A look back at three unforgettable dinners held in May 2018 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Château Lafite Rothschild — an event attended by distinguished guests from all walks of life.
Three joyful tastings of selected vintages from Château Lafite Rothschild’s 150-year history. We share the experience through the beautifully crafted tasting books filled with notes by our illustrious guests.
It’s 2017. Saskia de Rothschild and her father, Baron Eric, are discussing the upcoming anniversary: one hundred and fifty years since their ancestor James acquired Château Lafite Rothschild.
How to celebrate such an occasion? Although tempting, a vertical tasting of one hundred and fifty vintages in a small gathering, between father and daughter, is swiftly ruled out. (For obvious reasons of moderation, and because good wine is best enjoyed in good company.) Saskia and her father eventually decide to organise three dinners in the spring of 2018. They are determined to mix genres: artists, writers, athletes, leading critics. The idea is that each dinner should bring together a diverse group of guests, with their differences inspiring fertile conversations and unexpected tasting notes.
Not every invitation is accepted, of course. Barack Obama and Lebron James aren’t available. Neither is Michel Gondry. But Francis Ford Coppola responds to the call with his son Roman, as does tennis player Amélie Mauresmo, and English actor Dominic West. Less surprisingly, Jay McInerney, the prolific American novelist and fine wine enthusiast, joins in. As do eminent critics Jancis Robinson, James Suckling and Neal Martin; artist Serena Carone and former French Minister of Culture, Frédéric Mitterrand.
What remains of these dinners? A handful of rare photographs and a collection of tasting notebooks with entries by each guest. Alongside the vintages—sometimes tasted blind—their tasting notes are poetic, precise, and often brilliantly illustrated. Together, they capture the pleasures of a tasting, escaping the usual format to become a true exercise in creative freedom.
Before letting you judge for yourself, here’s an example of an invitation sent by Saskia de Rothschild to Francis Ford Coppola.
And here they are, the stars of the show: selected excerpts from the tasting notebooks left by our guests.
The tasting book, crafted by French artist Serena Carone, takes the form of a pop-up storybook.
路易十五时期的一名私掠船长，当年他是如何将其名字与波亚克顶尖葡萄酒相连？历史学家劳伦特·沙维尔（Laurent Chavier）通过拉菲罗斯柴尔德男爵酒业公司的珍贵档案，揭开了答案的面纱。
小说：詹姆斯·德·罗斯柴尔德男爵在波亚克的第一天
1868年9月7日，法国《宪政报》写道：“詹姆斯·罗斯柴尔德男爵离开巴黎，前往位于梅多克的拉菲特酒庄。他刚刚收购了这家酒庄。 ”这之后发生了什么？我们邀请小说家兼诗人伯纳德·尚巴兹以男爵的口吻，虚构了当天的故事。