Since his purchase of Château des Laurets in 2003, Baron Benjamin de Rothschild wanted to reveal the quintessence of this estate by making a special cuvée from the best plots of Merlot. The grapes are picked and sorted by hand, then fermented with all the care and attention worthy of a great-growth. This rare wine, only produced in the best vintages, reflects all the quality of a great Saint-Émilion made primarily from Merlot— a subtle combination of elegance and character.

The 2005 vintage for Bordeaux was exemplary, brimming with classy wines. A warm beginning to the growing season saw both a successful bud burst and flowering. Although conditions rarely got hot enough to cause serious vine stress, they were exceedingly dry and, in some regions, drought was permanently on the horizon. Further rains fell in September followed by warm sunny days and cool refreshing nights, which were crucial to preserving essential acidity and aromatics within the grapes. Saint- Émilion had slightly warmer conditions than the rest of Bordeaux and, as a result, produced huge, bold tannic wines that were mostly sublime but a rare few struggled with unwieldy tannins. However, time in the cellar is likely to have smoothed out a few rough edges. Overall, the 2005 vintage delivered an abundance of undeniably elegant, age-worthy, and classy wines.