Twenty years ago, Waterford Wine & Spirits opened its doors with a simple, ambitious belief: that Wisconsin deserved access to the world’s great wines, not as distant trophies but as living, shareable experiences. Two decades later, that belief has grown into a community built around curiosity, trust and the joy of discovery.
To mark our 20th anniversary, we’re doing what we love most: welcoming some of the world’s most revered wineries and putting them right where they belong — at the tasting table with you.
There are wines that announce themselves loudly—and then there is Lafite. If Bordeaux is a language, Lafite Rothschild is its most fluent speaker: measured, precise, endlessly articulate, never raising its voice because it never has to. This seminar is an immersion into that quiet authority, an exploration of why Lafite has been the benchmark for elegance in Bordeaux for more than two centuries, and why its reputation has endured even as tastes, markets, and fashions have shifted around it.
Château Lafite Rothschild is not a wine that was invented, but one that has been continuously revealed. Its identity is the result of a rare harmony between nature and human stewardship—an equilibrium that has been recalibrated vintage by vintage for more than a thousand seasons. Lafite does not impose itself on the land; it listens, responds, and refines. Each year begins again, shaped by the sky’s shifting hand, yet guided by an unbroken philosophy of precision and restraint.
That philosophy is rooted on the plateau of Lafite’s mythical gravel. These ancient, deep gravels—unchanging, patient, and resolute—form the foundation of one of the world’s most recognizable expressions of Cabernet Sauvignon. Here, power is never the goal. Instead, the wine grows toward clarity, tension, and nuance. The men and women who work these vineyards are not merely cultivating vines; they are carrying forward a living tradition, one passed from generation to generation. Since the arrival of Baron James de Rothschild more than 150 years ago, a single family has safeguarded that tradition, translating nature’s unpredictability into consistency of voice rather than sameness of outcome.
In the glass, Lafite reflects this balance of resilience and delicacy. Young vintages often appear reserved, their structure finely drawn, their aromas suggested rather than declared—cassis, blackcurrant leaf, graphite, cedar, and cool mineral tones woven into a frame of refined tannins and lifted acidity. With time, the wine evolves toward savory complexity: tobacco, forest floor, truffle, dried herbs, and leather, all carried on a texture that feels both weightless and complete. Lafite does not age by accumulating mass, but by revealing depth.
This seminar will be hosted by Olivia de Rothschild, a sixth-generation member of the Rothschild family and one of the contemporary stewards of the Lafite legacy. As part of the family group overseeing Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite), Olivia represents the bridge between tradition and modernity—bringing a global perspective shaped by international experience while remaining deeply anchored in the philosophy of Lafite. While she will not be presenting the Grand Vin of Château Lafite Rothschild itself, Olivia will guide the tasting through a curated selection of wines drawn from across her family’s Domaines, offering rare insight into how the Lafite philosophy expresses itself through different estates, appellations, and styles. Her work centers on communication, education, and long-term vision, helping translate centuries of history into a living, forward-looking conversation with today’s wine world.
Unyielding yet delicate, subtle yet enduring, Lafite remains anchored in its eternal gravel—wise, patient, and quietly expressive. If it has survived a thousand seasons, it is because its roots and soul are already writing what comes next. This tasting is an invitation to slow down, listen closely, and experience a wine that begins anew each year without ever starting over.
Wines to Be Tasted:
R de Rieussec 2023
Domaine d'Aussieres 2019
Château Lafite Rothschild Grand Vin 1995
Château Lafite Rothschild Grand Vin 2007
Château Lafite Rothschild Grand Vin 2014
Château Lafite Rothschild Grand Vin 2015
Château Lafite Rothschild Grand Vin 2016
Carruades de Lafite 2018
Château Duhart-Milon 2022
Château L’Évangile 2020
Château Rieussec Sauternes 2021
All prices listed reflect regular retail. Significant discounts will be offered on all wines tasted. Due to the highly allocated nature of some selections, wines may change without notice.
