Keeping Summer Alive with Rothschild Rosé

Barons de Rothschild “Les Lauriers” Rosé (2014, Bordeaux from Montagne-Saint-Émilion) 
~$18/bottle

We’re not ready to give up on summer yet. There are still plenty of outside gatherings with friends ahead of us. Plenty of barbecues and trips up north to watch the sun set over a glimmering lake. Still time to pour glasses of crisp and dry pink wine that tastes of strawberries and raspberries and orange zest. And even after summer is but a memory, a crisp rosé works amazingly well as an apéritif or paired with cheesy appetizers or a salad course.

Rothschild is one of the most recognizable names in the world of wine for good reason. Anyone with even a passing interest in Bordeaux has heard of the legendary “first growth” estate Château Lafite Rothschild – one of the most sought after and priciest wines on earth.

The Bordeaux wine tradition in the French branch of the Rothschild family began in 1868 with the purchase of Chateau Lafite by Baron James Mayer de Rothschild. Over a hundred years later, his great grandson, Edmond, would extend the family tradition by acquiring two châteaux in Médoc and creating Compagnie Vinicole Baron Edmond de Rothschild. In 2003, after taking over the family business, Edmond’s son Benjamin purchased Château des Laurets, a property straddling the two appellations of Puisseguin-Saint-Émilion and Montagne-Saint-Émilion.

After significant renovation work, this “Right Bank” estate now boasts modern cellars and a new commitment to quality under Benjamin Rothschild’s helm. Les Lauriers’s vineyard is situated on the limestone and clay south facing slopes of Montagne-Saint-Émilion adjacent to Château des Laurets. This is Merlot country and Les Lauriers rosé reflects it with a blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.

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Posted on 2015.08.01 in France, Bordeaux, Saturday Sips Wines