Lafite Rothschild
Chateau Lafite Rothschild gehört zu den berühmtesten Chateaux der Welt und ist so begehrt, dass seit Februar 2012 alle Flaschen mit einem fälschungssicheren Code versehen werden, der auf der Homepage des Chateaus überprüft werden kann.
Als mittelalterliches Lehen wurde Lafite bereits im 14. Jahrhundert erwähnt. Aus dem Jahr 1234 gibt es allerdings bereits einen Hinweis auf einen Abt Gombaud de Lafite vom Kloster Vertheuil. Der Name Lafite stammt von dem gascogneischen Begriff „la hite“, was Hügel bedeutet.
Zu der Zeit als die Familie Segur das Weingut im 17. Jahrhundert verwaltete, gab es wahrscheinlich bereits Weinberge auf dem Anwesen. Jacques de Ségur wird die Anpflanzung des Weinbergs Lafite in den 1670er und frühen 1680er Jahren zugeschrieben. 1695 heiratete der Erbe von Jacques de Ségur, Alexandre, die Erbin von Château Latour, die Nicolas-Alexandre de Ségur zur Welt brachte. Die Weingeschichten der Lehen von Lafite und Latour wurden somit schon sehr früh verknüpft.
Am 8. August 1868 erwarb Baron James de Rothschild Château Lafite, Er starb nur drei Monate nach dem Kauf von Lafite. Das Anwesen wurde dann das gemeinsame Eigentum seiner drei Söhne: Alphonse, Gustave und Edmond. Damals umfasste das Weingut 74 Hektar Rebfläche.
Heute umfassen die Weinberge 112 Hektar und bestehen aus drei Bereichen: die Hügel rund um das Chateau, das Carruades-Plateau und 4,5 Hektar im benachbarten Saint Estephe. Die Rebsorten verteilen sich auf 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc und 2% Petit Verdot. Das Durchschnittsalter der Reben beträgt 39 Jahre.
Die Trauben werden unterteilt nach Parzellen sowohl in temperaturkontrollierten Edelstahltanks als auch in großen Eichenfässern vergoren.
- Notizen des Weinguts: „Upon completion of alcoholic fermentation, the cuvée-wines are tasted before being drawn off to the fine wine vats. The free run juice and the pomace are separated and the pomace is pressed independently in order to extract the “press wine”. A second fermentation phase, called malolactic fermentation, takes place in vats before the wine is transferred into barrels by batches.
In 2010, Lafite further refined its vinification procedures with the construction of two vat rooms consisting of several dozen smaller-sized vats. A Merlot vat room (with concrete tanks ranging from 50 to 125 hl) in order to make wine with an extra level of care from all the various plots of Merlot. A divisional vat room (with stainless steel vats ranging from 30 to 70 hl) dedicated to malolactic fermentation (secondary fermentation) in order to continue plot selection all the way through the vinification process for any batches of Cabernet or Merlot that require it.
All of the barrels come from the Domaines cooperage, with a special “toasting” during manufacturing suited to the characteristics of the wine. Several tastings from each vat are carried out to make the selection for the Grand Vin. Blending takes place after the first racking of the barrels in March. Then the ageing phase of the wine begins in the cellar, which takes between 18 and 20 months. During this period, the cellar master racks the wines regularly in order to clarify them. Four to six lightly beaten egg whites are added to each barrel, which absorb floating particles and pull them down to the bottom of the barrel. The wine is then ready for bottling, which takes place in June.“
- VINOUS, Neal Martin (Julli 2018): „This year, the de Rothschild family is hosting three intimate dinners to celebrate 150 years since Baron James de Rothschild’s acquisition of Lafite-Rothschild in 1868. The family is inviting not just a monocépage of crusty old wine writers, but blending artists, actors, chefs and fellow winemakers from Bordeaux and beyond to create a more intriguing blend for each of the evenings. Unofficially it is an opportunity to introduce two faces of the next chapter: Jean-Guillaume Prats who replaces the (shy and) retiring Christophe Salin as CEO and Saskia de Rothschild who steps into the (presumably larger) shoes of her father and chairman, 77-year old Baron Eric de Rothschild, who has run the estate since 1974. It is also a good excuse to mine the estate’s library of older vintages, allowing Jean-Guillaume and Saskia to acquaint themselves with the vinous DNA of Lafite-Rothschild. Each soirée is bejeweled with unique combinations of vintages: young and old, renowned and derided, famous and forgotten. Why vicariously read about great wines when you can taste them? The knowledge gleaned will be priceless going forward. …
As Saskia de Rothschild takes the helm, she becomes the “director” of the estates under Domaines Baron de Rothschild, except that her “sequel” will come every twelve months. And like any of the person mentioned in this piece, she has a team around her that makes things possible, from Eric Kohler and Jean-Guillaume Prats down to the hard-working staff at the estate.“
Weingut: Chateau Lafite Rothschild
Menschen/Inhaber: Familie Rothschild
Region/Ort: Pauillac
Betriebsgröße: 112 Hektar
