Château Lafite Rothschild , Pauillac

The Chateau

Located near the village of Pauillac in the Médoc region to the north-west of Bordeaux, the estate was first the property of Gombaud de Lafite in 1234. In the 17th century, the Château was purchased by the Ségur family and later by James Mayer Rothschild in 1868.

Chateau Lafite Today

The Wine

Although vines almost certainly already existed on the site, around 1680, Jacques de Ségur planted the majority of the vineyard. In the 18th century, Nicolas-Alexandre, marquis de Ségur refined the wine-making process and introduced his wines to high level of quality and prestige.

The final blend is generally composed of Cabernet Sauvignon (between 80% and 95%), Merlot (5% - 20% ) and up to 3% Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. 

"I have discovered the wine of Château Lafite to be a delicious, generous cordial, comparable to the ambrosia of the Gods of Olympus” Maréchal de Richelieu (1755)

First Growth - Premier Grand Cru Classé in 1855

100 points by Rober Parker for three vintages : 1986, 1996, 2003, this is an exceptional wine. The price is also exceptional.

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Biodynamic Pontet-Canet

Pontet-Canet is the only biodynamic estate in the Médoc cru classé. This is the fifth most highly rated Pauillac wine (based on critic scores): the 2010 vintage was given a score of 100 by The Wine Advocate and the 2010 vintage was given a score of 18/20 by Jancis Robinson.

Very little manipulation in the Vineyards 

From Mélanie Tesseron,  managing director and co-owner of Chateau Pontet Canet in Pauillac, there is very little manipulation in the vineyard during the growing phase: no hedging, no de-leafing, no green harvest. We allow the vines to be in balance with themselves, so they are naturally protected against disease. The more you manipulate in the vineyard the more you have to compensate in the winery.

Postier Breton horse working Pontet-Canet’s vines in place of a tractor.

The theory is that tractors compact the soil too much; horses are significantly lighter and cause less stress to the vines’ roots. At Pontet-Canet, the horses, of which there are eight, are part of a bigger picture—since 2010 the estate has been certified both organic and biodynamic.