History

Although the history of the Lafite vineyard is very old and there have already been vines on the property, it is with Jacques de Ségur that Lafite's reputation as a great wine estate is established, by structuring the vineyard at the end of the 17th century.

In 1695, the son heir to Jacques de Ségur, Alexandre, married heir to Château Latour. This union gives birth to Nicolas-Alexandre de Ségur. At the beginning of the 18th century, the latter forged the prestige and fame of Lafite.

The origin of the name Les Carruades comes from the "plateau des Carruades", the place name for a set of plots adjoining the rump of the Château, acquired in 1845 by Château Lafite. This name was then used for the Second Wine of Château Lafite, initially called “Moulin des Carruades” then renamed “Carruades de Lafite” in the 1980s.

Les Carruades benefits from a unique terroir and characteristics close to Grand Vin, the main difference with the latter being the origin of the grapes. A unique identity emerges, using grapes from the youngest vines and those from specific plots intended for the production of Carruades.

Terroir

The Lafite vineyard includes three large areas: the hills around the Château, the Carruades plateau contiguous to the west and a 4.5 ha plot in the neighboring town of Saint-Estèphe. The surface is 112 ha. These are fine, deep gravel land, mixed with aeolian sands on a tertiary limestone subsoil, well drained and well exposed.

The associated grape varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon (70%), Merlot (25%), Cabernet Franc (3%) and Petit Verdot (2%).

Vinification and aging

The average age of the vines in Lafite is 39 years, however vines less than 10 years old do not fit into the composition of the Grand Vin. The age of the vines giving the great wine is thus rather of the order of 45 years on average. The oldest plot, known as “La Gravière”, was planted in 1886.

The techniques used remain traditional, they incorporate strict control of yields, harvesting by hand and a lot of work done manually throughout the year. Little or no chemical fertilizers allow the vines to reach a high age, the uprooting is only done against the will when the vines are generally over 80 years old.