Château Raymond Lafon

Château Raymond-Lafon has somewhat lesser known beginnings. However, what has been revealed is that it was created in 1850 and had been owned by the then mayor of Sauternes, Raymond Lafon. Though it was not officially rated in the classification of 1855, it was highly rated in an unofficial one of 1867. Lafon's descendants kept the château until the 1950s but its new owners did not look after the property and it was resold again to Pierre Meslier, who had worked as general managers of several classified growths Margaux and was the then general manager of Château d'Yquem. At the time, there were only 4 hectares of vines left as part of the estate, today however, there are 18. He put the same care into Raymond-Lafon as he did d’Yquem. As a result of his hard work and the estate’s fine terroir, Raymond-Lafon rose in the ranks and by the 1980s it was the most expensive Sauternes after d’Yquem and de Fargues. Though prices have come down somewhat, they are still making lush, complex Sauternes that rivals some of the best.