Rolex, Louis Vuitton, Rolls-Royce. Some names just exude class and identify with a luxurious quality. The equivalent in Bordeaux is Chateau Lafite-Rothschild.
Lafite-Rothschild is without question one of Bordeaux's most iconic estates and there is perhaps no other producer that captures the essence of Bordeaux the way that Lafite does. With a reputation built upon a bedrock of tradition, nobility, consistency and exclusivity - Chateau Lafite Rothschild is the original First Growth producer.
No estate can boast a lineage and connection to the Medoc quite like Lafite, with recorded mention of Lafite from as early as 1234, almost 2 centuries before any other notable estates were cited and nearly 400 years before the Medoc basin was drained to expand production for the greater Medoc. The name 'Lafite' is derived from the Gascon word 'fite' which describes the elevated plateau where the Chateau is built.
The following centuries led up to the 1855 Classification, where Lafite built a global reputation for excellence. From the French Royal Court bestowing the moniker 'The Kings Wine' or Thomas Jefferson falling in love when visiting the estate and promptly purchasing and shipping many vintages back to the USA, Lafite had developed an unbreakable hold upon the crown as the most revered estate in Bordeaux.
After being recognised as the benchmark producer and classified as a First Growth in 1855, the estate was purchased by the Rothschild family in 1868 for a staggering amount for the age of 4.4 million Francs. The stability afforded by the powerful family allowed it to not only consolidate its holdings, but weather the storms of time in the form of Phylloxera, two World Wars, German occupation and inclement vintages.
The 112 Hectare estate is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon plantings, that forms the backbone of the flagship wine. Careful fruit selection is the first meticulous step in production, with fruit declassified into numerous lesser wines released most years - Carruades de Lafite being the team's favourite of the estate's lesser wines. The innate structure of Cabernet Sauvignon creates a foundation that allows the wines to age effortlessly for decades, with examples from the 1800's still showing that trademark regal character.
Few names in the World of Wine capture the prestige of Bordeaux and France quite like Lafite-Rothschild. The original First Growth was previously only accessible to the chosen elite, but the Kings Wine can now be enjoyed by enthusiasts across the globe and at the World of Wine we have collections available of this cultural icon to show you the pinnacle of Bordeaux.
