highest standards in both vineyard and winery, Pomerol estate Château Lafleur is a producer to seek out. Jane Anson reports
Jane Anson
CHATEAU LAFLEUR

Within five minutes of arriving for my first visit to Château Lafleur back in 2010, I was crouched down alongside a random (to me, although definitely not to then-owner Jacques Guinaudeau, who was explaining its importance) Cabernet Franc vine, hands by turn in the soil then examining the leaves, nodding away vigorously.

Many of us know that Pomerol has its own rules that operate on an entirely different level to those in the rest of Bordeaux, but there are a few that you specifically need to keep in mind if you are planning a visit to Lafleur. First of all, the estate follows the appellation’s adage that the prestige of a property is inversely proportional to the fanfare with which it announces itself. That means you're not going to find any trace of a sign or nameplate, so make sure you have detailed directions. And next up, remember that all of the action almost every time you visit will be outside in the vineyard, so make sure you dress accordingly. You can get away with heels in the Médoc, but not here.

This is true for everyone. When you arrive at Lafleur, you are just as likely to see the owners Baptiste and Julie Guinaudeau – who have now taken over from Baptiste’s parents, Jacques and Sylvie – with their boots on and secateurs in hand as you are any other member of the small team that works here.

Master of understatement

Things are low-key, obsessively so, everyone casual and friendly but laser-focused on the job in hand. Even the beautiful new winery – completed for the 2018 vintage – is resolutely understated, made up of a series of small functional rooms but without the killer space that you routinely expect to see in the Médoc or in St-Emilion.

This story is from the July 2020 edition of Decanter.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the July 2020 edition of Decanter.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM DECANTERView All
Inside a professional's everyday life
Decanter

Inside a professional's everyday life

What’s the best thing about your job? The versatility. Every day is different. Working across nursery propagation, grape farming, winemaking, marketing, travel and research and development. It’s never boring.

time-read
2 mins  |
February 2024
Navarra
Decanter

Navarra

From its famed bull-running capital to its dry and rocky badlands, this northern Spanish region is blessed with a wide variety of international grapes, but its indigenous Garnacha is the rising star

time-read
2 mins  |
February 2024
Pedalling Priorat A Catalonia cycling guide
Decanter

Pedalling Priorat A Catalonia cycling guide

For the firm of thigh, pedal power may be the best way to experience the switchbackstrewn landscape of Priorat. With wines as exquisite as the hills of the Costa Daurada are steep, it’s surely worth saddling up for this two-wheeled adventure

time-read
7 mins  |
February 2024
British rums
Decanter

British rums

Craft distillers in the UK are turning their enthusiastic attention to a spirit that’s usually associated with tropical climes... We explore the burgeoning British rum scene and recommend six bottles to try

time-read
6 mins  |
February 2024
FIVE OF THE BEST
Decanter

FIVE OF THE BEST

New-wave vodkas

time-read
2 mins  |
February 2024
UKRAINE A wine odyssey
Decanter

UKRAINE A wine odyssey

Fully committed and determined is perhaps understating it when it comes to the winemakers of Ukraine. Appearing more widely now in the UK and other markets, theirs are wines that feature familiar grape names along with a whole cast of new varieties, styles and geographies waiting to be discovered

time-read
5 mins  |
February 2024
Hundred Acre
Decanter

Hundred Acre

In arare in-depth interview granted to Decanter, we meet the dauntless Jayson Woodbridge. The founder of Hundred Acre is a controversial figure in the Napa Valley, yet the wine community can’t ignore the fact that his wines are celebrated by pundits the world over

time-read
9 mins  |
February 2024
Understanding Castilla y León
Decanter

Understanding Castilla y León

This wide expanse of territory in Spain’s northwest incorporates at least three major DO regions and numerous others, giving huge scope for wine exploration, with many styles to choose from. Here we discover the producers, wines and latest trends to look out for

time-read
10+ mins  |
February 2024
XAREL·LO RISING HIGH
Decanter

XAREL·LO RISING HIGH

Spain's answer to white Burgundy? Its more passionate advocates like to argue so.For a long time lost in an ocean of nondescript Cava, Xarel·lo is now emerging as one of Spain's most lauded native white grapes

time-read
10 mins  |
February 2024
Wine wisdom
Decanter

Wine wisdom

Our regular learning section helps you get more from your glass

time-read
5 mins  |
February 2024