Château Raymond-Lafon is a Sauternes producer. The 44-acre estate is just north of Château d’Yquem and traces its history to the 19th century. After a period of decline it was in 1972 purchased by Pierre Meslier, who was technical director at Château d’Yquem. Meslier’s attention to the estate immediately improved the wines and by the 1980s they were commanding prices far above many other Sauternes producers. The estate is today run by the Meslier family. Though it is unclassified, wine writers consider Raymond-Lafon an excellent producer. About 20,000 bottles are produced annually. Robert M. Parker Jr. calls it “an impeccably run estate that produces top-flight wines… (And) has a connoisseur’s following.”