Claude Lafond, 2020 Update
The story of the Reuilly appellation, and the role played by Claude Lafond in its revival, is a tale well-told. The appellation declined throughout much of the 20th century, and when Claude’s father retired in 1977 he passed just 6.5 hectares onto his son. This does not sound like much, but it was a very large slice of the appellation, which had shrank to just 48 hectares. Centuries of viticultural history had been condensed down into a vineyard smaller than many cru classé estates in Bordeaux. Indeed, some famous names on the Médoc have a vineyard close to twice this area.
It was thus Claude Lafond who revived the family domaine and indeed the appellation as a whole. Today there are about 260 hectares of vines in Reuilly, and the Lafond family own well over 40 hectares. Tragically Claude is no longer with us, as unexpectedly he passed away in 2015. The property has since been managed by his daughter, Nathalie Lafond (pictured above).
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