Château Raymond-Lafon

The estate was created in the mid-19th century by M. Raymond Lafon. Château Raymond-Lafon, too recent in creation, could therefore not be singled out at the 1855 classification. But if there were a new classification, it would undoubtedly have its place among the Premiers Crus of the commune of Sauternes, both through its position at the foot of its illustrious neighbour and through the assessments of MM. Bernard Ginestet, Jo Gryn, Hugh Johnson, Robert Parker, David Peppercorn, Jean-Luc Pouteau, Serena Sutcliffe, Michel Bettane, etc).
In 1972, Francine and Pierre Meslier became owners of the château. An agronomic engineer from Montpellier, Pierre Meslier (former steward and manager of Château d’Yquem from 1963 to 1990) applied his great experience of Sauternes wines to the management of the vineyard, to vinification and to the ageing of the wines. Francine Meslier, an essential player in the history of the château, handled the day-to-day management of the estate but sadly passed away in July 2003. Since 1990 their children, Marie-Françoise, Charles-Henri and Jean-Pierre, have continued their parents’ work.
The severe pruning of the vine and the rigour of the care given contribute to a very low yield, of the order of 10 hl/ha. (that is, one glass of wine per vine!).
In keeping with tradition, the harvest is carried out by hand, in successive sortings, with 4 to 8 passes depending on the year. The picking of each berry depends on the state of ripeness of the grapes and the development of Botrytis Cinerea. Only the best berries are selected, those whose sugar content lies between 19 and 21° potential alcohol. By applying these most demanding rules, from 20% up to the whole of the harvest may be declassified each year. Finally, ageing takes place in oak barrels for three years.
Describing Raymond-Lafon, a wine of great merit and capable of long ageing, without using or abusing superlatives at the risk of wearying the reader, is not easy, since only tasting attests the truth of the terms used: brilliant gold colour, very rich with a massive attack on the palate, a very complex, intense, very harmonious and balanced aromatic nose, very long and melting with flavours of honey, vanilla, lime blossom, candied lemons and prunes; in short, a great deal of roast and freshness overall.
The motto of Château Raymond-Lafon: “prestige through quality”.