Château Lafite Rothschild
The grand château in the Pauillac appellation, with its elegantly wine-red shutters, has witnessed much throughout its history. When one has the privilege of tasting this top-tier wine today, every sip carries a piece of its eventful past: founded in the final third of the 17th century, it passed to the Ségur family in 1716 through inheritance—owners of Latour as well. The next proprietor was beheaded, and the estate was subsequently confiscated as public property.
It was later sold to a Dutch consortium before being taken over by a grain merchant who supplied Napoleon’s armies. Ownership then passed to his wife, followed by a sale to a London banker. Eventually, the estate returned to its rightful owner, though she remained without heirs. In 1868, it was finally sold to the Parisian banker Baron James de Rothschild, who passed away that same year.
Since then, this magnificent estate has remained in the hands of the Rothschild family, who today cultivate nearly 180 hectares of vineyards. Notably, the estate was elevated to the prestigious rank of one of the (then only) four Premier Crus a full 13 years before the Rothschild family’s acquisition.
