Château Lafitte - 'Sec', Jurançon, France (2023)

TASTING NOTES

Dry, with notes of flinty stone, toasted bread, tart lemon, lime, and salty stone fruit. The palate is round yet marked by bright acidity, giving it incredible tension. Like all of Antoine’s wines, it evolves beautifully over multiple days, revealing new layers of complexity with time.

Fermented in 500L old barrels and aged for 9 months on lees in the same barrels. 

Nestled in the rolling hills of Jurançon, Château Lafitte is a historic estate that has been revitalized under the passionate leadership of Antoine Arraou. Originally a Parisian photographer, Antoine took over the domaine from his father in 2012, embarking on a radical transformation that would turn Château Lafitte into one of the most exciting names in natural wine. His vision was clear from the start—farming that respects nature, a winemaking approach that prioritizes purity, and a philosophy deeply rooted in biodynamics.

Antoine didn’t start out as a winemaker—he was a photographer in Paris before deciding to take over the family domaine in 2012. But instead of just carrying on tradition, he completely transformed it. He converted the vineyards to biodynamics (certified Demeter), stopped using synthetic chemicals, and turned the whole place into a living ecosystem. His vines share space with wildflowers, fruit trees, and grazing sheep in the winter, while bees hum away, adding to the biodiversity.

In the cellar, Antoine’s approach is just as natural. He built a stunning, eco-friendly winery in 2018, designed to work with nature rather than against it. Solar panels power the place, rainwater is collected for cleaning, and the building is partly underground to stay naturally cool. He lets the wines make themselves, fermenting spontaneously with native yeasts and aging them in a mix of amphorae, sandstone eggs, and barrels.