Chateau Lafleur
Although Pomerol has neither a classification system nor an official hierarchy, anyone living in Bordeaux would have no trouble naming the area's most prestigious estates. Château Lafleur ranks among the very best, yet its lot is so small that it's easy to walk right past it without noticing. Operated by the Guinaudeau family, descendants of the person who developed this property in the 1870s, Lafleur has been in the same family for about a century and a half, which is rare in Bordeaux. Merlot and Cabernet Franc are grown in gravel, sand, and clay soils, and only a very small quantity of wine is produced. With the 2025 vintage, the family completely abandoned the Pomerol and Bordeaux appellations, labeling all wines as Vin de France. Very few wineries of this stature have taken such a step.
From Greloud to Guinaudeau
The history of Lafleur began in 1872, when Henri Greloud purchased the Pomerol vineyard that would later become the chateau. He already owned Château Le Gay, was active as a négociant (wine merchant), and held interests in Saint-Émilion, at Château La Dominique and Château Daugay. Therefore, he knew exactly what he was purchasing.
Recognition came quickly. By 1893, Lafleur was rated as the third-best wine from Pomerol, following Vieux Château Certan and Pétrus.
Charles Greloud, Henri's son, inherited the vineyard in 1900. About 15 years later, both Le Gay and Lafleur passed to André Robin, who had married Gabrielle Greloud, Henri's granddaughter. Robin made his priorities clear. His philosophy was that quality comes first, and quantity second.
In 1946, his daughters, Thérèse and Marie, took over management and ran the winery for several decades. Since 1984, Lafleur has been leased and operated by Jacques and Sylvie Guinaudeau, the great-great-grandchildren of Henri Greloud. Today, under the Société Civile du Château Lafleur, Baptiste Guinaudeau leads a small team in producing the wine. Most of the fine properties in Bordeaux have changed hands several times. However, this estate has never left the family's possession.
A very small plot near Pétrus
The first thing that surprises people is the scale. Château Lafleur cultivates just over 4.5 hectares, making it one of the smaller, prestigious wineries in the Pomerol region, located within walking distance of Pétrus.
Being small also means there's no room for errors: at this scale, even a single plot that's been neglected will affect the wine in the bottle.
Unlike Médoc or Saint-Émilion, Pomerol itself has never received any official classification. Lafleur's reputation is not based on a classification bestowed by others, but is founded entirely on the quality of the wine in the bottle.
The terroir
The topsoil and subsoil at Lafleur consist of a mixture of gravel, sand, and clay, and their composition varies from one end of the vineyard to the other. This is precisely why this vineyard cultivates two grape varieties together, rather than relying on just one.
Climate change is a relatively recent factor in this story. The Guinaudeau family cited 2015, 2019, and, above all, 2022 as clear evidence that conditions are changing rapidly, and said that 2025 goes a step further. Since the Pomerol appellation ripens early even in a typical year, there is little room to adapt when the growing season is hot.
Their response to this was to modify their practices in the vineyard and cellar. And, according to them, these changes are proceeding at a faster pace than what is currently permitted under the appellation regulations.
Merlot and Cabernet Franc, no Malbec
Two varieties do the work at Château Lafleur:
- Merlot, 50%
- Cabernet Franc, 50% and locally known as Bouchet, which gives the wines their tension and floral side
- Malbec used to be planted here, until Thérèse and Marie Robin pulled it out
Exact proportions in the wine shift with the year. In a Right Bank where plenty of neighbours build everything around Merlot, Lafleur's serious commitment to Cabernet Franc is a big part of why the wines taste the way they do.
Winemaking
The winemaking process at Lafleur’s cellars is characterised by accuracy. The grapes are harvested by hand, plot by plot and variety by variety, in 2020, Merlot was harvested on 4 and 10 September, and Bouchet on the 18th, after which a double sorting takes place in the vineyard, followed by a further sorting in the cellar.
Alcoholic fermentation takes place in small tanks with gentle maceration and moderate tannin extraction; malolactic fermentation is completed in barrels, a practice introduced in 1991. Ageing lasts fifteen months: a quarter of the volume is aged in new French oak barrels, whilst the remainder is aged in barrels that have been in use for eight months, mainly from the family’s Grand Village estate.
Bottling takes place in the second week of April following the harvest.
Why the labels now say Vin de France
On the 24th of August, 2025, the Guinaudeau family sent Bordeaux a letter that became the talk of the town. Starting with the 2025 vintage, none of the six wines produced under the Société Civile du Château Lafleur brand will use the Pomerol or Bordeaux appellations. All of these wines are scheduled to be released as Vin de France.
The stated reason is the climate. Decision-making and vineyard management practices at Lafleur are evolving more rapidly than the Appellation d'Origine system allows, and the family has chosen to step outside that framework rather than slow down. They carefully stated that this decision was made with the utmost respect for their fellow producers and for the Pomerol and Bordeaux appellations themselves.
From Liber Pater in Graves to Ganevat in Jura, many wineries have already chosen the Vin de France path. However, Lafleur is the first of Bordeaux's top-tier estates to attempt this, which is precisely why the news has spread so widely.
Day-to-day operations are handled by a cohesive team led by Baptiste Guinaudeau, with Omri Ram serving as the winemaker. The winery is characterized by a small vineyard, a small team, and a streamlined decision-making process.
The wines: Lafleur, Les Pensées, and the rest
There are two wines named Lafleur. Château Lafleur is a grand vin made from grapes grown in the small Pomerol vineyard. Les Pensées de Lafleur is a second wine with a smaller production volume, and it has long been cherished by those who closely follow this winery.
Neither of these wines is something you'd come across by chance. Production is low but demand is high, and for decades, pricing has reflected this reality.
However, this family's product range extends beyond the Lafleur label. Société Civile du Château Lafleur encompasses a total of six wines, including Château Grand Village, Les Perrières, and Les Champs Libres. All of these wines have been consolidated under the Vin de France label starting in 2025.
The best vintages of Lafleur
Château Lafleur is one of the most long-lived wines of Pomerol and is able to age in certain vintages for 50 years or more. Top vintages are: 1947, 1950, 1966, 1978, 1982, 1989, 1990, 2000, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020.
Frequently asked questions
Is Château Lafleur a classified growth?
No. Pomerol has never had an official classification, so Lafleur's standing rests on reputation and track record rather than a formal rank.
Is Château Lafleur the same as Château Lafleur-Gazin?
No. Château Lafleur-Gazin is a separate Pomerol property, despite the similar name.
Who runs Château Lafleur today?
The Guinaudeau family. Jacques and Sylvie Guinaudeau took on the lease in 1984, and Baptiste Guinaudeau now leads the team, with Omri Ram as winemaker.
Why do the newest wines not say Pomerol on the label?
From the 2025 vintage the estate stopped using the Pomerol and Bordeaux appellations and switched to Vin de France, a decision the family put down to climate change and the limits of the appellation rules.
