Les Légendes Pauillac
Les Légendes
APPELLATION
Pauillac
GRAPE VARIETIES
50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Merlot
WINEMAKERS
Diane Flamand
TECHNICAL DATA
Acidity
3.6
Alcohol
13.5%
The Rothschild family has been producing wine in Bordeaux since 1868. For six generations, they got to know this beautiful landscape and understand the unique traits of the vines from each appellation. Three decades ago, the family was inspired to create a new wine series, where each wine would be the epitome of the appellation it came from. Their motivation was simple: to ensure wine lovers everywhere could dive into Bordeaux and taste the originality of each appellation. And so, the Les Légendes range was born.
The production of Les Légendes wines is supervised by our oenologist, Diane Flamand. The new Les Légendes range has greatly benefited from Diane’s ambition to create long term partnerships with vineyard growers around each appellation. Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite has made excellence in wine-making practices the basis of its development. Diane creates wines following the same approach: passion, discipline, humility, excellence and harmony.
For over 150 years, our master winemakers have been crafting the finest Bordeaux wines. Generations of local knowledge have taught our grape growers the secret to creating the most outstanding Pauillac. The wines of Les Légendes Pauillac are partly sourced from our family vineyards, the notorious Chateau Lafite and Chateau Duhart-Milon. The local landscape is almost white in color, due to the light colored pebbles that cover the gravelly soil. It’s these different layers of soil that contribute to the complexity of the wine, giving Pauillac its signature, elegant characteristics.
TERROIR & VINTAGE NOTESPauillac is located 25 miles north of Bordeaux on the left bank of the Gironde estuary. Pauillac enjoys exceptional climatic and geological conditions to make outstanding wines. Three of the five First Growths of the 1855 classification are from this famous appellation. Sitting on a beautiful gravelly hilltop, it provides the perfect ripening conditions for Cabernet Sauvignon, resulting in voluptuous, well-structured wines.
2019 was a year of contrasts, and was characterized by tremendous variation. A cool spring, scorching heat in the summer and dry weather throughout the year prevented the development of diseases. However, cold, rainy weather in June disrupted flowering, and water stress, which varied depending on the area and the terroir, resulted in some instances of ripening being checked. The berries were therefore small, resulting in lower than usual yields. Fortunately, there was some rain after September 22nd, which relaunched the ripening process and enabled the red grape varieties to reach a good level of maturity.
This wine is made using traditional Bordeaux methods, the grapes are destemmed and crushed before being placed in thermoregulated stainless steel vats for fermentation. Fermentation is conducted at 86°F and is followed by four weeks of maceration with regular pumping-over to ensure a gentle extraction of the tannins and color. After malolactic fermentation, 60% of the wine is aged in French oak barrels, made by the nearby Lafite cooperage, for a period of 12 months, which contributes to the style of the house.
TASTING NOTESDeep ruby color. The nose is intense, dominated by well-integrated woody aromas (cocoa, coconut), then with agitation, balsamic notes appear like caramel, mixed with sweet spices (clove). Flavors are robust and dense, very typical of an elegant Pauillac.
RESOURCES
Les Légendes Portfolio
