Château Lafleur du Roy

Identity

Château Lafleur du Roy, an emblematic estate of Châteaux Dubost, is located in the commune of Pomerol, in the Gironde department. It is currently run by Laurent Dubost and owned by Sarl Dubost L.

History and philosophy

The Dubost family's history in the Bordeaux vineyards dates back to 1957. Château Lafleur du Roy was founded in 1958 by Yvon and Pâquerette Dubost, who originally came from the vine nursery sector. Laurent Dubost, an agricultural college graduate, now manages the estate.

Regarding vineyard management practices, no chemical weedkillers are used, and the soils are ploughed regularly.

Appellations

The main estate, Château Lafleur du Roy, produces wines under the Pomerol appellation. Across all Châteaux Dubost properties, wines are also crafted in Lalande-de-Pomerol (Château La Vallière), Bordeaux Supérieur (Château Bossuet), and Bordeaux Blanc Sec (Château Pâquerette).

Practical information

Address: 13, Chemin de Jean-Lande, 33500 Pomerol

Telephone: +33 (0)5 57 51 74 57 / +33 (0)6 84 54 52 88

Email: sarl.dubost.l@wanadoo.fr

The tasting cellar is open Monday to Friday, from 09:00 to 12:00 and from 14:00 to 17:00 (or 17:30 depending on seasonal schedules). Visits are available by appointment.

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The vineyard (terroir)

The Château Lafleur du Roy vineyard covers 4 hectares, 3.21 hectares of which are planted with red grape varieties. Situated at an altitude of around 60 metres, it enjoys a south-westerly exposure. The soils consist of gravelly sand over a significant subsoil of iron pan (alios), locally known as "crasse de fer".

The average age of the vines is between 40 and 45 years. The grape varieties at Château Lafleur du Roy are dominated by Merlot (85%), complemented by Cabernet Franc (10%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (5%).

In addition to Château Lafleur du Roy, Châteaux Dubost also owns other properties:

• Château La Vallière (created in 1968), located south of the commune of Lalande-de-Pomerol, covers 1 hectare. The vines have an average age of 35 years and are planted on gravelly soils. The blend of grape varieties consists of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Cabernet Franc.
• Château Bossuet (created in 1975) spans 9 hectares. The vines, averaging 30 years old, grow on pebble and gravel soils with a south-westerly exposure at an altitude of 70 metres. The plantings comprise 65% Merlot Noir, 17.5% Cabernet Franc, and 17.5% Cabernet Sauvignon.
• Château Pâquerette (created in 1975) features vines with an average age of 25 years on gravelly soils. The grape variety breakdown is 65% Sauvignon, 25% Sémillon, and 10% Muscadelle.

Harvesting is carried out entirely by hand across all properties, followed by total destemming.

Flagship cuvées

Château Lafleur du Roy is the estate's primary cuvée. Great care is taken during its traditional vinification in stainless steel vats, with a maceration lasting around three weeks. Ageing continues for 15 months in oak barrels, with 30% renewed each year and racking carried out every three months. Bottling takes place at the château. A Prestige cuvée is also produced from old Merlot vines (45 years old) and aged for 18 months in new oak barrels.

Château La Vallière undergoes traditional vinification in stainless steel vats, including a three-week maceration. It is aged for 15 months in oak barrels, with 30% renewed annually and racked every three months. The wines are bottled without filtration.

Château Bossuet likewise benefits from traditional vinification with a three-week maceration in stainless steel vats. Ageing lasts 15 months in oak barrels, with 20% of the barrels renewed each year and racked quarterly.

Vinification and ageing

Vinification is carried out using traditional methods. For the red wines, maceration lasts around three weeks in stainless steel vats. Ageing takes place in oak barrels for varying lengths of time: 15 months for Château Lafleur du Roy and Château La Vallière (with 30% new oak annually), and 15 months for Château Bossuet (with 20% new oak). The Château Lafleur du Roy Prestige cuvée is aged for 18 months in new oak barrels. Racking is carried out every three months. The wines of Château La Vallière are unfined and unfiltered before bottling.