For more than two centuries, the name Rothschild has resonated with wine lovers and enthusiasts of the art of living throughout the world. Over the generations, this powerful dynasty, rooted since the 18th century in banking and finance and later in industrial investment, vineyards and the art world, has forged a reputation for excellence. This exacting approach and the expertise acquired in fine wines naturally led them to create their own champagne house.
Just twenty years ago, the Rothschild family decided to unite around a common project: to found an exceptional Champagne House on a par with the great French names.
Thus was born Champagne Barons de Rothschild. Since then, the House has a presence in more than 85 countries and produces 600,000 bottles per year, distributed exclusively to the finest restaurants, hotels and renowned wine merchants.
Rothschild, a name that obliges
The ancestor of the Rothschilds was a certain Mayer Amschel, born in 1744 into a modest family of merchants. He could have become a rabbi, but instead he became a banker, thus laying the foundations for the most famous banking dynasty in the world.
The death of his parents at the age of eleven led him to enter an early apprenticeship at a bank in Hanover.
Long years of apprenticeship and saving. When he had sufficient capital, he returned to Frankfurt and opened his own business in 1770: Mayer Amschel Rothschild and Sons, dedicated in particular to the sale of ancient coins and works of art. He quickly became administrator of the county of Hesse-Kassel under William I, better known as William IX. While William lent his soldiers to England and Prussia against Napoleon Bonaparte’s armies, Mayer lent money to the coalition rulers to support the war effort.
One of Mayer’s five sons, James, representing the French branch of the family, was born in the ghetto in 1792, in the heart of a house marked by a distinctive red sign – Rot meaning red and schild, sign – in the middle of Judengasse, the Jewish ghetto of Frankfurt.
By the grace of Metternich, James de Rothschild became a baron and Austrian consul in Paris. With his brothers, who settled in Frankfurt, London, Vienna and Naples, they helped develop the European branches of their father’s company.
In 1815, James de Rothschild set up his bank in the mansion of Fouché, Duke of Otranto, located at 21 rue Laffitte (Paris 9th arrondissement). Manager of the fortune of King Louis-Philippe I, he became the richest man in France when he obtained the concession for the Northern railways. The industrial empire consolidated, built in particular on the pillars of steel and coal.
James had the Rothschild mansion rebuilt in a Gothic style in 1835. A lover of the arts and a great builder, he had numerous properties built, each more sumptuous than the last: Château Rothschild in Boulogne-Billancourt, Château de Ferrières (Seine-et-Marne), Hôtel Saint Florentin (or Hôtel Talleyrand) a stone’s throw from Rue de Rivoli. It was also he who, in 1868, acquired his first wine-growing property, whose name recalls the historic Parisian location of the family bank: Château Lafite.
The Rothschilds who succeeded James not only preserved this real estate, cultural and financial heritage, but also made it grow over the years, making family capital and fraternal solidarity a true dogma with which no one could compromise.
Genesis of a champagne project
On the proposal of Benjamin de Rothschild (deceased in 2021), owner of Château Clarke in Moulis-en-Médoc, in association with his cousins Eric and Philippe, Barons de Rothschild champagne was created in 2005.
Today, it unites three branches of the Rothschild family (Mouton, Lafite and Clarke, Edmond de Rothschild Group) in the same project, namely Barons Philippe Sereys de Rothschild and Eric de Rothschild, as well as Baroness Ariane de Rothschild.
From the outset, the aim was to deliver their unique interpretation of a great Champagne together, but also to magnify this symbol of conviviality and art de vivre so dear to the whole family.
The whole must honor the family’s values of excellence, summarized in three pillars: Concordia (Harmony, accord, literally “all hearts together”); Integritas (State of being intact, without alteration); and Industria (Know-how, methodical work).
Premiers and Grands Crus
“The primary quality must be absolute elegance,” says Philippe Sereys de Rothschild.
In order to produce the best Champagne, you still need the best products. The House of Barons de Rothschild owns 8 hectares of vineyards and sources its grapes from some 20 partner winegrowers. The extent of this empire is spread over a wide variety of plots almost exclusively in Grands Crus and Premiers Crus, on the Côte des Blancs, around the Montagne de Reims as well as in the Marne valley.
These different exceptional terroirs seemed like an obvious choice for the family, allowing the know-how and complexity of this beautiful region to resonate in each of their bottles. Since the beginning of 2024, new production sites have been built, one in Oger, dedicated to the ageing of bottles on racks, remuage, disgorgement, labelling and finally shipping of the vintages. A second site, located in Vertus, is a winery, renovated from an existing building. This site is entirely dedicated to the winemaking of the House, from the reception of the must to the sorting. It will also house a high-precision winery. All these facilities aim to offer a wide selection of containers: in stainless steel, wood or concrete, to enhance each vintage.
Chardonnay: the keystone of the House
Excellence and precision are at the heart of every Champagne Barons de Rothschild cuvée. This quest for the absolute is illustrated in the subtle art of blending, dominated by Chardonnay, the keystone and the main grape variety of all the House’s cuvées. There are four main cuvées: Concordia Brut, Brut Nature, Rosé and Blanc de Blanc.
Drawing on its Bordeaux heritage, the Rothschild family applies its age-old know-how: the non-vintage wines incorporate up to 40% of reserve wines, a guarantee of consistency and elegance. Patience and rigor dictate each stage, from aging in the cellar – from 4 to 10 years depending on the cuvée – to the post-disgorgement rest, which lasts at least six months, or even more than a year for certain cuvées. A commitment to integrity and balance that places each cuvée in a timeless vision of excellence, specific to the spirit of the House of Barons de Rothschild.
Champagne Barons de Rothschild thus boldly and rigorously perpetuates an exceptional heritage, offering wines that combine tradition and modernity. Each flute becomes an invitation to discover the timeless elegance of Champagne, borne by the vision and passion of an exceptional family.
Read also > A Brief History of Luxury: Rolls Royce and the Spirit of Ecstasy, the legendary spirit of freedom
Featured photo: © Champagne Barons de Rothschild
