When rituals rhyme with reason
Proverbs, offerings and biodynamics: when rites complement reason.
In today’s vineyards, science reduces uncertainty, but it does not explain everything.
Terroir beyond dogma
Adapting our understanding of terroir for a warming climate.
Olivier Trégoat, Technical Director for Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite, argues for a more flexible understanding of terroir, one freed from rigid dogma, to adapt to the realities of climate change.
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.
Blending notes
Behind every great wine lies a series of choices, doubts, and shared intuition.
In the cellars of Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite, the 2024 blending process demanded careful listening—and a great deal of passion. This is the story, from up close, of those who taste, debate, compose…and ultimately hear the wine speak.
Vineyard diaries
The inner thoughts of two winemakers from opposite ends of the world.
What does a winemaker’s day really look like? The journals of Jeanne at Château L’Évangile in Pomerol and Joaquín at Viña Los Vascos in Chile reveal two contrasting yet connected lives. This is the story of two different hemispheres and one shared passion.
A very eloquent nose
An interview with assemblage expert Alexandre Schmitt.
Alexandre Schmitt made a dramatic shift from the world of haute parfumerie to another field equally bound to aroma: wine blending. He shares the essence of his sensory-driven approach—and explains why training your nose is essential to tasting wine.
2025: a Five-Star Vintage
The grape harvest, that annual event, a story that is halfway human, halfway fruit.
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.
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.
The notes between the notes
Why music and wine make the perfect duet.
A wine can be tasted with the ears as much as with the palate. And that’s why music can alter the way we perceive a vintage.