The famous winery is located in the north of the municipality of Pauillac in the French area of Haut-Médoc (Bordeaux). Directly adjacent is Château Mouton-Rothschild. The first written mention occurred in 1234, where a Gombaud de Lafite is mentioned, an abbot of the monastery of Vertheuil in the north of Pauillac. Since the 14th century, Lafite has been recorded as a feudal estate. The name "Lafite" is presumably derived from the Gascon "la hite," which means "little hill" or "mound." This is a clear indication of the gentle rise on which the estate's buildings stand. It has 178 hectares of land, of which 103 hectares are dedicated to viticulture. The estate has been managed since March 2018 by Saskia de Rothschild, daughter of Éric de Rothschild.
The Château is an example of classic wine architecture in the style of the 19th century. The main building impresses with its harmonious blend of tradition and elegance. The neoclassical style is characterized by its symmetrical façade, generous proportions, and decorative elements such as columns and pilasters. The Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill integrated modern elements in 1987 while preserving historical charm.
Frequent Change of Ownership
In the mid-16th century, it was owned by the nobleman Joseph Saubat de Pommiers. After his death, his widow Jeanne de Gasq married the notary Jacques de Séguir (ca. 1650-1691) from the famous noble family in 1670 and brought Lafite as a dowry. At this time, there were already some low vineyards, but it was only between 1670 and 1680 that vineyards were established on a larger scale. From a piece of land called "Clos de Mouton," Château Mouton-Rothschild later emerged. The son of Jacques de Séguir, Alexandre de Séguir (1674-1716), married Marie-Thérèse de Clauzel (1674-1723), the heiress of Château Latour, in 1695. At this time, three of the four Châteaux classified as Premier Grand Cru Classé in 1855 were thus part of the estate.
First Successes
A productive winery has been documented since at least 1707, as a bottle from this vintage was found. With significantly improved viticulture techniques, the first successes began in the 1720s. The Lafite wine was marketed abroad (especially in England). It was also appreciated by the English Prime Minister Sir Robert Walpole (1676-1745), who ordered a barrel of Lafite (with 225 liters) every three months between 1732 and 1733.
The Lafite Wine at the Court of Louis XV
It was only later that it became known at the royal court in Versailles through the following legendary story. The Marshal of Richelieu (1696-1788), grandnephew of Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642), was prescribed the wine by a doctor as "the best and most pleasant of all tonics." After a long journey of the marshal, King Louis XV (1710-1774) noticed that Richelieu "looked about 25 years younger than before his departure." He remarked: "I have found the famous fountain of youth. The wine of Château Lafite is a noble tonic, delicious and comparable to the ambrosia of the gods of Olympus." The king's mistress Madame Pompadour (1721-1764) served Lafite wine at her intimate dinners. And her successor Madame du Barry (1743-1793) also preferred this wine.
Visit by Thomas Jefferson
The estate of Marquis Séguir was divided among his four daughters after his death in 1755, which separated Lafite and Latour again, but they were still managed together until 1785. Lafite passed to Comte Nicolas Marie Alexandre de Séguir, the son of the Marquis's eldest daughter. He sold it in 1784 to his relative Nicolas Pierre de Pichard (+1794), the first president of the Bordeaux Parliament.
The estate was referred to in an essay as "the most beautiful vineyard in the universe." At this time, the later U.S. President Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) was in France as his country's ambassador and collected information about Château Lafite, among other things. Eventually, the rule of the Séguir family over the estate ended with the guillotining of Nicolas Pierre de Pichard by the judgment of the revolutionary regime on June 30, 1794.
Discovery of Old Vintages
The art dealer Hardy Rodenstock (1941-2018) claimed to have received information in 1985 about...
