Château Lafitte

LAFITTE VS LAFITE BATTLE MOVES TO CHINA

A long-running battle between renowned producer Château Lafite Rothschild and Côtes de Bordeaux producer Chateau Lafitte over the trademarking of the Lafitte name has spread to China.

Château Lafitte has been producing wine under its Lafitte name since 1763, but have been locked in a legal battle with Château Lafite Rothschild over the use of the Lafitte name for the last 10 years.

In 2003 Château Lafite Rothschild took the smaller producer to court arguing in the French courts that they should not be allowed to use the name Lafitte.

However in 2008 France’s highest appeals courts ruled in Château Lafitte’s favour confirming their right to use the Lafitte name while depriving Château Lafite Rothschild of the right to use the name in isolation.

In a continuing battle, Château Lafite Rothschild is now contesting an attempt by Château Lafitte to Trademark the Lafitte name in China.

Philippe Mengin, owner of Château Lafitte, said: “We are well aware that we have neither the networks nor the financial situation of our long-standing accuser, but we hope that by publicising the case as much as possible, they will at last agree to abide by common sense and submit to the court rulings that have once and for all recognised that our rights to Château Lafitte are older and superior to those of Château Lafite Rothschild.

“Just because we are less economically powerful does not mean that our rights should not be recognised.”

A spokesperson for Domaines Barons de Rothschild, owner of Lafite, said in a statement: “As one of the most recognised brand names in China, this is part of an ongoing battle to control the unauthorised use of our name in various global markets.”

The name Lafite comes from an old French term “la fite” – meaning “small hill”.

The name of Lafitte can be traced back to the 18th century when, on 12 February 1763, a well-known wine merchant in the local region of Camblanes, Raymond Lafitte, bought and named the estate. The eponymous wine – a Premières Côtes de Bordeaux – has been produced, vinified and bottled at the property in Camblanes et Meynac by a succession of owners and most recently the company Château Lafitte. The name is cited in the second edition of theLe Féret wine guide, clearly showing the excellent reputation the Bordeaux had already acquired by 1868. 

In 1970, the property was bought by Juliette Mengin, who was won over by the estate’s strategic location as well as its magnificent view overlooking the Garonne valley. The shrewd and dynamic businesswoman set about organising an intense planting campaign and the ambitious building of a new fermentation room to hold the future harvests, thus playing a crucial role in the growth of Château Lafitte.

Her son Max Mengin took the helm in 1991, bringing new impetus to Château Lafitte’s commercial operations thanks to his international experience.After completing his oenology studies, Philippe Mengin, Juliette’s grandson, travelled the world for many years to learn the wine export business. Philippe introduced new, more modern practices, which contributed to making significant improvements to the quality of the wine and opened up considerably more channels for exporting the wine from the family-owned estate.

Today, around 95% of the wine is exported and has garnered an excellent reputation around the world.

Château Lafitte is superbly situated, at the fringes of the city of Bordeaux where it boasts an unrestricted view over the Garonne valley.The vineyard of 50 hectares and benefits from a magnificent terroir composed of: 40% round, flat pebble, 30% clay-limestone, and 30% fine gravel Château Lafitte wine owes its typicity in part to the choice of grapes in the blend:

• 50% Merlot (for roundness and fruit),
• 30% Cabernet Sauvignon (structure and elegance),
• 20% Cabernet Franc (finesse and bouquet).

Through the seasons, the vineyard at Château Lafitte is tended and watched over with the utmost care and attention. When the berries reach the peak of ripeness, they are harvested, destemmed and treaded before the winemaking process begins:

• Alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel vats
• Maceration for 4-5 weeks
• Malolactic fermentation

The wines are aged for between 12 and 24 months, before being bottled on the Château Lafitte estate, where 300,000 bottles are produced every year.

We decided to pay homage to the different owners who have served at the head of Château LAFITTE since 1763. To do that, we took advantage of the truly sublime harvest of 2010 to create a limited vintage numbered at 13,000 bottles.

HERITAGE is the best that LAFITTE has to offer and delicately concentrates the finest traits typical of the terroir.

This wine is a base of 90% merlot with 10% cabernet sauvignon, all harvested in small quantities from the entire Château LAFITTE vineyard. After alcoholic fermentation and maceration, the wine is put in French oak barrels where it undergoes malolactic fermentation and then ages for 16 months.

We have also taken great care in creating the label for this bottle. It shows the crest of the MENGIN family who have been associated with Château LAFITTE since Juliette MENGIN took over the domain in 1969. The bottle is a traditional type of bottle, heavier and more elegant than many seen today.

The 2010 vintage Château LAFITTE HERITAGE wine will be available only in wooden cases of 12 bottles or 6 flat-packed bottles, personalised with the family arms.

We hope that you enjoy our efforts and their result, this bottle of a limited vintage that defines the LAFITTE vineyard. This fine wine is the worthy heir of the 250 years of history and the different owners who all put their finest efforts into creating a truly unique wine.

Today we are proud to pay tribute to them and offer you this wine as a tribute to our HERITAGE.

Château Lafitte Cuvée Héritage 2011, Michel Rolland Tasting: 

The wine displays a beautiful dark colour with light amber tints.

The nose presents notes of mocha and mild tobacco. It then opens on aromas of morello cherries and a camphor note. Smoothness and freshness are the vintage's principle characteristics. This wine's structure is perfectly rounded.

The finish is long and delicious, largely due to its fine acidity.

A beautifully elegant wine that can be appreciated now or kept for a few more years in the cellar.