Lafleur’s Controversial Decision—Questioning Bordeaux’s Irrigation Rules

Located in the heart of one of Bordeaux’s hottest terroirs—the Pomerol plateau—largely on free-draining gravel with little water-holding capacity, the extreme drought of the 2025 vintage meant this was not just another growing season for Lafleur—it is a hard line in the sand. It was the year they opted out of the INAO’s (Institut National...