Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Chateau Haut-Brion, Chateau Latour, Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Chateau Margaux

1 Top Red Wine: Chateau Lafite Rothschild (Bordeaux)

Chateau Lafite Rothschild was one of the top chateaux at the time of the Bordeaux wine rating in 1855. Together with Chateau Haut-Brion, Chateau Latour, Chateau Margaux and Chateau Mouton Rothschild, which was selected in 1973, it is known as the "Big Five" Bordeaux chateaux. Chateau Lafite Rothschild is considered to be the most elegant of the "Big Five". The earliest historical record of Lafite can be traced back to 1234 A.D. In France during this era, abbeys were found in villages and towns of all sizes, and the abbey of Vertheuil in the north of the village of Pauillac, Bordeaux, was where Chateau Lafite Rothschild is located today. Since the 14th century, Chateau Lafite has been the property of medieval lords. In the Gasconian dialect (Gascon, the old name for the Pyrenees region of southwestern France), "la hite" means "small hill", hence the name "Lafite". The name "Lafite" was given to it. It is likely that vines were already being planted on the land at this time. But it was not until the 17th century that the Segal family arrived. It was in their hands that Lafite became known as a great vineyard.

Jaques de Ségur was the first to establish a vineyard in Lafite, from around 1670 to the early 1680s. His son Alexandre inherited the estate in 1695 and, through a marriage, took control of another famous neighboring estate, Chateau de Latour. This was the first chapter in the history of Lafite and Latour, the two great Bordeaux chateaux***. Chateau Lafite Rothschild is the most famous Bordeaux chateau and the world's most prestigious wine. As early as the beginning of the 18th century, Chateau Lafite Rothschild was known throughout Europe. In the first officially recognized classification in the history of Bordeaux in 1855, Chateau Lafite Rothschild was the first of the first class, and its status has not changed, and Lafite wines have always been located in the top of the most collectible wines. String 1

In 1785, Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States and author of the Declaration of Independence, visited Bordeaux. Jefferson's visit to Bordeaux to buy the most famous record is Lafite. 1986, a bottle of Lafite with Jefferson's signature in the British Christie's auction company, sold for 156,000 U.S. dollars for the owner of Forbes Magazine Malcolm Forbes collection, preserved in the New York Forbes magazine, the owner of the Lafite collection of the Lafite. Forbes magazine owner Malcolm Forbes collection, preserved in the Forbes Collection on the first floor of the Forbes Building in New York, and still holds the record for the highest price of wine at auction.

Cabernet Sauvignon, which makes up 71% of the wine, is followed by 25% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and less than 1% Petite Verdot, although it should be noted that young grapes less than ten years old (there are 20 hectares) are not used to cultivate the top wines, so the grapes for the top wines are around 40 years old. The grapes over 50 years of age cover 18 hectares. One plot, known as La Gravière, has grapes that are 118 years old and were planted in 1886. The other two plots are over 80 years old.

The vineyard is managed by Charles Chevallier, Lafite's technical director. As Chateau Lafite Rothschild and Chateau d'Armillon are adjacent to each other, the two estates have been managed by a single team since 1962. Both wineries use traditional vinification techniques, strictly controlled unit yields, and hand harvesting. Much of the work in the vineyard is done by hand throughout the year.

Production: Each year, Chateau Lafite produces 45,000 cases of red wine from the hallowed Chateau Lafite, including Chateau Laftie Rothschild and Carruades de Lafite.

2. The oldest star: Chateau Haut-Brion (Bordeaux)

Chateau Haut-Brion is the oldest top-class first growth in the 1855 Bordeaux chateau classification system. Chateau Haut-Brion is the winery with the smallest vineyard area and the longest history among the chateaux that were classified as Premier Grand Cru in 1855. All the ranked vineyards in the 1855 classification system are from the Medoc region, with the sole exception of Chateau Haut-Brion in the Grave region. Coupled with the fact that Haut-Brion was the only one in the Grave to be spared from phylloxera at a time when French grapes were generally being attacked by the disease, this was due to the care taken by the estate to the grapes. This is why Chateau Haut-Brion is known as the "King of the Graves". Archaeological data show that grapes were planted in the area of Chateau Haut-Brion as early as Roman times, but the earliest official records of the vineyards appeared after 1423, when the wines were named after villages. In the case of Haut-Brion, for example, the owner, Bondac, first named his wines after his family name, which was later replaced by the name of the chateau as the reputation of the wines grew. Since then, the concept of naming a wine after the chateau has been born. The famous wine critic of the time, Samuel Pepi, wrote on April 10, 1663: "...... This French wine called Haut-Brion has a wonderful and unique taste, and it is the first time that I have tasted such an exceptional wine. ......". " Chateau Haut-Brion is the oldest First Growth in the 1855 Bordeaux classification. Since its inception, every person who has ever been in charge of the management of the chateau has put his heart and soul into the continuation of the unique land inherited from our forefathers and foremothers, and with a wealth of experience to operate innovative reforms to have today's brilliant achievements.

Haut-Brion was also one of the first red wines to be exported to the U.S. Thomas Jefferson, the French ambassador, sent six cases of Haut-Brion back to his hometown of Virginia at the end of his trip as a French minister. It is clear that hundreds of years ago dignitaries knew how to enjoy life after a busy work schedule. Among American celebrities, biographer Samuel Pepys, philosopher John Locke and President Tom, who was a "glutton for punishment", have all written favorably about this winery.

Over the course of four centuries, this royal wine estate has changed hands many times, and has been owned by some of history's most notable figures. Among them were the Admiral, the Archbishop, the First Commander of France*** and Consul of Guyenne, three mayors of Bordeaux, and the brilliant Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord, who bought the chateau at the same time that he was working as Minister of External Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. These various and varied owners have added to Haut-Brion's elegant image. The last change of ownership made him the property of an American, the wealthy buyer was the American banker and U.S. Ambassador to Paris, C. Douglas Dillon, the Kennedy administration, the U.S. economy was in good shape, which in part contributed to the deal of the century.

The winery is now owned by Clarence Dillon, now the Duchess de Mouchy of France, and the Americans might as well be smug about the fact that Clarence Dillon owns one of the top vineyards in France. In fact, before Mr. Dillon purchased the winery, 80 percent of Haut-Diron's red wines were exported to the United States. So this shrewd businessman has clearly made a very lucrative deal.

In 1960, with the support of bold Americans, the estate's winemakers began to use innovative stainless steel fermentation barrels to make wine, breaking the centuries-old tradition of using French oak barrels for red wines from Bordeaux chateaux, and creating a new era of red wines with a unique taste. 1970 vintage won a prize in the 76th Judgement of Paris Tasting. The 1970 vintage won fourth place at the prestigious Judgement of Paris in '76.

Chateau Haut-Brion is located in Chateau Haut-Brion in Pessac Leognon, in the lower Grave region, with 107.5 acres of vineyards, as large as Latour, and 43 hectares planted to red grapes, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc. Cabernet Franc is used to produce the Chateau Haut-Brion and Bahans de Haut-Brion wines, with an average age of 35 years and a planting density of 6,000 grapes per hectare, yielding around 20,000 cases per year. Another 2.7 hectares are planted with white grapes of 63% Semillon and 37% Sauvignon Blanc. For the production of Chateau Haut-Brion Blanc, one of Bordeaux's top white wines, Sauvignon Blanc is the earliest ripening grape, and is the first variety to be picked each year. Due to the climatic characteristics of the Haut-Brion vineyards, the grapes ripen early, so that the picking of Sauvignon Blanc in Haut-Brion marks the beginning of the harvest season in Bordeaux. The grapes are harvested and fermented in brand new small oak barrels, followed by incubation in small oak barrels with mash, blending is done in the spring and incubation lasts 20-22 months. The Rouge Ronde white wine is one of the top in the world in terms of both price and quality. She aims to challenge the world's most prestigious white wine, the Montrachet from Burgundy. the Haut-Brion Blanc is characterized by a blend of Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc, with a high percentage of Sémillon. 2001 Chateua Haut-Brion Blanc is the more vintage year. With little rain and lots of sunshine, the grapes ripened well and the aromas and flavors developed to perfection. The wine has a golden straw yellow color, lemon, citrus and white flower aromas, bee wax, roasted hazelnuts, vanilla and; the palate is open, round and rich, wrapped in elegant acidity, the aromas unfolding layer by layer, with a long aftertaste, this is a white wine with the potential for aging. String 1

Bordeaux's top chateaux rarely appear twice on top wine lists, with the exception of Chateau Haut-Brion, the only chateau to double-diplomatize on top wine lists with red and white wines. Chateau Haut-Brion has many exceptions, and was first known in Europe as a chateau in Bordeaux, and then again in the 1855 classification, when all the red wine classified chateaux were in the Médoc, and Chateau Haut-Brion was the only one outside of the Médoc, in Graves, and was honored with a first class listing. Chateau Haut-Brion is not only famous for its red wines, but also for its white wines, which are even more outstanding, with the most complex aromas among Bordeaux's dry white wines; rounded mouthfeel, exquisite texture, long and fascinating, unique style, and extraordinary aging potential. The production of Haut-Brion white wine is very small, hard to find, is the king of Bordeaux dry white wine. Chateau Haut-Brion early brewing white wine production is very small, 1959 Graves white wine classification, Haut-Brion white wine is not listed, but in the inclusion. Haut-Brion white wine annual production of about 500-800 cases, the amount of small and extremely excellent quality, is the best of Bordeaux dry white wine.

Characteristic of Chateau Haut-Brion is that the wine is extremely light and fragrant when young and not too dark in color, and its bouquet is one of the most complex in the world, with simultaneous notes of smoke, char, blackberries, and slight truffle aromas. Some tasters believe that Chateau Haut-Brion can be felt on the tongue. It is therefore a "beauty" of a wine, a wine with an unmistakable character, and one that gets better with age! No wonder that Chateau Haut-Brion is always ranked first in every "blind tasting", as it does not have the same intimidating attraction and strong oak flavor as it does when it has been "served" in expensive new oak barrels for more than two years through a rigorous selection process! Instead of being "aggressive", the wine winks at the taster and exudes freshness and elegance. Of course, connoisseurs will give the highest appreciation!

3. Androgyny: Chateau Latour (Bordeaux)

Latour "la tour" in French means "the citadel", the chateau's logo is a lion riding on the citadel. Because there was a castle here in 1378, overlooking the Gironde estuary, the strategic location is important, and has always been a place of war. Battles were fought here during the Hundred Years' War between Britain and France. The original citadel was a two-story square stone tower, which no longer exists, and now we usually see photos of the round castle of Chateau Latour, which is actually a pigeon house built in the 17th century.

In 1714, the price of a barrel of Latour was equivalent to 4-5 times the price of an ordinary Bordeaux wine, and grew to 20 times in 1767. Despite its long history of high quality and high prices, Latour has not prevented itself from being constantly revolutionized. Today, apart from the original limestone building of the chateau, the interior of the chateau has been completely renovated in a modern style and controlled by modern technology. The walls of the fermentation cellars, the barrel cellars and the bottling halls are made of mold-resistant materials, the temperature and humidity are all controlled automatically, and the winemaking is still done in the traditional way, but the winemaking process is fully automated. The great history of winemaking at Chateau Latour began in 1718, when the Seger family, which owned Chateau Lafite Rothschild, married the daughter of Chateau Latour, and the "Prince of Wine", Alexandre, took over the Chateau and purchased Chateau Delmotte, which was the first of a number of prestigious chateaux. The Seger family owned Chateau Latour until 1962. 1963, the British consortium acquired 75% of the shares, and later added to 93%, until 1993, the British equity was Europe's richest French investor Pinault Pinault with 86 million pounds to buy, Chateau Latour back into the arms of the French. It is worth mentioning that, after the death of the Prince of Wine, his family has a stake but do not want to manage the winery, had to entrust the winery manager to take care of, the separation of the right to operate and ownership of the winery accounts each year and business report detailed and complete, more than 250 years of continuous information is abundant.

Chateau Latour was already appreciated by the British royal family and aristocracy in the 18th century, when it was already about 20 times more expensive than other Bordeaux wines. 1787, Thomas Jefferson, the former President of the United States, who was obsessed with French wines, praised Chateau Latour, and the classification of 1855 strengthened Chateau Latour's position in the wine world. Chateau Latour was one of the first wineries to use stainless steel fermentation tanks, after Chateau Haut-Brion.

Chateau Latour is located in the village of Pauillac in the Médoc appellation, 50 kilometers north-west of Bordeaux, with exceptional climate and soil conditions. The vineyards cover 65 hectares, 47 of which are in the center of the territory, called Enclos, where Chateau Latour's Grand Vin comes from. The wine is aged for 18 months in new oak barrels. The grape varieties are predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon (about 75%) and Merlot (20%). The tannins are rich and the wine usually takes several decades to mature.

The secondary wine of Chateau Latour is "Les Forts de Latour", made from grapes under 12 years old in the center vineyard and from the outer vineyards, in semi-new oak barrels. In addition, there is also a third wine, Pauillac, which is very good value for money.

Chateau Latour has been recognized by the Chinese since the end of the Qing Dynasty, and at that time, this kind of top wine was called "Da Wine", which is pronounced "Ladou", and seemed to be more kingly than "Latour".

Wine tasting: Chateau Latour is known for some of the most powerful, robust, full-bodied red wines of Bordeaux, with very strong aging potential.

Vinification: Chateau Latour's winemaking is based on the natural gravity method, where the grapes are picked and taken by forklift to the fermentation cellar floor. The grapes are then double-selected, destemmed and crushed before entering the fermentation tanks. 66 stainless steel, temperature-controlled fermentation tanks separate the grapes from different varieties and plots. The fermentation tanks are computerized, and the temperature of each tank is clearly visible from the control panel, which can be adjusted as necessary. In December of each year, the new wines are incubated in oak barrels. The first wines of Latour are all aged in new French oak barrels. During the first month of barrel aging, the Technical Director of Oenology, the Cellar Master, etc., make frequent tastings and decide on the structure of the year's wines and how to blend the pressed wines into the Grand Vin. The barrels are transferred to the second year's cellar before the summer of the following year. The wine is clarified with egg whites during the first year in oak barrels, and the final clarification takes place 45 days before bottling, and then the wine is bottled into the cellar.

4. Artist style: Mouton Chateau Mouton Rothschild (Bordeaux)

Mouton-Rothschild (Chateau Mouton Rothschild, referred to as Mouton Rothschild) in Bordeaux's Pauillac (Pauillac), where there is a convergence of Bordeaux's five top chateaux. Mouton Rothschild is located in Pauillac, Bordeaux. Mouton Rothschild is famous all over the world, so its Chinese name is also very much. The use of Mouton here has several meanings: firstly, Mouton is similar to the French pronunciation, so it is not easy to cause confusion. Secondly, in Chinese culture, the sycamore is a symbol of good luck. There is an old Chinese saying that "without the sycamore tree, the golden phoenix cannot be summoned". It can be seen that with the sycamore tree, the golden phoenix will come. The history of the Mouton tree has proved that it has called the golden phoenix. Thirdly, for wine lovers, the name of wine is auspicious, whether it is for self-drinking, gift-giving or collection in the hand is a pleasant thing. Like Mouton, this collection of top-level wine, will increase in value with the extension of the collection time, but also called the golden phoenix.

Mouton Rothschild is famous for its artistic labels, and in 1924, Baron Philippe, the old owner of the estate, hired the Cubist artist Jean Carlo to design the label. In 1924, Baron Philippe, the old owner of the estate, hired the Cubist artist Jean Carlo to design the Mouton label. By 1945, when the Second World War was won, Mouton Rothschild had produced the wine of the century. Finally upgraded to First Growth, Philippe decided to celebrate by designing a new label. Since then, Mouton Rothschild has been hiring an artist to create the label every year. Since then, Mouton Rothschild has hired an artist to create the label every year. Since the famous painter Georges Braque for Mouton specially created a wine label painting, printed on the label with the same size as the original, attracted the interest of the world's famous painters, surrealist master Salvador Dali, sculptor Henry Dali, and the world's most famous artists. Surrealist Salvador Dali, sculptor Henry Moore, and other world-famous painters have been mentioned. Surrealist master Salvador Dali, sculptor Henry Moore and other world-famous painters have put pen to paper to create for Mouton, the most famous label is the 1973 Picasso's "God of Wine Carnival Picture", which shows the joy of life brought by fine wine.

Mouton Rothschild now has 82 hectares of vineyards, 77% of which are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% with Cabernet Franc, 11% with Merlot, and 2% with Verdot. The management of the vineyard is modernized, employing expert winegrowers, with a planting density of 8,500 vines per hectare and an average age of 45 years. The harvest is done manually, only fully ripe grapes are picked and delivered to the winery in baskets. Fermentation is carried out in oak fermentation vats, and Mouton is one of the few Bordeaux chateaux to use wooden fermentation vats today. The typical fermentation time is 21 to 31 days; the wine is then transferred to new oak barrels for maturation for 18 to 22 months, with production of around 300,000 bottles per year. Mouton Rothschild has one of the most advanced laboratories in the world, and the current winemaker, Patrick Léon, formerly manager of the winemaking laboratory under the supervision of the Bordeaux Chamber of Agriculture, is very familiar with and attentive to modern winemaking technology. From this point of view, Mouton's wines can be said to be the combination of thousands of years of French winemaking tradition and modern science and brewed.

Mouton Rothschild's red wines are made from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, with varying proportions of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot, depending on the vintage. Mouton Rothschild's wines have typical Cabernet Sauvignon characteristics, ripe blackcurrant fruit flavors, coffee, roasted wood aromas, tannins, need to be aged in the bottle for 7-15 years before drinking, is one of the world's top collection of wine.

Mouton Rothschild is famous for its Museum of Wine Art. This French Minister of Culture Andrew Meurisse personally presided over the opening ceremony of the museum in 1962, specializing in the collection of all kinds of wine-related works of art, starting from the collection of gold and silver tableware, and gradually developed to include paintings, porcelain, pottery, glassware, bronze, ivory carvings, sculpture and weaving works of art collection. It is an excellent museum for appreciating wine and art.

5. Elegant style: Chateau Margaux (Bordeaux)

Margaux and the above four chateaux are recognized as the top five Bordeaux chateaux, but Chateau Margaux, because of the quality of the wine brewed, as early as the 17th century was listed as a prestigious "first-class" winery, than the official 1855 classification. This was two centuries before the official classification of 1855. Like its architecture, Chateau Margaux is unique in that it combines elegance and charm with grandeur.

Chateau Margaux has a long history, dating back hundreds of years. As early as 1787, Thomas Jefferson, the former President of the United States, who was obsessed with French wines, named Chateau Margaux as the top Bordeaux chateau, and the Lestonnac family had owned it for a long time, and then the Mentzelopoulos family, who operated a chain of stores, bought it in 1978. The quality of Chateau Margaux's wines reached a new level and reached its peak.

Chateau Margaux is one of the more traditional of the "Big Five", keeping its wines handmade and still using oak fermentation tanks. Nowadays, top chateaux such as Latour and Haut-Brion have been using stainless steel fermentation tanks for a long time. Chateau Margaux's red wines are usually left in fermentation tanks for three weeks and then in new oak barrels for 18-24 months. The Chateau's genuine wines are rich in tannins and can be stored for a long time, and should usually be consumed after 20-30 years.

Chateau Margaux produces mainly red wines, with a few white wines. The main brand wine for Chateau Margaux about 150,000 bottles (the average production in the last three years), Chateau Margaux vice red wine called: Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux (Margaux red pavilion about 200,000 bottles), is the earliest Bordeaux chateau vice wine. The history of Margaux has been more than one hundred years. With 82 hectares of red vines averaging 35 years old, Chateau Margaux red wines are characterized by aromatic and complex aromas, rich and long-lasting layers, and constantly changing and fascinating. It is characterized by a full-bodied mouthfeel, a delicate and intense texture, and silky yet powerful tannins. Of course, each vintage is different, and it is a unique wine that combines elegance and charm with richness, finesse and suppleness with power.

Chateau Margaux also has 12 hectares of white grapes, with an average age of 25 years, all of which are Sauvignon Blanc used to produce one of Bordeaux's finest white wines, the Pavillon Blanc du Chateau Margaux (about 33,000 bottles of Pavillon Blanc de Margaux). The total production of Chateau Margaux is about 20,000 cases of wine per year.

The red wine of Margaux has a beautiful color, a sweet and elegant smell, a tight and detailed structure, a gentle and elegant entrance, and a pleasant and approachable taste. You feel that she is strong but not overpowering, she is comfortable to drink but not easy to get drunk, and when you open your mouth slightly, you will feel pure and cool. Margaux is a wine to be savored and embodied with equanimity. Margaux has been described as a beautiful, melodious female vocalist or as a musical experience that lingers in the background.