Château Lafite Rothschild

Château Lafite Rothschild is a French wine estate of Bordeaux wine, located in Pauillac in France, owned by members of the Rothschild family since the 19th century, and rated as a First Growth under the 1855 Bordeaux Classification.

Lafite was one of four wine-producing châteaux of Bordeaux originally awarded First Growth ('Premier Cru') status in the 1855 Classification (Chateau Mouton Rothschild was upgraded in 1973 to become the fifth). Since then, it has been a consistent producer of one of the world's most expensive red wines. A bottle of 1869 Château Lafite Rothschild holds the world record for the most expensive bottle of wine sold at auction for $233,973 in 2010.[1]

History

Situated in the wine-producing village of Pauillac in the Médoc region to the north-west of Bordeaux, the estate was the property of Gombaud de Lafite in 1234.[2] In the 17th century, the property of Château Lafite was purchased by the Ségur family, including the 16th century manor house that still stands.[3] Although vines almost certainly already existed on the site, around 1680, Jacques de Ségur planted the majority of the vineyard.[4]

In the early 18th century, Nicolas-Alexandre, marquis de Ségur refined the wine-making techniques of the estate, and introduced his wines to the upper echelons of European society. Before long he was known as the "Wine Prince", and the wine of Château Lafite called "The King's Wine" thanks to the influential support of the Maréchal de Richelieu.[5] Towards the end of the 18th century, Lafite's reputation was assured and even Thomas Jefferson visited the estate and became a lifelong customer.[6]

Counterfeiting

In early November 2012, police in the city of Wenzhou, China, seized nearly 10,000 bottles of suspected counterfeit Château Lafite Rothschild. Lafite is very popular among China's nouveau riche, but analysts suspect that between 50 and 70 per cent of wine labeled "Château Lafite Rothschild" in China is fake. If genuine, the collection seized in Wenzhou would have been worth up to US$16 million.[17][18][19]

Vineyard

The vineyard is one of the largest in the Médoc at 107 hectares, and produces around 35,000 cases annually, of which between 15,000 and 25,000 are first growth. Its vines are around 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, whereas the final wine is between 80% and 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% and 20% Merlot, and up to 3% Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Occasionally exceptions are made, such as the 1961 vintage which was 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.

A second Château Lafite Rothschild vineyard was established in the Chinese province of Shandong, where 250,000 vine stocks from France are planted on 30 hectares. Its vines are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Marselan.[20] In 2019, the estate debuted its first vintage from its Domaine de Long Dai winery in Shandong.[21]

Wines

In addition to the first growth, around a third of the wine is released as a second wine under the label Carruades de Lafite.[22]

Price

Across all vintages, Lafite Rothschild is one of the most expensive wines in the world, with the average price per 750 ml bottle reaching $911.[23] Prices for Carruades de Lafite rose dramatically due in part to Chinese demand, with the prices of its 2005 and 2000 vintage fetching over £10,000 per case. After peaking in 2011, however, the price of some vintages halved in two years.[24]

See also

• Bordeaux wine
• French wine
• Château Mouton Rothschild
• Domaine de la Romanée-Conti

External links

• Château Lafite Rothschild official site