Château Lafite Rothschild is not just a Bordeaux First Growth — it is one of the most famous names in wine, a symbol of prestige recognised around the world. Situated at the northern end of Pauillac, its vineyards have produced celebrated wines since at least the 17th century, with written records of Lafite’s reputation as early as the 1620s. When the 1855 Classification placed Lafite at the very top of the First Growths, it was less an accolade than an acknowledgement of a status already long established.
The estate comprises around 112 hectares of vines, planted predominantly to Cabernet Sauvignon (70%), supported by Merlot (25%), with smaller amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Its terroir is a textbook of Pauillac grandeur: deep gravel soils over limestone, combined with an ideal microclimate that encourages both ripeness and balance. The result is wines that marry Cabernet’s authority with a finesse that is unmistakably Lafite — wines of aristocratic restraint, subtlety, and immense longevity.
Lafite has been under the ownership of the Rothschild family since 1868, and today is guided by Saskia de Rothschild, who became chairwoman in 2018 and represents a new generation of stewardship. The estate has always walked a fine line between tradition and innovation: gravity-flow cellars were installed in the 1980s, sustainability is now central to vineyard management, and winemaking continues to refine extraction and oak ageing to achieve ever greater precision.
The flagship Grand Vin is the benchmark: elegant, perfumed, structured yet understated, capable of ageing for many decades. Alongside it, the Carruades de Lafite, first recognised in the 19th century, offers an earlier-drinking but still highly refined expression of the estate’s style. The Rothschild portfolio has also extended beyond Pauillac, with properties including Domaine d’Aussières in Languedoc, Bodegas CARO in Mendoza (a joint venture with Catena), and Viña Los Vascos in Chile, underscoring the family’s global vision.
For centuries, Lafite has been more than a wine. Its bottles have been poured at royal banquets, graced the cellars of presidents and emperors, and become shorthand for the very idea of fine wine. Today, under Saskia de Rothschild’s leadership, the château balances this immense history with a clear focus on the future: sustainability, precision, and the continued pursuit of timeless excellence.
Château Lafite Rothschild remains a touchstone — a name that defines not only the Pauillac appellation but the very idea of Bordeaux as the summit of fine wine.