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It's impossible to talk about the great wines of the Médoc without mentioning Château Lafite-Rothschild. A Domaine steeped in history, whose reputation and prestige are matched only by the legendary wines born there.
Ancient medieval seigneury, it was under Jacques de Ségur, from a family of Bordeaux parliamentarians, that the first vines were planted in the 1670's. The wine gradually acquired an excellent reputation thanks to technical progress, at the royal court of Versailles but also across the Channel with the expansion of trade with England. Then in 1787, Thomas Jefferson, US ambassador to France at the time, praised it in his travel notes.
The Château Lafite was promoted to the rank of Ier Grand Cru Classé in 1855 on the occasion of the Paris Universal Exhibition, a distinction it shares with the Château Latour, Château Haut-Brion and Château Margaux, as well as the Château Mouton Rothschild since 1973.
The subsequent rise of Château Lafite owes much to the Rothschild family, with Baron James de Rothschild acquiring the estate in 1868 and attaching his name to it from that date. When Baron Eric took over the reins in 1974, everything was gradually put in place with the aim of modernizing and improving performance, in order to reveal the exceptional potential of the terroir. Today, his... See more ...
The vintage
The vintage is so early that we've been preparing all year for harvesting as early as the end of August! The harvest is the final test of a sporting year, spent with our noses riveted between the weather station and our rows of vines, watching for mildew. The sky's final twist was the 100 mm storm on August 15, which we watched anxiously, not knowing that we'd be blessing it once we reached the finish line. At the end of August, the maturity and degree controls seem wise. And yet, when you taste the berries, the aromatics are extremely expressive, almost out of sync. The water in mid-August had a delayed effect, kick-starting the ripening process! The harvest is superb, and fermentation is running at full speed. The musts reveal a young monster in the making, all restraint, incredibly racy yet disciplined.
Situation
The Pauillac appellation is located on the Rive gauche of the Gironde estuary, some 40 km north of Bordeaux. Benefiting from the influence of the estuary and a great diversity of soils originating from the Massif Central and the Pyrenees, Pauillac combines exceptional climatic and geological conditions to produce great wines.
Terroir
Château Lafite Rothschild is located to the north of the appellation, on the edge of Saint-Estèphe. Lafite's best terroirs cover the 50 hectares of the Carruades plateau, to the west of Château. The land on this plateau, the highest point in the Pauillac appellation, is well drained and enjoys optimum exposure. Its clay-gravel soils offer excellent water balance and conditions conducive to optimal Cabernet Sauvignon ripening. A 4.5-hectare parcel in the neighboring commune of Saint-Estèphe includes some of the estate's oldest vines, producing grapes of exceptional quality every year for the Grand Vin.
Winemaking
To bring out the magic of the Lafite terroir, the wine is made with the utmost precision. The grapes are placed in wooden, stainless steel or cement vats according to the specific characteristics of each plot and the degree of ripeness of the grapes. Alcoholic fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature, with regular pumping-over to gently Extra extract all the phenolic compounds. Maceration lasts around 22 days. Following malolactic fermentation, the wines are filled into French oak barrels. Lafite has its own cooperage at Pauillac, the Tonnellerie des Domaines, a factor that contributes to its unique style. Each barrel is individually tasted, and only the best are selected for the final blend. The wine is then aged in new oak barrels for 15 months.
Tasting
Attractive deep black color.
A rich, mature nose. Aromas of delicately spiced black fruits (blackberries and black cherries) dominate. Subtle notes of cocoa and tobacco enhance the whole. The full, dense, velvety attack is accompanied by fleshy, powerful tannins, giving it an extremely complex, long and delicious structure. The whole, perfectly balanced, expresses subtlety and perfectly embodies the fullness of the vintage.
