2000 Ch Raymond-Lafon Half Bottle 375ml, Sauternes

Chateau Raymond Lafon can be enjoyed on the young side with no decanting. In fact, it is delicious and quite a treat young, even on release! However, like all great wines, Chateau Raymond Lafon is much better with age and does not reach full maturity until it’s between 10-30 years of age, or in some years, perhaps even longer in the best vintages!

Chateau Raymond Lafon is a young vineyard, by Sauternes standards. It was founded in 1850 by Raymond Lafon, who left his mark on the estate that still bears his name. The estate passed to Louis Pontallier, a nephew of Lafon’s.

If the Pontallier family name sounds familiar, Louis Pontallier was the grandfather of Paul Pontallier, who was the director of Chateau Margaux for almost 30 years! Louis Pontallier sold the chateau and vineyards in 1952 to the Bourdier family.

20 years after that sale, the property was sold to the current owner, Pierre Meslier. Pierre Meslier was the managing director of Chateau dYquem, so that was the perfect fit.

This small Bordeaux vineyard of Raymond Lafon is located next door to the vineyards of Chateau d’Yquem and very close to Chateau Suduiraut. Due to the fact that the owner was the manager of Chateau d’Yquem, it should not come as a surprise that Raymond Lafon is produced in the exact same fashion that is used at Chateau d’Yquem.

The same blends are used at both properties as well. The yields are similar as well, at close to 8 hectoliters per hectare. With the responsibility of running his own winery, it was not long until Pierre Meslier departed from Chateau d’Yquem to concentrate all his efforts on producing and marketing the wines of Chateau Raymond Lafon. Today, the estate is managed by the three children of Meslier.