In 2019, this photographic homage was created in French. I present it here again as a digital flipbook. Here is the English translation of the foreword:
For Jean-Guillaume Prats, the combination of classicism and innovation, the emphasis on tradition and a focus on the future, expertise and entrepreneurial spirit is what defines Château Lafite’s identity. “Château Lafite-Rothschild”, he said, “is the only time machine that works”. You can discover it at the Château in Pauillac: in the most natural production process possible, in the cooperage, where almost all of the estate’s barrels are made, or in the treasury, where the wines are stored back to 1797.
“Château Lafite-Rothschild is the only time machine that works”.
Jean-Guillaume Prats
And, of course, the wine itself: Despite all the stylistic changes, it impresses above all with its finesse – and is closer to Château Margaux than Latour or Mouton. For over a hundred years, wine critics have tried to outdo each other in their characterisations of Château Lafite: that it is “lacking any superficiality” (Horst Dohm), that it is like “a copperplate engraving by Gustave Doré” full of fascinating details (Andrew Jefford) or even that it embodies the “ancient Greek ideal of perfect balance” (H. Warner Allen).
There is a lot of truth in these sentences, even across the decades. In February 2019, I had the pleasure of visiting Château Lafite and tasting the wines. If these pictures could tell the viewer something of my enchantment, I would be delighted.
To view the book, simply click on the book cover below. An advert will appear in the flipbook first. You can simply click it away and then view the book free of adverts.
© Stefan Pegatzky / Time Tunnel Images
