Château Lafleur Leaves Pomerol AOC in Response to Climate Pressures

In a dramatic move that underscores the mounting toll of climate change on Bordeaux, Château Lafleur has announced it will leave the Pomerol appellation beginning with the 2025 vintage. From then on, all six of its wines will carry the broader Vin de France designation.

The Guinaudeau family, owners of the estate, described the decision in a letter on August 24 as unavoidable in the face of extreme weather and the rigid rules of the appellation system.

“The vintages 2015, 2019, and especially 2022 all made the effects of climate change undeniable. With 2025, we must take a further step. We must reflect, adapt, and act,” the family wrote.

Bordeaux at the Frontline of Climate Change

Bordeaux’s reputation has long rested on consistency and tradition, but recent years have pushed its vineyards to breaking point. Earlier harvests, rapid ripening, and fragile wine balance are becoming the norm. The 2022 vintage in particular illustrated the severity of the crisis: water reserves vanished by March, summer rainfall was nearly absent, and repeated heatwaves pushed temperatures above 40°C, with grapes exposed to almost 50°C in the sun.

“In Bordeaux, we are on the frontline of climate change,” said proprietor Baptiste Guinaudeau, likening the moment to the devastation of phylloxera in the 19th century. “We cannot afford denial—we must adapt.”

Breaking Free from Appellation Limits

For Lafleur, remaining in the Pomerol AOC would mean restrictions that could undermine the survival of the vineyard. Current rules limit irrigation, control grape varieties, and prescribe growing practices that were designed for a stable climate but no longer fit today’s extremes.

Even when emergency irrigation was permitted in 2025, authorization came just days before harvest, with no guidance on how much water could be used or where it should come from. “Projecting ourselves into the future under the current framework is impossible. We risk catastrophe,” Guinaudeau said.

In response, Lafleur has already reshaped its viticulture: cutting canopy height by 30% to restrain sugar levels, thickening leaf cover to protect grapes from sunburn, and introducing early, targeted irrigation at the roots. The 2025 harvest, despite the brutal season, has shown promising results—balanced fruit with freshness, acidity, and concentration intact.

A Symbolic Shift

By embracing Vin de France, Lafleur joins a small but growing number of French domaines that have abandoned the AOC system to gain flexibility. Yet among Bordeaux’s elite producers, Lafleur is the first to take such a step—sending a powerful signal about the scale of the climate crisis.

“Our goal is simple,” the Guinaudeau family said. “To ensure the survival of our vineyards and the true identity of our wines. We change in order to remain the same.”

A Warning for the Future

For Bordeaux and beyond, the message is clear: climate change is no longer a distant threat, but a daily reality shaping how wines are grown and made. As Guinaudeau concluded, “No one will escape this. Climate change forces us all to confront reality.”