"Chateau Lafite-Rothschild". Red wine from France

For more than a century, the famous French wine Château Lafite ("Chateau Lafite") remains the most expensive and the best in the world, embodying respectability and wealth, luxury and prestige. Several generations of the Rothschild family have been working on the creation of these unique wines since the end of the 19th century.

Manor on the Hill

One of the most famous wineries in the world Château Lafite-Rothschild is located in the French Bordeaux, Médoc county. For the first time this feudal estate is mentioned in documents dating from 1234. Philologists claim that the name "lafite" came from the Gasonian la hite, meaning "slope, hill". This name is very suitable for the estate, located on a shallow hill.

A bit of history

The estate of Château Lafite was owned until the summer of 1868, when Baron James Jacob de Rothschild, who at that time headed the French branch of this famous family, acquired more than 70 hectares of vineyards and a farm, the following individuals:

• The nobleman Joseph Soba de Pomiers;
• Jacques de Segur - notary;
• Alexander de Segur;
• Nicolas-Alexander, the Marquis de Segur;
• Nicolas Marie Alexandre de Ségur;
• Nicolas Pierre de Pichard;
• Baron Jean Arend de Vos Van Steenvwyck;
• Jean de Witt;
• Oton Guillaume Jean Berg;
• Jean Gaulle de Frankenstein;
• Banker Wanlerberg;
• Madame Lemer Barbara-Rosalie.

Time of recognition

By the beginning of the XVIII century "Chateau Lafite" - wine is already known and in demand. This was largely contributed by the "wine prince" - Nicolas Alexandre de Ségur, who made considerable efforts to improve the wines produced by his farm. The changes have been highly appreciated both in France and abroad. The Duke of Richelieu, during his governorate in the province of Guyen, at the advice of the family doctor, used the wine "Chateau Lafite". His recommendations helped Château Lafite to appear on the royal table of Louis XV. Courtiers and nobles, following the example of their ruler, also began to order it. The English Prime Minister, Sir Robert Valpole, praised the production of Chateau Lafite and once every few months ordered more than 200 liters of wine.

In the "Official Classification of Bordeaux Wines" published in the middle of the 19th century, the Château Lafite wine estate was officially included in the Premier Grand Cru Classe category and was recognized as one of the top four.

The Age of the Rothschilds

In the summer of 1868, vineyards and the Chateau Lafite estate were sold once again. The price that James de Rothschild paid was almost 5 million francs at the time. Three months after this deal, James died, and the winemaking economy was inherited by his three sons: Edmond, Alphonse and Gustav. The harvest of this, in 1868, was a record high, which was beaten only at the end of the 20th century, for a 900-liter barrel - 6250 francs, which is equivalent to a modern 5,000 euros.

Rough Time

From the end of the XIX century and throughout the first half of the 20th century, the Chateau Lafite Rothschild fought for survival. The epidemic of gray mold and phylloxera negatively affected the vineyards. The First World War and the then Great Depression of the thirties led to an unprecedented drop in prices for European wines. All this contributed to the fact that the Rothschilds declassified some wine wines from 1882 to 1886, and some other years. In addition, during this period, to exclude the possibility of forgery and fraud, the wine was bottled only in the territory of Château Lafite. Approximately at the same time, the area of the vineyards was significantly reduced, but nevertheless there were several releases of excellent quality wine, for example, in 1899, 1906 and 1929. Eli Robert - son of Edmond and great-grandson of James de Rothschild, stood at the helm of the family business at the end of World War II. It was he, in collaboration with the famous oenologist of the time, Professor Emile Payne, who made a great contribution to the postwar restoration of French winemaking and became one of the founders of the medoc wine community.

Change of power

In the seventies of the last century, generations were replaced, and Baron Elie Robert handed over the management of Chateau Lafite to Eric de Rothschild - his nephew. The new manager not only updated the team, but also began planting young vines and began to use unique plant protection techniques and techniques. Technologist Charles Chevalier, invited in the last decade of the 20th century to manage the French estate and control the quality of the wine, still works for the Rothschilds.

Current state

Today, the family business of the Château Lafite Rothschild is part of the DBR Lafite winery - Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite), owned by the French branch of this family. This enterprise has acquired several more vineyards in France, as well as in South American countries such as Argentina and Chile. Due to this, the company significantly increased the area of vineyards and increased production volumes.

Soil and grapes

Modern vineyards in Bardo are located on several sites:

• In the squares near the village of Saint-Estef;
• On the territories of the estate's west, on the plateau of the Carriad;
• Directly next to the castle, on the slopes of the hill.

These vineyards have poor soils, consisting of a mixture of gravel and fine sandstone, based on a thick limestone formation. Due to the scarcity of soil, the yield here is quite low, but the concentration of various substances is very high. All this affects the saturation and complexity of the bouquet of wines.

Today, the following grape varieties are grown on the farm:

• Cabernet Sauvignon - grows, about 70% of the area;
• Merlot - one-fourth of the vineyards;
• Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, in very small numbers.

The world-famous red wine from France - Château Lafite-Rothschild is made only from berries collected from vines older than 30 years. Also there is a sector of La Gravier, where vines are more than 100 years old, and several sites with more "young" - 80-year-olds.

How is wine made?

In the Lafite estate, in order to preserve the integrity and uniqueness of the taste of grapes from each site, it is fermented in separate tanks.

Within three or four weeks, the wort roams in wooden vats, irrigating the mash and facilitating the transition from it of aromatic and extractive compounds, minerals and polysaccharides to the wine produced. At the end of this stage, the resulting composition is tasted and bottled in cups for malolactic fermentation, or, as it is also called, apple-milk fermentation, which helps to soften the taste and reduce acidity. Portions of young wine poured from the vats into the cisterns. In March, before the drinks are poured into barrels, assembly is conducted. This mix of young wines made from grapes of one kind, but grown on different sites. For 18 - 20 months, the barrels are placed in the wine cellar, and then it is bottled.

"First" and "second" wine

The main, or "first", "Rothschild Lafite" wine is the Château Lafite-Rothschild created in the distant 1815. Its composition, depending on the yield, includes 80 to 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5 to 20% Merlot, and all this can be supplemented by a small amount of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. This dense, as experts say, "in the body", about 90,000 - 145,000 bottles are produced annually, thanks to which the price is always kept at a very high level at the "Chateau Lafite".

The "second" wine of this French wine farm - Carruades de Lafite, almost until the end of the last century was known as Moulin des Carruades. Produce it only from grapes harvested from the vines of the plateau of Carriad. It is based on Merlot (30-50%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (50 - 70%), and up to 5% Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, depending on the yield. Unlike the "first" wine, the "second" is aged for about 18 months in both new and two-year old oak barrels. About 180,000 bottles are produced per year.

Very expensive and tasteful ...

Outstanding years (millezimas) of Château Lafite of the past and present centuries, worthy of 100 out of 100 possible points, the world-famous expert Robert Parker called: 1982, 1986, 1990, 1996, 2000 and 2003. Despite the fact that there is no "Chateau Lafite 1963" on this list, the price is high - from 85,000 Russian rubles and more. That's only to find it almost impossible, if only lucky to buy at some auction.