Certainly, everyone who drinks Bordeaux wine knows of Château Lafite Rothschild, the premier cru classe of the Pauillac region of Bordeaux. If they’re lucky enough, they’ve had it more than once. But a bottle of the 2008 vintage, which is ready to drink now, is $995. The 2009 Carruades de Lafite, the winery’s second label, is $359. What’s a wine lover on a budget to do?

We have a solution below. But first, a bit about the producer.

Starting out in 1868 with Lafite, today Les Domaines Barons de Rothschild is a large wine group. In Bordeaux, the group owns four additional properties in addition to Lafite and Carruades:

 
The company also distributes Château Paradis Casseuil in the Entre-deux-Mers region, and Château Odilon in the Haut-Médoc.
 
Lafite Rothschild owns wineries in areas beyond Bordeaux. In France, these are typically referred to as domaines. This use of “domaine” is also customary in France’s other famed wine-making region, Burgundy.

Why chateau versus domaine? Here’s more about it.

These beyond-Bordeaux wineries of Lafite include:

 
Then there’s Les Légendes, a wine collection we loved at first taste. It has become part of our regular drinking.
 
 
LES LÉGENDES COLLECTION

Three decades ago, the Rothschild family was inspired to create a new wine collection, where each wine would be an excellent expression of its appellation.

The motivation for creating the Les Légends Collection was to ensure that wine lovers everywhere could taste the originality of each Bordeaux appellation at an affordable cost.

And so, Les Légendes range was born.

The wines express the freshness and elegance of Bordeaux, and are very affordable—as little as $15 a bottle. An amazingly low cost, yet they’re made with the same care and attention as the Grands Vins of Lafite Rothschild. These are classy wines.

You don’t need to cellar them: They are ready to drink when they are released (Lafite Rothschild has to be cellared for at least 10 years after release; 15 to 20 years is ideal).

The red wines use grapes purchased from vineyards neighboring Domaines Lafite Rothschild (Les Légendes Pauillac uses actual grapes from Lafite Rothschild vineyards). The white wine grapes are from the Entre-deux-Mers region of Bordeaux.

We were fortunate to taste the red wines in order of complexity. Each wine got better and better—in a lineup where each was excellent (as is the Bordeaux Blanc).
 
Les Légends Red Bordeaux Wines

 
Les Légends White Bordeaux Wine

 
Your task is to find these beautifully balanced wines—and pop the cork without delay! Here’s a store locator.

Here’s more about the portfolio.

We raise a glass to Les Légends!
 
 
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*Château is the French term for a country house or castle, and is most commonly used by the wineries of Bordeaux.

[1] Bordeaux and steak: a classic combination (photo © D&D London).

[2] Les Légendes Collection: five wonderful wines (photo © Taub Family Selections).

[3] Les Légendes St. Emilion: a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc with anise, plums and blackberries, a savory edge of leather and tar and an earthiness that wine people call forest floor.

[4] You don’t need a rack of lamb to enjoy these wines, but it’s a beautiful pairing (photos © Now And Zin).