Harvest of the 2025 vintage is now underway. After another growing cycle of record temperatures, there’s a striking reality facing winemakers today: climate changes are outpacing the rules that govern wine appellations, forcing some of the most respected estates to make bold, even radical decisions. Our friends, Julie and Baptiste Guinaudeau, along with their team members Omri and Ralitsa, recently announced that Château Lafleur was leaving the Pomerol and Bordeaux appellations, instead becoming a “Vin de France”.
Precedents
For skeptics worried about how the change might affect Lafleur’s brand, we need look no further than neighbouring appellation, Saint-Émilion, for reassurance – Château Cheval Blanc abandoned its Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé “A” classification in 2022, putting faith in its own name over appellational status. Looking further back, and further afield, other iconic estates – Soldera, for example – have made similar decisions in the past, to the benefit of their wines and their reputations.
Bold Decisions
Far from seeking retraction from the prestige of bottles labelled as “Pomerol”, the Lafleur team’s motivations for declassifying are purely technical. Global warming has forced their hand – rather than cling to the label, and thus, in their view, potential for lower standards, they have opted to maintain absolute quality. By stepping outside the Pomerol framework, the estate can adapt its vineyard and winemaking practices to today’s conditions, while ensuring that every bottle still meets their exact expectations, as well as the family’s DNA.
Perhaps the Guinaudeau tribe’s decision raises a bigger question for wine lovers: what will classifications really mean if they can’t guarantee the same quality in the future? In a world of changing climates and unpredictable vintages, expertise is essential for understanding beyond the label.
If anything, this reminds us that wine is alive, evolving, and shaped by people who are willing to take risks to preserve excellence. More than ever, it’s talent and innovation behind bottles that matter just as much as the raw materials.