We aim to have all wines be vintage specific. In the case the listed vintage is out of stock and you note you would like that particular vintage, we will inform you via email for approval to go ahead.
About This Wine
Raymond-Lafon is a name to watch in the Sauternes district, particularly if one is looking for a wine that is close to the brilliance and majestic richness of Yquem for less than one-third the price.
This small estate abuts Yquem's vineyard and has had an excellent reputation. The 1921 Raymond-Lafon was considered even better than Yquem's wine in that great vintage. I have never tasted the 1921 Raymond-Lafon, but the single greatest Sauternes I have ever drunk was the Yquem of that vintage.
However, the estate of Raymond-Lafon fell into neglect, and it was not until 1972 that Pierre Meslier, the manager of Yquem, purchased this vineyard and began to rebuild this wine's once fabulous reputation.
With a tiny yield of 9 hectoliters per hectare (even less than Yquem's), with the same grape blend and winemaking techniques employed as Yquem, and with the same ruthless selection procedure (normally 20% - 100% of a harvest is declassified), Raymond-Lafon has already produced a succession of splendid Sauternes, beginning with a great 1975 and just recently concluding with a monumental 1990.
Raymond-Lafon looks to be well on the road to becoming one of the great classic wines of Sauternes. Unfortunately, the wine is extremely difficult to find because of the tiny production and the fact that proprietor Pierre Meslier sells much of it to private clients in Europe. One must wonder why this vineyard, situated next to Yquem and surrounded by all the Premiers Crus Classés of Sauternes, was overlooked in the 1855 classification.
This small estate abuts Yquem's vineyard and has had an excellent reputation. The 1921 Raymond-Lafon was considered even better than Yquem's wine in that great vintage. I have never tasted the 1921 Raymond-Lafon, but the single greatest Sauternes I have ever drunk was the Yquem of that vintage.
However, the estate of Raymond-Lafon fell into neglect, and it was not until 1972 that Pierre Meslier, the manager of Yquem, purchased this vineyard and began to rebuild this wine's once fabulous reputation.
With a tiny yield of 9 hectoliters per hectare (even less than Yquem's), with the same grape blend and winemaking techniques employed as Yquem, and with the same ruthless selection procedure (normally 20% - 100% of a harvest is declassified), Raymond-Lafon has already produced a succession of splendid Sauternes, beginning with a great 1975 and just recently concluding with a monumental 1990.
Raymond-Lafon looks to be well on the road to becoming one of the great classic wines of Sauternes. Unfortunately, the wine is extremely difficult to find because of the tiny production and the fact that proprietor Pierre Meslier sells much of it to private clients in Europe. One must wonder why this vineyard, situated next to Yquem and surrounded by all the Premiers Crus Classés of Sauternes, was overlooked in the 1855 classification.
| Type | White Wine |
|---|---|
| Varietal(s) | Semillon |
| Country | France |
| Region | Bordeaux |
| Brand | Chateau Raymond-Lafon |
| Vintage | 2015 |
Wines from Bordeaux
Bordeaux is in the south west of France and is one of the most famous wine regions in the world. It is the largest wine producing region in France, the vast majority being red wines. While it does make large quantities of everyday table wine, outside of Europe, it is mostly noted for producing some of the most expensive and prestigious wines in the world.
The Garonne and Dordogne rivers run through the region and together naturally irrigate the land while the soils are rich in calcium owing to their limestone content. These two rivers connect and run through to the Atlantic Ocean splitting Bordeaux into 3 distinct parts. We have the left bank, the right bank, and the area between the two rivers called Entre-Deux-Mers.
While in Australia we often see straight Shiraz, Cabernet or Merlots, Bordeaux does not generally produce red wine without blending. The “Bordeaux Blend” is one of the most classic and popular styles of red wine that has spread throughout France as well as throughout the New World.
On the left bank, typical top-quality blends are 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc and 15% Merlot. On the right bank top quality blends are typically made of 70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon.
In general you can expect red wines from Bordeaux to taste more earthy in flavour compared to those from the New World wine regions that tend to be more fruit flavour driven.
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