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.
Wine is often described in musical terms. We talk about notes, length, harmony. A bright red can feel like a taut solo. A full-bodied white, like a swell of strings. Some vintages are like symphonies. Others flow straight like a bassline. There are silences on the palate, buildups, reprises. But what if wine and music shared more than just vocabulary?
Scientists are digging into this. So are winemakers. In this article, we explore how certain pieces of music can alter our perception of wine — and how, this year, the winemakers at Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite have chosen to let their wines speak through music.
For a long time, wine tasting was considered a strictly oenological affair. Then came neuroscience. Researchers began asking: does what we hear affect how we taste? The answer is yes. In 2007, psychologist Adrian North (University of Edinburgh) conducted an experiment with a hundred students. Each of them tasted the same wine — but in different musical environments: Carl Orff for intensity, Tchaikovsky for delicacy, Nouvelle Vague for freshness, Michael Brook for softness.
The results were crystal clear: with Orff, the wine was perceived as ‘powerful and heavy’; with Tchaikovsky, ‘subtle and refined’. The wine didn’t change — their perceptions did. At Oxford University, Professor Charles Spence is delving further into this phenomena, something he calls ‘crossmodal correspondences’: spontaneous, often unconscious associations between the senses.
A high-pitched frequency can enhance a wine’s acidity. A low frequency can soften its tannins. A fluid melody can stretch out the finish, while a jerky rhythm might break it up. If listening changes how we taste, the reverse can also be true.
For many artists, a glass of wine can spark a sound, a rhythm, or even a sensation.
Not because of intoxication — but because of sensory resonance.
One sip can summon a chord. A flash of acidity can stir a memory. Composers like Poulenc, Ravel and Bernstein often spoke of that sweet spot between control and surrender, where the music seems to come from elsewhere. Neuroscience again has an answer: this is the moment when activity in the prefrontal cortex — our centre for analytical thinking — is momentarily dialled down. Less reasoning, more intuition.
In Pauillac, at Lafite, Olivier Bonneau, Estate Director, offers ‘Teardrop’ by Massive Attack: a soft tension, a repetitive beat, a track that captures the mood of 2024 without ever raising its voice.
At Duhart-Milon, it had to be ‘Superstition’ by Stevie Wonder — not just for the energy and finely tuned groove, but for its intuitive nature: ‘It reflects this harvest,’ says Bonneau, ‘where we had to adapt to conditions we hadn’t seen in years.’
At L’Évangile, Olivier Trégoat, Technical Director for estates outside Pauillac, hesitated between ‘We Don’t Know What Tomorrow Brings’ by The Smile and ‘Dreams Never End’ by New Order. Two tracks for a vintage that evokes uncertainty.
In the background, there are references such as Radiohead or Mercury Rev — artists who marry precision, freshness and refinement. Qualities Trégoat also seeks in the ‘toast’ of his barrels.
At Rieussec, the song choice is more, let’s say, on the nose: ‘A Kind Of Magic’ by Queen.
For Estate Director Mathieu Crosnier, the hit says it all: a promise, an ideal, a magic that emerged in spite of the odds.
And then there’s Aussières. Here, the wine speaks with a Southern accent. Jean-Charles Forges, Vineyard Manager, chose Henri Salvador. ‘Because Henri Salvador — he’s a god. Just listen to him. Pure class.’
The track? ‘Jardin d’hiver’ — more lighthearted than ‘Chambre avec vue’, which was first considered for its poetic link to the sweeping views of the Fontfroide massif.
And because at this time of year, rosemary and gorse are already in bloom. Just like the music.
In the Southern Hemisphere, Max Correa, Oenologist at Viña Los Vascos, instinctively associates the 2024 vintage of Le Dix with the soundtrack of 007 — ‘like James Bond himself, a spy with two faces: one cold and unsettling, the other warmer and more seductive’.
For Philippe Rolet, Director of Bodegas CARO, it’s ‘Jenny Wren’ that best resonates with his wine. Performed by pianist Baptiste Trotignon and percussionist Minino Garay, the piece is, in his words, ‘rich, elegant, and pared down’.
A family of estates. A playlist for each one: Château L’Évangile, Rieussec, Domaine d’Aussières, Château Lafite Rothschild, Bodegas CARO, Viña Los Vascos, Château Duhart-Milon, Domaine William Fèvre.
Tracks to share — just like you open a bottle with friends. Because some wines, like some songs, say more about a year than any speech could. Our winemakers have turned up the volume. Each estate now has a playlist paired with its wine — a choice guided by heart, by ear, and by palate.
Discover our curated Spotify playlists.
Press play, swirl your glass, and let each vintage share its story through music. After all, a great wine isn’t always revealed on the label—sometimes it’s best experienced in stereo.
Recipes
When Château Lafite Rothschild finds its way onto playlists across the globe.
Ever taken a ‘blind test’ with sound?
Eyes closed, ears wide open: take an aural journey across our estates.
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.