Chateau Lafleur

Château Lafleur is a small property comprising of 4.5ha’s in one piece. Due to its tiny production, there are fewer reds harder to find. The small property was founded by Henri Greould, just under a century ago. It is still owned by the founding family, namely Marie Robins (who also owns Chateau le Gay across the road), but who rents it to Jacques Guinaudeau a great-great-grandson of the founder. 

The motto of this château is:Quality is more precious than quantity”. The two major factors contributing to this growth are the choice of grape varieties and the special nature of the soil which is a combination of clay and soil. An example of the strict control they place on their wines is shown in 1987 and 1991 when they declassified the entire crop of Lafleur and again in 1992 when they declassified 50% of the crop. Mr Guinaudeau believes that 80% of the winemaking is completed once the grape are picked and as a result spends a lot of time in the vineyards tending each vine individually. The grapes are harvested in small containers by experienced pickers, then are further sorted by another group of six people. The size of the vineyard and the experience of the picking team make it possible to pick all the grapes in two days, therefore guaranteeing a consistency in the grapes overall. All viticultural practices are traditional with the only additions to the vineyards being some natural fertilizer. Mr Guinaudeau is not an over enthusiastic user of new wood, preferring instead a subtle balance between the wood and the fruit, rather than have it dominate the other, and as a result takes great care in the selecting and treating of new wood barrels. Overall, the consistent high quality of this wine has led some writers to believe that this wine equals and sometimes even surpass the more famous Petrus.

• Area under vines:4.5ha.
• Grape varieties:Merlot 50% Cabernet Franc 50%.
• Second label: Les Pensées de Lafleur.
• Av. prod.: 1,000 cases.
• Distr. of vines.: 1 parcel.
• Soil: Slightly clayey gravel.
• Added yeasts: Natural.
• Length of maceration: 15 to 18 days.
• Temp. of ferm.: 30-32°C.
• Control of fermentation: Pump over.
• Type of fermentation tank: Stainless steel and cement.
• Age of barrel: 50% new wood (Troncais).
• Time in cask: 18 months.
• Fining: Fresh egg whites.
• Filtration: Light filtration.
• Type of bottle: Bordelaise.
• Bottled at the chateau: 100%.
• Vines per ha.: 5,800.
• Average age: 33 years.
• Av. yield per ha.: 35 hl. per ha.
• Harvesting: Manual.
• STORAGE: 8-30 years.
• SERVICE TEMPERATURE: 17°C.
• FOOD / CONSUMPTION:They are a perfect complement to lamb, veal, poultry and delicate game.