Fruit is the beating heart of this edition: clusters bitten into at the dawn of harvest, salty flesh, beauty spots, or flashes of madness. Here, it braves frost, heatwaves, and the whims of fermentation. It stands for labour, alliance, celebration, and patience. Now it’s your turn to sink your teeth into this issue, rich with flavour.
A fruitful encounter
RECIPE – From market stall to table: where the sea meets the cellar.
In each edition of The Journal, we share recipes that bring flavours and stories together. This time, the journey takes us to Bordeaux and Chablis, where Olivier de Butler and Mathieu Crosnier reflect on the fruits of their labour at Bonne Mer. They create a dialogue between the briny depth of black mullet, the crisp freshness of R de Rieussec, and the saline tension of William Fèvre’s Grands Crus.
The masked aroma ball
Exploring the aromatic life of the grape, a delicate dance between nature and science.
At Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite, a wine never reveals itself all at once. Aromas of strawberry, mint and mocha lie hidden in the berry, emerging gradually through fermentation, ageing and time. A molecular masquerade, orchestrated by the human hand.
The fruit of adversity
Earthquakes, frost and snow: when nature challenges our winemakers and vineyards.
From seismic shocks in Chile to brutal frost in Chablis and frozen ground in Shandong, our teams have weathered more than their share of extremes. These are stories of resilience behind the vines.
Grape glossary
ASSEMBLAGE – An A-Z of grape-related expressions and proverbs from across the world.
In our cellars, we blend grape varieties; in this article, we blend proverbs. From Japan to Italy, from Greece to Spain, the grape runs through languages and imaginations. Each line reveals a shard of culture, a flavorful metaphor, a way of naming this fruit that brings us together. Like a blend of voices from across the world.
Bodegas CARO: The fruit of collaboration
Two continents, two teams, one shared vision.
From Bordeaux to Mendoza, Bodegas CARO is the story of collaboration, respect and ambition. Football and winemaking collide as two great teams unite to create wines with a distinct Argentinian identity.
Mystery Grapes: Follow the clues!
Welcome to the curious case of grape varietals.
A quiz that takes you on a journey through the grape varieties of Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite—from South America to China via Bordeaux and the Corbières.
The beauty of the grain
How seven photographers captured the textures and essence of the harvest fruit.
From vineyard to image, the grape becomes more than fruit: it is light, still life and living portrait. For over half a century, Lafite has invited great photographers to turn their lenses on the harvest. Here, we look at how seven artists — from Robert Doisneau to Sharon Core — reveal the grape in a thousand guises.
Multivitamin estates
Explore the hidden orchards and gardens behind the vines.
A journey across three vineyards where fig trees, rose bushes, chaguals and quinces extend the work of the vine, reveal the rhythms of the seasons and strengthen the vitality of the soil.
The nectar of the gods
From Soma to sake, we indulge in the eternal drinks that have fuelled gods, myths, and perhaps even us.
A voyage through the sacred drinks of myth and ritual, from vanished nectars to sips that still promise transcendence.
Don’t spit out the seeds
How winemakers use their teeth to pick the perfect day to harvest.
Every year as harvest nears, the teams at Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite taste the berries, chew the skins and crack the seeds between their molars. Discover how berry tasting, one of the last purely sensory skills in the hyper-analytical world of wine, influences the harvest.
Fermentations: The invisible revolution
An interview with philosopher Anne-Sophie Moreau.
Philosopher and journalist Anne-Sophie Moreau explores, in her latest book, Fermentations, the deeper reasons behind today’s passion for micro-organisms.
When patience bears fruit
The grape harvest, that annual event, a story that is halfway human, halfway fruit.