The legacy and the road ahead
Saskia began the masterclass by taking the audience back over 150 years, to when the Rothschild family first started making wine at Château Lafite, the Pauillac first growth, in 1868.
‘These are vineyards nurtured by a family that has been living there forever. It’s a home for me and my father (Baron Eric de Rothschild). And wine is all about family, sharing and transcending generations’, said the sixth generation of the Rothschild family to lead Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite (DBR Lafite).
Château Lafite Rothschild
In addition to Lafite, the group has expanded over time to add more jewels to its crown – in 1962, Baron Philippe de Rothschild acquired Château Clerc Milon, a fourth growth in Pauillac. Baron Eric de Rothschild, in turn, acquired Château Rieussec in Sauternes in 1984 and Château L’Évangile in Pomerol in 1990.
‘My father always said that two of the greatest things he’s done in his life are marrying my mum and buying L’Évangile,’ said Saskia.
Inspired by the ever-growing interest in fine wine in China, DBR Lafite was an early operator in the country. They decided to build a winery – later named Domaine de Long Dai – there in 2008 as part of its global presence, which also includes operations in Chile and Argentina.
The most recent Lafite outpost, acquired under Saskia’s watch, was Domaine William Fèvre in Chablis, in a move to balance the group’s presence in northern France, she said.
Notes and scores for the masterclass wines…
Source : https://www.decanter.com.master.public.keystone-prod-eks-euw1.futureplc.engineering/premium/lafite-in-france-and-china-decanter-singapore-fine-wine-encounter-544464/
