Located in the shadow of the famous Château Petrus estate, tiny Château Lafleur with its 11 acres of Pomerol vineyards was for much of its history known only to the most knowledgeable Bordeaux connoisseurs. Like most wine estates in France it was a family business for several centuries, and in the 1940s it was inherited by two sisters, Therese and Marie Robin, who never married or had children. The sisters quietly ran the estate until their deaths, often making outstanding wine. Since 1985 the estate has been run by Sylvie and Jacques Guinaudeau, niece and nephew to the Robin sisters. The pair has modernized winemaking using new oak casks for some vintages. Most critics agree that one key to the quality of the wine is the vineyard’s terroir, which benefits from deposits of phosphorus and potassium. Vineyards are planted to 50% Cabernet France and 50% Merlot, and the average vine is 30 years old. About 12,000 bottles of Château Lafleur are produced annually.