Château Lafleur
Encyclopedia
Château Lafleur is a Bordeaux wine
from the appellation
Pomerol
. The winery
is located on the Right Bank of the Bordeaux wine region, in the commune of Pomerol in the department Gironde
. As all wine produced in this appellation, Château Lafleur is unclassified, but the estate is estimated among the great growths of the region. Among the most rare and expensive wines, the wine is widely cited as one of the world's finest.
Since 1984 the estate has also produced a second wine
named Les Pensées de Lafleur, which has been termed an 'insider's secret'.
, this small estate shares history with the property across the road, Château Le Gay. Both part of the property Le Manoir de Gay in the mid 18th century, it was purchased by the Greloud family and divided among the sons into two properties, the Domain de Lafleur section eventually inherited by André Robin who imprinted on Lafleur his personal motto, "Qualité passe quantité" (French: Quality surpasses quantity).
In 1946 the sisters Marie and Thérèse Robin inherited both Lafleur and Le Gay, and ran both estates for nearly 40 years until Thérèse Robin's death. Allegedly reclusive characters, the sisters were uninterested in the growing fame of Lafleur, preferring to remain in the shadow of Château Pétrus. In 1981 the longstanding distributors of Lafleur the Libourne merchant Établissements Jean-Pierre Moueix
handled management for Marie Robin.
Upon the death of Marie Robin in 2001, Jacques and Sylvie Guinaudeau took charge of the estate.
and 40% Cabernet Franc
.
The annual production averages 1,000 cases of the Grand vin Château Lafleur and approximately 750 cases of the second wine
Les Pensées de Lafleur.
Bordeaux wine
A Bordeaux wine is any wine produced in the Bordeaux region of France. Average vintages produce over 700 million bottles of Bordeaux wine, ranging from large quantities of everyday table wine, to some of the most expensive and prestigious wines in the world...
from the appellation
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
Pomerol
Pomerol
Pomerol is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.It is located near Bordeaux.-Population:-Wine:The mostly small-sized producers in this area of about produce red wines. As in the neighbouring appellation of Saint-Émilion, the predominant grape variety is Merlot,...
. The winery
Winery
A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, bottling lines, laboratories, and large expanses of...
is located on the Right Bank of the Bordeaux wine region, in the commune of Pomerol in the department Gironde
Gironde
For the Revolutionary party, see Girondists.Gironde is a common name for the Gironde estuary, where the mouths of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers merge, and for a department in the Aquitaine region situated in southwest France.-History:...
. As all wine produced in this appellation, Château Lafleur is unclassified, but the estate is estimated among the great growths of the region. Among the most rare and expensive wines, the wine is widely cited as one of the world's finest.
Since 1984 the estate has also produced a second wine
Second wine
Second wine is a term commonly associated with Bordeaux wine to refer to a second label wine made from cuvee not selected for use in the Grand vin or first label...
named Les Pensées de Lafleur, which has been termed an 'insider's secret'.
History
Located in the vicinity of Château PétrusChâteau Pétrus
Pétrus is a Bordeaux wine estate located in the Pomerol appellation near its eastern border to Saint-Émilion. An estate of limited size, it produces a limited production red wine almost entirely from Merlot grapes, on occasion with small amounts of Cabernet Franc, and produces no second wine...
, this small estate shares history with the property across the road, Château Le Gay. Both part of the property Le Manoir de Gay in the mid 18th century, it was purchased by the Greloud family and divided among the sons into two properties, the Domain de Lafleur section eventually inherited by André Robin who imprinted on Lafleur his personal motto, "Qualité passe quantité" (French: Quality surpasses quantity).
In 1946 the sisters Marie and Thérèse Robin inherited both Lafleur and Le Gay, and ran both estates for nearly 40 years until Thérèse Robin's death. Allegedly reclusive characters, the sisters were uninterested in the growing fame of Lafleur, preferring to remain in the shadow of Château Pétrus. In 1981 the longstanding distributors of Lafleur the Libourne merchant Établissements Jean-Pierre Moueix
Établissements Jean-Pierre Moueix
Établissements Jean-Pierre Moueix, or JP Moueix, is a Bordeaux négociant house founded byJean-Pierre Moueix in 1937, situated on the Quai du Priourat in Libourne, in the Bordeaux wine region of France...
handled management for Marie Robin.
Upon the death of Marie Robin in 2001, Jacques and Sylvie Guinaudeau took charge of the estate.
Production
The vineyard area consists of 4 hectares with the grape varieties of 60% MerlotMerlot
Merlot is a darkly blue-coloured wine grape, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to derive from the Old French word for young blackbird, merlot, a diminutive of merle, the blackbird , probably from the color of the grape. Merlot-based wines...
and 40% Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone - as in the Loire's Chinon...
.
The annual production averages 1,000 cases of the Grand vin Château Lafleur and approximately 750 cases of the second wine
Second wine
Second wine is a term commonly associated with Bordeaux wine to refer to a second label wine made from cuvee not selected for use in the Grand vin or first label...
Les Pensées de Lafleur.