Bordeaux legends: The 1855 first growth wines

http://www.renaud-bray.com

http://www.renaud-bray.com

Chateau Haut Brion, Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Chateau Latour, Chateau Margaux, and Chateau Mouton Rothschild: five names that changed the world of French wine. For the first time, this book brings their separate stories together into one sweeping saga; from their early days as estates owned by some of France's most powerful families, to the dramas of the French Revolution, the 1855 Paris Exhibition where four were crowned as First Growths and the determined efforts that saw Mouton Rothschild join the others more than a century later. This beautifully illustrated book follows the estates' progress to the present, where they stand as arguably the world's greatest wine producers. Bordeaux Legends tells not only their stories, but also offers insights into the obsessional detail that goes into making these superb wines, and explains the history of the Bordeaux wine trade through these five estates, which have been at its heart for over 500 years. Revealing anecdotes and lively historical detail, as well as important new research, are enriched by Isabelle Rozenbaum's lavish new photographs and firsthand accounts from the chateaux owners themselves, their directors and staff, as well as those who work with them in Bordeaux, London, Hong Kong, the United States and further afield. A foreword by Academy Award winning director and winery owner Francis Ford Coppola makes it clear why these five wines are considered among the very best in the world.