Five Famous Chateaus

Chateau Latour

Located in the village of Pauillac in the Medoc region of Bordeaux, France, it is An ancient manor that was mentioned in French documents as early as the 14th century, but it was not a winery at that time. It was only cultivated into a vineyard in the 16th century. It was bought by De Chanannes, the personal secretary of Louis XIV of France, in 1670. Since then, it has been changing hands among French nobles as real estate. In 1993, Francois Pinault, the owner of French department store giant Printemps, purchased the controlling rights of the Chateau Latour brand for 720 million francs. Chateau Latour's wine generally takes at least 10 to 15 years to mature. Wine connoisseurs consider it to be the most stable red wine. It is vigorous and powerful, but also strong and elegant.

Chateau Laftie-Rothschild

The historical description of Chateau Lafite can be traced back to 1234 AD. It was once a castle in the village of Pauillac in Bordeaux. monastery. After the wine tycoon Jaques de Ségur purchased the ownership of the estate, real large-scale grape planting began.

There was a time when Robert Walpole, the British Prime Minister, ordered a barrel of Lafite red wine every three months from 1732 to 1733, and it was rumored that Louis XV’s favorite concubine Du Barry only used red wine from Lafite. as her only drink. Among several top-quality wines, Lafite's wine is considered the most elegant, refined, and delicate, with a rich aroma of almonds and violets.

Chateau Haut-Brion

It is located in the village of Pessac in the Grave region of Bordeaux. It is only 2 kilometers away from the city of Bordeaux. The winery covers an area of ??109 acres and is the smallest manor among the "Big Five". The red wine it produces also reflects the intellectual and gentle style of a small woman. The annual output is 12,000 to 15,000 boxes. This is also the only winery among the five famous wineries that is not in the Medoc area.

The vineyard appeared in 1423. In four centuries, this winery, which produced royal wine, changed owners many times. The current owner is American Clarence Dillon. The wine is considered rich, mature and full-bodied without lacking in power.

Chateau Mouton Rothschild

Like Lafite and Latour, Mouton is located in the village of Pauillac.

After 20 years of hard work, the old owner, Baron Philippe, finally upgraded Chateau Mouton to a top vineyard. The Baron himself lived a colorful life and was proficient in literature, drama and art. He was a poet, director, rowing and racing, and was a legend in Bordeaux.

Mouton's wine has typical Cabernet Sauvignon characteristics, with ripe blackcurrant fruit, coffee and roasted wood aromas, strong tannins, and needs to be stored in the bottle for 7-15 years.

It is said that the 1945 Mouton wine was the wine of the 20th century. In 1945, the year of the victory of World War II and one of the best vintages in Bordeaux in the 20th century, Mouton produced a flawless wine that was rated 100 points by wine critics, much higher than the ratings of top wineries Lafite and Latour.

Chateau Margaux

In 1787, former U.S. President Thomas Jefferson, who was obsessed with French wine, rated Chateau Margaux as a famous Bordeaux estate. head. The Lestonnac family has owned Chateau Margaux for a long time. By 1978, the Mentzelopoulos family, which operates a chain store, purchased the winery. A large amount of human and financial investment made the wine quality of Chateau Margaux even higher and reached its peak.

Chateau Margaux is one of the "big five" wineries that adheres more closely to tradition. It not only maintains manual operations, but also still uses oak fermentation tanks. Its red wine is usually kept in fermentation tanks for 3 weeks and then in new oak barrels for 18-24 months. The winery's genuine wine has rich tannins and can be stored for a long time. It should usually be drunk after 20-30 years.