Château Lafite Rothschild
In the official 1855 classification of Bordeaux wines it heads the list of the four First Growths, ahead of Latour, Margaux and Haut-Brion. Since Mouton Rothschild's promotion in 1973 there have been five.
Why collect wine
Why people collect great wine
Few bottles, vintages that never come back, wines that change over the years.
Rarity
Something you keep, and one day open
The most sought-after estates make limited quantities, and each vintage has a number of bottles that will never grow. Over time those bottles are opened, and the ones that remain become ever harder to find.
Wine evolves: it matures and gains complexity over the years until it reaches its ideal drinking window. Collecting it means following it over time, opening it at the right moment, sharing it or passing it on.
What makes a wine collectable
Origin
The standing of the region and the appellation, and the quality of the vineyards.
Producer
The history and reputation of the estate, and the recognisable style of its wines.
Vintage
Great vintages produce wines that can evolve for many years.
Provenance
Bottles must come directly from producers, official distributors or certified merchants, with documented provenance.
Critical acclaim
Scores and reviews from leading critics confirm a wine's quality and shape demand for it.
Storage
Constant temperature and humidity protect the wine, the cork and the label.
Three bottles and their stories
From an 1855 classification to the whim of a tsar.
Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill
Pol Roger dedicated it to its most famous admirer ten years after his death: the first vintage, 1975, was sold only in magnum and launched in 1984 at Blenheim Palace, where Churchill was born.
Cristal
Louis Roederer created it in 1876 for Tsar Alexander II, who asked for a clear crystal bottle with a flat base. It is regarded as the first prestige cuvée in Champagne.
Collecting with eWibe
Great wines from certified partners, kept in our vaults, to buy, to sell and, when the moment comes, to drink.