Compagnie Vinicole; A group of six estates owned by Baron Edmond de Rothschild, located in renowned wine areas in New Zealand and other nations, produce wines. After purchasing Château Clarke and Château Malmaison, two Cru Bourgeois properties in Listrac-Médoc and Moulis-en-Médoc, Baron Edmond de Rothschild founded the firm in 1973. Edmond de Rothschild's son Benjamin oversaw the Compagnie Vinicole from 1997 to 2021 and significantly increased the firm's portfolio to what it is today. The management of the Baron Edmond de Rothschild properties has been transferred to his wife, Ariane de Rothschild, following the passing of Benjamin de Rothschild in Jan 2021.
In 2012, Compagnie Vinicole purchased Rimapere, a Marlborough vineyard, in partnership with the Peabody family, proprietors of the renowned Craggy Range winery in New Zealand. Sauvignon Blanc makes up over 60% of plantings nationwide and about 85% of New Zealand's export sales. The mild coastal temperature of this area and the proximity of vineyards to the ocean make it an ideal place for its production. It provides the characteristic citrus and grapefruit smells and nice acidity that give this grape type its freshness. 49 acres with Sauvignon Blanc and 4 hectares of Pinot Noir, the primary red wine grape, are grown on the 59-acre site's alluvial soils.
The Sauvignon Blanc grapes are picked when they are fully mature. While some of the grapes are gathered manually, most are done so by machines to assure the pace of the process, which is crucial for producing perfect grapes. The juices are brewed at a relatively low temperature (15° to 18°) for 2 weeks after submerging the fruit in their own juice, air or gas pressing, and cold settling. They are then stored on lees for five months before being stirred to add bulk and bring out the sweetness. Traditional procedures are used to vinify half of the Pinot Noirs, while Burgundian techniques which include carbonic maceration and punching down) are used to vinify the other half. They undergo a 10-month aging process in French oak barrels, 25% of which have never been used after being fermented in vats.
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