| Region of Production: | Pauillac AOC |
| Year Established: | 17th century |
| Classification: | Premier Grand Cru Classé, Médoc 1855 |
Vineyard Holdings
112 ha in three parcels, the main Château vineyards, the Carruades parcel, and a 4.5-ha parcel in Saint-Estèphe, entitled to the Pauillac AOC.
- 70% Cabernet Sauvignon
- 25% Merlot
- 3% Cabernet Franc
- 2% Petit Verdot
Wines Produced / Average Total Production
- Château Lafite-Rothschild: 192,000 bottles
- Carruades de Lafite: 240,000 bottles (The second wine of Lafite, known as “Moulin des Carruades” until 1985.)
Summary
Although the earliest-known mention of “Lafite” dates to 1234, the arrival of Jacques de Ségur by marriage in 1670 is generally acknowledged as the dawn of the estate as a winemaking property. His son Alexandre inherited the estate in 1691 and in an early union of two great châteaux, married the heiress of Château Latour four years later. His son Nicolas-Alexandre presided over the Lafite, Latour, and Cal on (Ségur) estates until the union unraveled with his death in 1755. In that era the wines of Château Lafite found their footing in the City of London, where the prime minister himself was reputedly a regular customer. Later in the century the wine earned acclaim at Versailles, but the estate fell on hard times shortly before revolution broke out. The last relative of the Ségur family to preside over Château Lafite died by the guillotine.
Lafite passed through several hands after the French Revolution, but the estate maintained consistent management from 1797 through the 1855 classification under the Goudal family. Management and winemaking passed from father to son. Emile Goudal negotiated the purchase of a parcel called “Carruades” – then considered one of the finest in the Médoc – in 1853 as the various properties were jockeying for placement in the coming classification. A decade after Lafite was enshrined as first among four Premier Grand Cru Classé Châteaux, Baron James de Rothschild purchased the property, and from 1868 onward the estate would be known as Château Lafite-Rothschild.
In the modern era, Baron Eric de Rothschild arrived in 1974 to lift the winery from a postwar slump of awkward vintages and return Lafite to prominence. It is the largest first growth today, with 112 ha under vine. Charles Chevallier is the technical director and Christophe Congé is winemaker. Château Rieussec in Sauternes, Château L’Evangile in Pomerol, and Château Duhart-Milon in Pauillac also fall under Rothschild ownership.
The word “Lafite” derives from faîte, an old Médocain word indicating a ridge and a fitting description for the château – it occupies a 27-meter gravel croupe, one of the highest sites in Pauillac.
Style / Vinification Techniques
Château Lafite-Rothschild is typically positioned as an elegant, subtle counterpoint to the power of Château Latour. The blend for the grand vin changes with each vintage; in recent years the amount of Cabernet Sauvignon varies from 80-98%. Fermentation occurs in stainless steel and wood vats, and the estate does not practice cold-soaking or pigeage. The grand vin wines rest in new barriques (from the château’s own cooperage) for 18-20 months prior to a light fining before bottling. The winemaking team has experimented with vacuum concentration and other modern techniques, but professes to keep the machines away in favor of achieving proper ripeness in the vineyard. The second wine contains up to 50% Merlot and is aged mostly in second-use barrels.
Producer Website: Château Lafite-Rothschild