A Visit to Château Raymond-Lafon, 2011: Tasting Notes
As we toured the grounds prior to our tasting I asked Jean-Pierre what the future held for Raymond-Lafon and Sauternes as a whole. The vineyard was first up for discussion; the vines are currently tended in what he described as ‘sustainable’ methods, and there is no intent to convert to organic or biodynamic viticulture at present. There are plans afoot for some replanting though, specifically some diseased Sauvignon Blanc which lies directly behind the château. As for Raymond-Lafon, membership of the Union des Grands Crus is on the wish list I think, as Jean-Pierre would like to participate in and contribute to the various UGC tasting, touring and marketing activities; sadly his application was blocked.
The process involves a vote in order to ratify new membership, and if three or more votes against are counted then your application is rejected. Clearly, some UGC members saw fit to black-ball Jean-Pierre’s membership bid, a considerable shame bearing in mind the very high quality of his wines. Hopefully a repeat application will bear fruit. As for Sauternes as a whole, Jean-Pierre – who having worked in San Francisco as a merchant for many years, before returning to France to take over the running of the domaine, has a very broad outlook on wine markets – sees great potential in new markets such as China, India and Brazil. Indeed, we met on a Sunday as Jean-Pierre was due to fly out for the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair the following morning, and he clearly viewed the trip as a very important one.
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