1973. When it all began.
A visionary, a builder and a wine enthusiast like his illustrious family, Baron Edmond de Rothschild (1926-1997), co-owner of Château Lafite Rothschild, had a secret dream: to own an intimate, discreet, little-known vineyard, which he would turn into his masterpiece. In a titanic project, he restored the estate, created new facilities, redesigned and replanted the entire 55-hectare vineyard. He also relaunched Château Clarke's Le Merle Blanc, a white wine born at the end of the 19th century, long before the fashion for white Médoc wines was revived. Château Clarke thus became the cornerstone of the winemaking adventure. The estate was passed on to his son Baron Benjamin (1963-2021) and his wife Ariane, who reinvented Baron Edmond's legacy and set about completing the metamorphosis of the estate and its wines into Médoc icons.
The proximity of the Atlantic Ocean gives the terroir a freshness that is reflected in the wine's aromatic radiance. A terroir that is highly conducive to the cultivation of the Merlot grape variety, in a region more traditionally known for the production of Cabernet Sauvignon. Château Clarke thus possesses a highly original Médoc character.
