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 winter was rainy and stormy, with warmer and drier-than-usual temperatures until the end of December. January and February were also mild but had a lot of rain, almost every day. The spring was cool and wet, with even flowering during the first 10 days of June and no frost. The summer was very hot and dry, resulting in a high yield and excellent fruit quality for an exceptional 2016 vintage.

Intense deep purple color. The nose features overtones of blackberry, cherry pits and vanilla. It has a myriad of aromas and displays a rare elegance. This 100% Merlot, made to age for a very long time, has an outstanding aromatic complexity. It has delicious blackberry and cherry flavors as well as great body, and a fine structure enhanced by oak ageing for long cellaring. The black fruit flavors are remarkably fresh.