Château Lafleur: Wines
Following véraison onwards Baptiste Guinaudeau and team follow the progress of the ripening with tastings and technical analyses, picking beginning when the skins and pips are ripe and free of bitter taste. The sorting begins on the vine, as damaged or shrivelled fruit is rejected by the pickers, the entire operation being, as you would expect, carried out by hand. The vineyard is harvested parcel by parcel, according to how the ripening has progressed. The aim is for perfect and appropriate ripeness, fruit that brings a freshness to the wine, and not sur-maturité.
I was struck when I spent some time with Jacques Guinaudeau (pictured below, mapping out the vineyard) back in 2012 how clear the importance of vineyard management was over vinification; we passed the best part of two hours walking around the vines, looking at the soil, and observing the work in the vineyard, which at the time was the first effeuillage (leaf-plucking), undertaken in order to expose the still-green bunches of unripe fruit to the morning sun. There was much detail, especially with regard to the Lafleur terroirs, to take in here. When it came to the cuverie, however, the tour was over in just a few minutes. The vinifications are carried out in small stainless steel vats for both the grand vin from the three top-quality terroirs, and for the fruit destined for the wine from the fourth terroir. Since the cellar expansion described on prior pages the number of vats has been increased from seven to twelve, allowing for a little more precision in the vinifications. There is a maceration lasting between 15 and 25 days before the new wine is run off into barrels, and after early tastings and decisions on blending are made.
