One of Bordeaux's first growths
The people
Château Lafite Rothschild traces its recorded history to 1234 and was ranked Premier Cru in the Bordeaux Classification of 1855. The Rothschild family bought the estate in 1868. Saskia de Rothschild became director in 2018.
The estate works with two principal names: Château Lafite Rothschild, the grand vin, and Carruades de Lafite, its second wine.
A Cabernet-led Pauillac estate
The place
The vineyard covers about 107 hectares. Plantings are approximately 70 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 25 percent Merlot, 3 percent Cabernet Franc and 2 percent Petit Verdot.
Cabernet Sauvignon leads the estate's wines, with the other three varieties used alongside it in different proportions.
Oak, steel and an estate cooperage
The cellar
The grand vin ferments in oak and stainless steel vats, then completes malolactic fermentation. It ages for 18 to 20 months in new oak barrels made at the estate's own cooperage.
Understand the two-wine structure
First bottle
Carruades de Lafite is the second wine and the clearest place to begin when reading the estate's range. Put it beside the grand vin and the hierarchy becomes immediately legible: one property, two distinct bottlings.