Since its acquisition in 1872 by Henri Greloud, Chateau Lafleur was destined to produce wines of great complexity and elegance. The vineyard land, a single contiguous parcel, is gifted with an incredible diversity of terroirs. Now, under the care of the great-great-grandchildren of Henri, the Guinaudeau family, the Chateau continues being one of the premier flag-bearers for Pomerol. The focus here is in the vineyard, with careful vine management ensuring the health and quality of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

Chateau Grand Village

Château Lafleur was purchased in 1872 by Henri Greloud, the great-great-grandparent of the present proprietor, Jacques Guinaudeau. After renewing the vineyard and constructing the house and cellar, Henri baptized it as Château Lafleur. A brilliant, even prophetic-like idea, Henri had doubtlessly imagined the wines that would emerge here one day

The property has remained in the family since the original purchase, and Jacques and Sylvie Guinaudeau have managed the property for the family since 1985. In 2002, they purchased the shares held by other family members and became the sole proprietors, having had the great luck of vinifying the fruit of this mythic cru since that time together with their three children.

Château Lafleur is located at the crest of the Pomerol plateau directly adjacent to Château Petrus and contiguous to Châteaux La Fleur Petrus, Le Gay, Vieux Château Certan and Hosanna. The vineyard is 11.12 acres "d'un seul tenant"- one contiguous parcel. The indescribable complexity of Château La Fleur comes from the great diversity of its soil types: a gravel slope to the northwest, a clay-gravel soil toward the south, a gravel-sand soil toward the east and a rich vein of marl toward the center of the vineyard. The vines, on average, are 30 years old, with an average density of 5,900 vines per acre. The vineyard is planted to Merlot (50%) and Cabernet Franc (50%), one of the highest percentages of this varietal in the appellation. The unique ensemble of grape varieties must be evoked, having the vineyard planted with equal parts of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, which undoubtedly plays a significant role in the complexity of Lafleur. The priceless genetic heritage of the vineyard at Lafleur, above all our old vine Cabernet Franc, should be duly noted. Part of the vineyard is propagated using the massale selection, which André Robin carried out during the 1930s. His two daughters, Thérèse and Marie Robin, managed to save some of the original vines after the great frost of 1956, most notably the "Bouchet," the name for traditional Cabernet Franc of the right bank.

The estate holds a unique and rare place in the Bordeaux landscape. Above all, they are vignerons, present throughout the year in the vineyards, adapting to and working with nature and climate as best as possible. In the cellar, they adjust the vinification and aging of the wines to be in tune with each vintage's character, always searching for a delicate balance between the aromatic complexity of Cabernet Franc and the charm and energy of Merlot.

Château Lafleur is owned and managed by the Guinaudeau family. The tiny vineyard dates back to 1872, when Mr. Greloud, Mr. Jacques Guinaudeau's forebear, owner of Château Le Gay, purchased Mr. Bernier's parcel. With the meticulous attention of Jacques and Sylvie Guinaudeau, helped by their son Baptiste and his wife Julie, the wines continually express the natural depth and complexity of this unique vineyard.

There is a lot of excitement about the Puy-Notre-Dame Appelation, with its tuffeau soils and a slightly higher elevation than the rest of Samur. This unique environment has built a thriving community of vignerons and is what brought Thibault Masse to the region. With his partner,Guillame Potevin, he purchased the historic estate of Domaine de La Reniere, to breathe new life into the estate and elevate the Chenin Blanc and Cabernet France varieties.

Domaine de la Reniere

La Renière was established in 1631. Before becoming a wine estate, the place was a farm that already belonged to the Gay family. Thibaud became the first person outside the family to take over the estate but is quick to assert that many generations came before him. Now, just a few years in, Thibault is pushing the estate closer to its potential, converting its vineyards to organics and focusing on Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc.

AOC Saumur Puy-Notre-Dame is the most recent Saumur appellations, obtaining its AOC status in 2009, exclusively for red, following two decades of struggles and initiatives from the community’s wine growers. The village is 20 km south of the Loire (and Saumur) and sits on a hill of tuffeau, the highest point (at 106m) in the entire region. Puy comes from the Celtic “Peuch” which means small mountain. The vineyard soils are between 50 and 105 meters above sea level, well-sheltered from spring frosts. They are mainly on Turonian (chalk-tuffeau) and Jurassic, and Eocene limestones, which constitute plateaus dominated by thin stony soils.

The Renière estate extends over 18 hectares, at the end of Puy-Notre-Dame, near Saumur (Maine-et-Loire). It is mainly planted with Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc with a little Chardonnay, on a tuffeau chalk soil.

Thibault has planted fruit trees, hedges, etc to increase biodiversity. He is keeping tall grasses to retain water now with hotter vintages. Vinification for whites is done using indigenous yeast fermentations in stainless steel tanks. No malolactic is permitted. The wine ages in stainless steel, barrels, and/or sandstone amphora.

For the reds, the grapes are 100% de-stemmed, and an indigenous yeast fermentation follows a short maceration in stainless steel. The wine finishes aging in stainless steel, barrels, and/or demi-muids.

The wines of Julien Guillot follow an ancient tradition of natural, terroir-driven expressions from one of the oldest organic domaines in France (900 AD!). Underneath Mâcon Cruzille lies vast strands of clay and calcareous limestone, this is the mineral-rich foundation for Julien's various old plantings of thick-skinned Gamay, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Julien Guillot (Vignes du Maynes)

"Traditional" is a buzzword often in Burgundian winemaking - producers "returning to their roots" - which is incredibly commendable, given the amount of chemicals that were in use during the mid-to-late 20th century. Clos des Vignes du Maynes never wavered from the tradition, and is thought to be the oldest continually, organically-farmed winery in France; the property in the Mâconnais has been under vine for 1100 years! Julien Guillot is determined to keep the tradition of his property; everything is performed by hand, with no additions throughout the vine-growing or winemaking processes. Even the vine material is sourced entirely from his property where he's long practiced biodynamic methods. All of these factors combine to create wildly flavorful, transparent wines - meaning, no tricks, no secret additions or material added; purity.

Of course, the Mäcon wines from the home vineyard attract the most attention such as John's pick of the Mäcon Selection Massale, along with some fantastic whites. Take the Mäcon-Cruzille Cuvée Aragonite, from a low-yielding section atop the Clos du Vignes du Maynes, producing a beautiful balance of density and crystalline minerality.

Julien is also doing wonders both with purchased fruit from his friends in Beaujolais, like the Morgon Les Charmes - grapes from a longtime friend who also practices biodynamics in his old-vine plots. 100% Gamay undergoes a semi-carbonic maceration where a portion of the grapes are not pressed, and are allowed to ferment while still whole. This generates a gorgeous, lifted tart berry and floral tone, and after a year in neutral barrel develops a soft texture to complement the natural energy of the wine. Let this breathe in the glass, and watch as that energy unfolds into a brilliant wine in the mold of "Traditional" Red Burgundy.

For a fun, refreshing treat, try the Megamix, Vol. 2 - Gamay, Pinot Noir and Muscat co-fermented, semi-carbonic à la Beaujolais, and finished without any addition of sulfur. There are no tricks - no additions or subtractions; you taste the pink granite and limestone, the harmony of the three grapes bringing softness and lift. Ultimately, a wine you will fully understand as you finish the last sip!