Les Légendes Les Légendes Wines Unlock the Art of Fine Bordeaux for All
Since 1868, six generations of the Rothschild family have crafted world-class wines in France’s famous Bordeaux region. The flagship cuvées from Château Lafite — their family estate and one of Bordeaux’s five original First Growths — are some of the world’s most celebrated and expensive wines. They can command thousands of dollars per bottle and, as such, are only available to a lucky few. As proud as they are of their success, the family believe that all wine lovers deserve the chance to enjoy top-quality wines from Bordeaux. It was in this spirit that Les Légendes was born.
Established in 1999, the Les Légendes range is the family’s open invitation to explore the wines of their homeland and everything that makes Bordeaux such a special place in the wine world. Handcrafted, yet affordable, Les Légendes wines represent the unique terroir of legendary Bordeaux appellations Pauillac (home to Lafite), the Médoc, Saint-Emilion, and the Entre-deux-Mers. Benchmarks of Bordeaux discovery, the wines showcase the diversity, drinkability, and distinctive charm found in each region.
The Rothschild family entrusted this special project to Diane Flamand, their sought-after oenologist. With over three decades of winemaking experience in Bordeaux terroir and abroad, Diane brings both expertise and passion to Les Légendes wines. She’s also spent years cultivating long-term relationships with vine growers around each appellation, giving her a wealth of vineyards from which to select the grapes for each expression of Les Légendes.
Diane and the Les Légendes team make these easy-entry wines with the same care and attention that is lavished on all the Rothschilds’ Grands Crus. Importantly, unlike many Bordeaux wines, they are ready to drink upon release — decades of cellaring are not required to enjoy them. Freshness, balance, finesse … these are wines that show Bordeaux’s true, convivial essence. These are Les Légendes.
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Founded
1999 -
Location
Bordeaux, France
Terroir
Located in southwestern France, Bordeaux is the world’s most famous wine region. The Gironde Estuary divides it into three distinct areas — the Left Bank, Right Bank, and Entre-deux-Mers between the Garonne and Dordogne rivers. While the entire region benefits from a moderate maritime climate and the warming effect of the Gulf Stream, which make for a long growing season that allows grapes to develop exceptional flavor complexity, each location has its own unique terroir.
Les Légendes Bordeaux wines come from four legendary appellations. On the Left Bank, iconic Médoc enclave Pauillac has light-colored, gravelly soils, which trap heat and release it to the vines at night, allowing for a longer, more even ripening period and greater flavor concentration. The overall Médoc region enjoys a cooling Atlantic influence that keeps grapes fresh plus mineral-rich silt soils that give its Médoc wines wonderful complexity. On the Right Bank, Saint-Emilion’s prized limestone ridge gives distinctive finesse to its finest wines. And the Entre-deux-Mers — the primary location for Les Légendes white wines — has alluvial riverbed soils which promote deep root systems for stronger vines and more flavorful grapes.
Viticulture
Oenologist Diane Flamand sources the finest grapes from her network of local growers. The exact vineyards can vary each year, depending on which sites have produced the highest quality fruit. Additionally, the Rothschild family provides some of the grapes for the Pauillac wine from their own vineyards, Château Lafite and Château Duhart-Milon. As Diane says, “The art lies in creating from this fine selection a style that embodies the quintessence of their appellation. It’s an exciting adventure every year!”
While the growers may vary, the grape varieties chosen typically stay the same — cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and cabernet franc for the red wines, along with sauvignon blanc and sémillon for the whites. Each lot of grapes is carefully harvested (the white grapes are harvested in the cool of night to preserve freshness).
Crafted Like the Finest Grand Crus
Diane and her team put the same care and passion into the Les Légendes wines as is given to the family’s finest Grand Crus. They use traditional winemaking techniques, including gentle grape pressing, pumping over, and, for the Pauillac release, aging in special barrels crafted at the Rothschilds’ private cooperage next to Château Lafite.
