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Chateau Lafite-Rothschild

As with near neighbour Mouton, the estate surrounding what we know today as Chateau Lafite-Rothschild was in existence for many centuries before the arrival of viticulture. Lafite, (lafite meaning 'hillock'), was an ancient seigneurie dating from at least the 14th century, evidence for which comes from the writings of Abbé Baurein in the late 18th century. By the mid-16th century, when Jacques de Bécoran was seigneur, there was share-cropping and obvious agricultural activity on the estate, but it was not until the end of the ensuing century that the vinous foundation stone of today's vineyards was laid. At this time the seigneur was Joseph Saubat de Pommiers, who died in 1670, the estate passing to his widow Jeanne de Gasq. The couple had no heir, and so when Jeanne remarried, this time to Jacques de Ségur, Lafite became a mere part of the impressive Ségur portfolio. It was Jacques de Ségur that drove the change to viticulture as the prime use for Lafite's lands, usurping the polyculture that preceded his arrival.

Under the guidance of the Ségur family, it seems inevitable (especially with the advantage of hindsight) that Lafite should go from strength to strength. The union of Jacques de Ségur and Jeanne de Gasq produced seven offspring, with the second eldest, Alexandre, being of greatest relevance to any discussion of Lafite (and numerous other estates). In 1695 he was wed to Marie-Thérèse de Clauzel, heiress to Chateau Latour, and by this route the Ségur family owned, by marriage, two of the greatest vineyards in Bordeaux, adding Calon-Ségur, Phélan-Ségur and, for a short period even Mouton, along the way. Their son Nicolas-Alexandre, born in 1697 and who crops up in many chateau profiles on this site, was widely (and it seems appropriately) known as the Prince des Vignes. Both father and son expanded the vineyards and developed the facilities at Lafite, as they realised the pecuniary benefits of viticulture and the sale of wine. The wine of Lafite had, since the early 17th century, been exported to the UK where it was popular at public auctions, much discussed in the press of the day and was a favoured beverage of Prime Minster Robert Walpole among many other notables of the time. Recognition in France was longer in coming, but by the mid-18th century Chateau Lafite was also to be found at Versailles, by order of the Royal Physician Marechal de Richelieu.

Nicolas-Alexandre, upon whom was bestowed the title of Marquis by Louis XV, died in 1755, but not before topping the Bordeaux rich list, mainly thanks to the fabulous increase in the value of his vineyard holdings once their true potential as premiers crus had been realised. Lafite passed to his daughter, Marie-Thérèse, who married Alexandre de Ségur-Calon, and then to their son Count Nicolas-Marie-Alexandre de Ségur. Unfortunately this generation was not as assiduous as his ancestors and in 1784 Lafite was up for sale, following Nicolas-Marie-Alexandre's flight to Holland in order to avoid paying his mounting debts. The purchaser was a M de Monthieu, although within two years it had been sold once again, this time to a relative of the Ségur dynasty, Nicolas Pierre de Pichard. His reign, however, was ephemeral, terminated by the guillotine in 1794. Following its sale as a national asset in 1797, Chateau Lafite passed through the hands of a number of owners, firstly Jean de Witt, then a group of Dutch négociants, and then following a sale in 1816 the Vanlerberghe family. The estate passed from Mme Lemaire, the estranged wife of Vanlerberghe, to her son, Aimé, the family avoiding the usual division of the estate (Aimé also had three sisters) by falsifying a sale to Sir Samuel Scott and his son, also Samuel Scott, of the Scott Bank in London. Thus at the time of the 1855 classification, Lafite was secretly Dutch-owned, whilst under the management of an English banking family who were thought to be, by all but a few party to the truth, to be the owners. The arrangement came to an end in 1866, when Aimé Vanlerberghe died, and the three sisters, Mme la Comtesse de Villoutreys, Mme la Comtesse de Cornudet and Mme la Comtesse Duchâtel came clean. Their punishment was a fine of no great consequence, but nevertheless they elected to put Lafite up for sale, and it was at this point that the Rothschild family entered the fray.

I must confess I do sometimes find the arrival of two branches of the Rothschild family in Bordeaux a little perplexing, and indeed it has been suggested that the motive behind the purchase of Lafite by Baron James de Rothschild was little more than rivalry with his cousins, who had purchased Brane-Mouton, later to be Mouton-Rothschild. I personally doubt this to be true; by the mid-19th century it was quite clear just what a return could be obtained on an investment in Bordeaux. The value of land over the preceding century had rocketed, and I think it more likely that, no doubt influenced to some degree by Baron Nathanial's acquisition, Baron James made a very shrewd purchase for primarily business reasons. That is not to deny, however, that there has been an unparalleled rivalry between the two branches over the years, with each wishing to outdo the other, particularly with regard to the perceived prestige of the two properties, as judged usually by the price of the wine on the market (in recent years, however, such rivalry seems to have faded away somewhat). Whatever the thinking, what is known is that Baron James saw little of his new property, as he was already ill at the time of the deal being struck, and within three months he was dead. When the hitherto unforeseen threats of downy mildew, Phylloxera, war and economic depression hit Bordeaux, it was his sons, Alphonse, Gustave and Edmond, that took charge at Lafite. During World War II the property was occupied by German forces, but Gustave's grandson, Baron Elie de Rothschild, regained possession of what was by now Chateau Lafite-Rothschild in 1945. It was Baron Elie that was instrumental in putting Lafite-Rothschild back on track at this time, with some great successes along the way. Baron Elie died in 2007, but by this time he had long ceded control to the latest generation to take charge, Baron Eric de Rothschild (above), his nephew, who assumed this responsibility during the 1970s. Over the few decades that have passed since his investiture, Eric has displayed a more committed attitude than some of his ancestors towards Lafite, and the estate has seen extensive modernisation and renovation. Practices in the vineyard have changed with the times, there has been necessary replanting, and new equipment has been installed in the cellar. Under Baron Eric's guidance, the stage was set for a number of excellent wines through the 1990s and the opening vintages of the 21st century.

The vineyard at Lafite-Rothschild comprises three main plots, these being the vines around the chateau, those on the Carruades plain, and a tiny plot in St Estèphe. This latter plot should not surprise greatly when one considers Lafite's position on the Médoc, the vines running up to the Jalle du Breuil, the drainage channel carved out by Dutch engineers just a few centuries ago, which drains into the Chenal du Lazaret and then the Gironde. All told the Lafite estate amounts to 178 hectares, although of this only 103 hectares are planted to vines, with the varieties dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon (71%), then Merlot (25%), Cabernet Franc (3%) and just a little Petit Verdot (1%). Average vine age is 30 years, although young vines (here meaning less than 10 years old) are not included in the grand vin, hence Lafite itself is made from the fruit of vines that exceed, on average, 40 years of age. There are a few plots of more advanced age, including La Gravière, the oldest plot at 115 years, although there are also patches of 50 and 80 year old vines. The terroir underfoot is typically gravelly, with Aeolien sands on a bedrock of tertiary limestone.

Today the estate manager is Charles Cuvelier, who has been in charge since 1994, and should rightly be credited with the admirable performance of Lafite in many vintages over the past decade. He also oversees operations at neighbouring estate Chateau Duhart Milon. After harvesting, obviously by hand, fermentation occurs in temperature-controlled stainless steel, followed by malolactic fermentation in vat. The chai is equipped to facilitate the fermentation of separate plots. Once complete the wines go into barrels, made by the Chateau Lafite-Rothschild's own cooper, for 18-20 months. The wine is fined prior to bottling, but not significantly filtered. In many grand chateaux the barrels are moved into a second year cellar when preparations are underway for the ensuing vintage, and Lafite is no exception, in this case there is a dramatic space designed by Ricardo Bofill (above). The grand vin is Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, which is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon (which varies considerably, from 57% up to a figure in excess of 80%, with one or two vintages over 90%), the remainder usually (but not always) comprised of the other three grapes. The production is up to 25000 cases per annum. The second wine is Carruades de Lafite, which has up to 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, and a greater proportion of Merlot, and there are up to 30000 cases per annum. There is also a generic Pauillac for wine not suitable for Carruades de Lafite.

But what of the wines themselves? Sadly my tasting experience has been too sporadic for me to draw any new conclusions for the reader, and I am not here to regurgitate the opinions of others. But what I do know is that if we look at the triumvirate of Pauillac first growths, they each have there own characteristic, and those of Latour and Lafite seem to me to be the most clearly defined. Whereas Latour has a structural majesty and very masculine definition, Lafite can be said to be more feminine, not delicate, but perhaps more elegant and seductive. This sweeping generalisation must be read with due cynicism, and indeed many critics would rather draw attention to Lafite's reputed failure to deliver throughout much of the early 20th century. But in recent years, with the direction of Eric de Rothschild and onsite management from Charles Cuvelier, Lafite is firmly established as a worthy member of the inner sanctum of first growths, and occasionally stakes a claim for wine of the vintage. In addition, although I cannot declare a cellar stuffed with first growths (how shameful), there is some Lafite in there, purchased in a moment when my desire overcame my rational thoughts about my financial situation. There are probably only a few wines at this not inconsiderable price level that could have that effect, and Lafite appears to be one of them; is there any truer endorsement of a wine than that? (25/2/04, last updated 11/1/08)

Contact details:
Address: Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, 33250 Pauillac
Telephone: +33 (0) 5 53 89 78 00
Fax +33 (0) 5 53 89 78 01
Internet: www.lafite.com

Chateau Lafite-Rothschild - Tasting Notes

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Chateau Lafite-Rothschild (Pauillac) 2009: Cabernet Sauvignon 82.5%, Merlot 17%, Petit Verdot 0.5%. 43% of the harvest. Very dark, a touch glossy. On the nose an elegant layer of creamed fruit here, reserved rather than exuberant. Slightly smoky, but very well defined and composed. The palate has a fine layer of creamed fruit which slowly unfolds on the palate, and it covers the alcohol very well, as well as the building tannin. Beautifully sweet, rich, expansive but also well contained within the frame of acidity. This is an exciting and very vibrant wine. Very stylish, composed and elegant, with a sleek and seamless composition, yet with great depth. Overall a brilliantly fashioned wine here. This will be magnificent, a Pauillac that should evolve into a wine of great elegance and beauty. From my 2009 Bordeaux primeur assessment. 19-19.5+/20 (March 2010)

Carruades de Lafite (Pauillac) 2009: The second wine of Lafite-Rothschild which is 50.6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42.2% Merlot, 2.2% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. 55% of the harvest. A fresh hue, perhaps not so concentrated as some. Fresh and slightly crunchy fruit on the nose, somewhat reserved, with a fruit profile that straddles red and black, with nuances of raspberry alongside darker mulberry and cherry. Nice poised on entry, gently fleshy and with a polished substance. Very supple, elegant, very delicately poised, overall the palate is very appealing. Ripe tannins give a fine backbone and there is good acidity too. Not the great flesh of some wines though, it is more restrained than that. Long too. Very good effort indeed. From my 2009 Bordeaux primeur assessment. 17-18+/20 (March 2010)

Chateau Lafite-Rothschild (Pauillac) 2008: In this vintage the blend is 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, with 13% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc. Harvest began on October 2nd, finishing October 16th. The wine shown is the final blend, including press wine. There is perfumed, dark, crunchy and slightly mineral fruit on the nose, with a little overlay of honeyed oak. The palate shows a lot of silky structure at the start, and there is good flesh through the middle. Nice substance, with a tangible meaty extract to it. Aromatic and stylish, with a beautiful, warm, open, roasted and accessible character, and yet a spicy density and bags of potential. A seductive wine indeed (more so than Latour), with great harmony of substance. From my 2008 Bordeaux primeur assessment. 18-19+/20 (April 2009)

Carruades de Lafite (Pauillac) 2008: The second wine of Lafite-Rothschild which is in this vintage 45% Merlot, 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Harvest dates as for the grand vin. A good smoky nose here, with vibrant fruit expression. Reserve but with a good weight on the palate, ripe tannins, flesh and substance. Like the first wine very approachable, but here with a core of cottony tannin. Dense fruit. An impressive second wine. From my 2008 Bordeaux primeur assessment. 16.5-17.5+/20 (April 2009)

Chateau Lafite-Rothschild (Pauillac) 2007: In this vintage just 38% of the harvest went into the grand vin, and the blend is 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, with 15% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot. A dense and brooding nose, yet sweet and freshly appealing. Very balanced style, very approachable, stylish and structured. Lots of sweet and ripe fruit here, and a harmonious quality. Good grip, good acidity, but a sweetness and silkiness to the texture as well. This is surprisingly integrated and appealing. For the vintage, an impressive wine. From my 2007 Bordeaux en primeur assessment. 17-18+/20 (April 2008)

Carruades de Lafite (Pauillac) 2007: This is 44% Merlot, 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. A fine, deep, fruit intensity; I find this impressive. Very finely poised on entry, balanced here, persistent and a touch creamy. A good, toffee-edged finish with a little sweetness and richness here. Supple, elegantly balanced, and with gentle acidity, grip and extract. A very good second wine, and certainly superior to Les Forts de Latour. From my 2007 Bordeaux en primeur assessment. 15.5-16.5+/20 (April 2008)

Chateau Lafite-Rothschild (Pauillac) 2005: The nose here is restrained compared with Margaux and Haut-Brion, tasted alongside, although it shows plenty of wonderfully typical Pauillac fruit, all gritty and wood-grained. There are notes of gentle cherry and perhaps even brambly, blackcurrant fruits wrapped up in elements of cedar and pencil shavings, as well as violets, rose petals and tar. This purity comes through on the palate which is a little lighter and less prodigious than some of the other first growths, although it has no lack of elegance or potential. There is almost a crunchy lift to it, and a superbly defined, elegant style. Wonderful wine, one that focuses on definition and elegance rather than power. From a 2005 Bordeaux tasting at four years of age. 19+/20 (November 2009)

Chateau Lafite-Rothschild (Pauillac) 2004: This has some very dense, tight fruit on the nose, with an enticing and complex depth, spicy and full of exotic character, and not as overtly flashy as the Mouton. An elegant and creamy start on the palate, with beautifully polished tannins in the middle. Full, building in substance, never revealing its underlying structure, but showing fine acidity and a ripe grip. Very dense, very youthful, with lovely potential, and great length. Excellent wine. From a 2004 Bordeaux tasting at four years of age. 18.5+/20 (November 2008)

Carruades de Lafite (Pauillac) 2000: The second wine of Chateau Lafite-Rothschild. A wonderful youthful colour. A rich nose, full of red and black fruits and black olives, with a perfumed edge. Medium bodied and elegant on the palate. There is a touch of power though. Good sweet fruit, and a little tannin. Needs another year or two but then should be ready. From a mixed Bordeaux tasting. 17+/20 (October 2003)

Chateau Lafite-Rothschild (Pauillac) 1986: A desperately youthful appearance, dense and almost purple still, so no clues to the age of this wine there. The nose remains remarkably primary, showing just some sweet blackcurrant pastille fruit, with some very dense, cedary pencil. The palate shows a lot of structure and future potential rather than anything else; firm tannins from the midpalate through to the finish, supporting a raft of sweet fruit, but not showing great complexity at present. Elegantly textured rather than a blockbuster. This clearly needs more time in the cellar, and should be great for the future. 17.5+/20 (October 2006)

Chateau Lafite-Rothschild (Pauillac) 1983: This wine has a very dark, treacle-toffee mahogany hue. It is very backward still, but opens out to reveal some rich fruit aromas with time in the glass. It has tannins which, although softening, still dominate the palate. A little backward fruit and spice. Finishes with a show of tannins, and an amazing length that goes on and on. It has to be one of the first growths. From a Bordeaux 1983 horizontal blind tasting. 18.5/20 (November 2000)

Chateau Lafite-Rothschild (Pauillac) 1981: This wine shows it's age with more of a mahogany touch. Nevertheless, rich and smoky, slightly austere blackcurrant and mineral fruit on the nose. Like the last wine this also has some residual tannins, although it has a big structure, full of fruit, but achieving a sense of balance. The finish is packed with pepper and spice, and leads into another incredible length. Another wine with bags of potential. From a Bordeaux 1981 horizontal blind tasting. 18.5/20 (September 2001)