Château Lafite Rothschild, Historic winery in Pauillac, France

Château Lafite Rothschild is a wine estate and château in Pauillac, in the Médoc north-west of Bordeaux, rated a First Growth in the 1855 classification. Its 107 hectares of vines are about 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. The 16th-century manor house still stands; the photograph shows pale beige facades with dark roofs, a tall narrow tower with a steeply pitched roof on the left, and a long grey stone retaining wall below the right-hand wing.

In 1234 the estate belonged to Gombaud de Lafite, and the 16th-century manor house still stands. The Ségur family bought the property in the 17th century, and around 1680 Jacques de Ségur planted most of the vineyard. In 1868 Baron James Mayer Rothschild bought the château for 4.4 million francs; he died three months later, and it passed jointly to his sons Alphonse, Gustave and Edmond.

The name Lafite comes from the Gascon word "la hite", meaning "hillock". The estate's wine became known as "The King's Wine" through the support of the Maréchal de Richelieu, while Nicolas-Alexandre de Ségur was called the "Wine Prince". Around a third of production is released as a second wine, Carruades de Lafite.

The estate lies in Pauillac, in the Médoc north-west of Bordeaux, and the 16th-century manor house still stands on the property. Visits are by prior booking, and the working vineyard of 107 hectares gives an idea of the scale of production. Ask about tastings when arranging a visit, as they depend on availability and season.

The estate operates a satellite vineyard in China's Shandong province, where around 250,000 French vine cuttings grow on 30 hectares (74 acres). The first bottles from this project were released in 2019, blending French tradition with Asian soil.