Baron Philippe de Rothschild, Opus One, Mondavi and the Jew Wine Scam

[CrackSmokeRepublican]

Opus One Winery is a winery in Oakville, California, USA. The wine was called napamedoc until 1982 when it was named Opus One. The winery was founded as a joint venture between Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Château Mouton Rothschild and Robert Mondavi to create a single Bordeaux style blend based upon Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. It is located across State Route 29 from the Robert Mondavi Winery. The creation of this winery venture in 1980[1] was big news in the wine industry; de Rothschild's involvement added an air of respectability to the burgeoning Napa wine region. The first vintage, 1979 was released 1984 at the same time as the 1980 vintage. For a while it was the most expensive Californian wine costing 50USD. In 1989 a new winery was built just down the road, the first vintage from the new winery was from 1991 and was released in 1994.[2]

History

The joint venture between Mondavi and Baron Rothschild was announced in 1980, though plans for the winery had been developing between the two men since the early 1970s. In 1980, Mondavi sold 35 acres from his notable To Kalon Vineyard in the Oakville AVA to the joint venture that would serve as the backbone for the blend. The first vintage from this block was released in 1985 and soon the estate built the large limestone winery in Oakville that has become an icon of the Napa Valley.[3]

In the 1990s, Opus One became the California cult wine to be widely sold in Asia and Europe. Following Constellation Brands' 2004 take over of Robert Mondavi winery, the estate of Baron Rothschild negotiated with Constellation Brands control of marketing, vineyard management and administration of the winery.[3]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opus_One_Winery



Nor is the world of wine immune to the many-tentacled reach of global conspiracies. While it's true that octopuses cannot survive on land, and rarely appear in vineyards, that does not mean that winemakers are safe.  Witness the tangle of accusations that surround the vintner Robert Mondavi. A Stanford graduate with a business head, Mondavi came from a long line of Italian winemakers, and in 1966 established his own winery in Napa Valley. Unlike most of his competitors, he sold his wine by variety (such as Sauvignon Blanc) rather than simply labeling it by region (such as Napa). He also strove to raise the standards of California wines to equal or rival European brands. Mondavi's innovations proved so successful that he was soon able to buy up some of his rivals, and prevail in blind-taste test competitions against the finest imports from France.

Indeed, the wines produced by Mondavi and his imitators have begun to displace the products of ancient family vineyards in France and Italy—to the outrage of traditionalists. In fine American fashion, the Mondavi winery makes use of high-tech techniques and consultants to turn out wines that suit the tastes of influential critics like Wine Spectator's Robert Parker —whose 100-point wine ratings get prominent play in wine shops, and can make or break a vintage. Such wines can best be described as "big," with potent flavors and lots of "fruit." Indeed, the most overwhelming of these wines are sometimes ridiculed by cognoscenti as "fruit bombs." It was wines like this, recommended by critics such as Parker, which won most Americans away from drinking Mateus and great big jugs of Ernest & Julio Gallo.

But that doesn't mollify some critics. As New York Times food critic Eric Asimov has written (May 20, 2006):

"Parker's critics have asserted that his power is so great, and his taste so monochromatic, with a preference for powerfully concentrated fruity wines, that some producers around the world feel compelled to customize their wines for his palate. These "Parkerized" wines have proliferated, they say, and as a result wines from all over the world, made from different traditions and from different grapes, taste the same."

Instead of big, obvious tastes created with the help of chemists, some wine aficionados prefer the subtle, complex flavor acquired by wines made in the traditional way, where the taste is redolent not of expertise but of the sun, soil, and shade that attended the earth where the grapes were grown. They worry that the prevalence of a narrow set of tastes will homogenize the variegated wines of the world, and reduce the ancient art of wine-making to yet another scientific field dominated by Americans—who will promptly get bored and outsource the entire industry to China.

As critic James Bowman writes (The American Spectator, May 31, 2005), a number of these wine activists have embraced conspiracy theories, suggesting that winemakers like Mondavi and critics like Parker work hand in hand, forming an axis of oenophiles to extend their domination across the wineries of the world. In the otherwise excellent 2005 documentary Mondavino, Bowman finds a troubling political undertone:

"That the Mondavis' conspiracy against the world's wines is linked to the grand unified conspiracy theories of the left is sufficiently attested to by the fact that both Parker and the representative of the Rothschild winery of Bordeaux which is collaborating with the Mondavis on the their up-market, Opus One, brand have the same photo of Ronald Reagan holding up a glass of wine prominently displayed in the room where they are interviewed. "

Here at last we find the smudgy fingerprints of conspiracy: The Rothschilds are involved. This family, which first acquired its wealth serving as the bankers to royalty, is perhaps the single most abused bloodline in Europe.  Anti-Semites and Marxists alike could come together in hating this family; the former because they are Jewish, the latter because they helped keep monarchies afloat. Indeed, as Hannah Arendt pointed out in The Origins of Totalitarianism, the various branches of the Rothschilds, who worked in London, Paris, Vienna, and Berlin, were often employed as unpaid diplomats by their governments—who might not trust their own ambassadors, but could rely upon the Rothschilds. The family knew that war was bad for business, and frequently strove through its various branches to patch up quarrels among the nations; the last Rothschild peace initiative was launched in 1914, as various Rothschilds shuttled all over Europe trying to avert the outbreak of World War I. That war brought down three monarchies which used to do business with the family, and forced them to concentrate on their vineyards—once a sidelight started to turn out some decent kosher wine.

But their honest dealings never won the Rothschilds any gratitude among narrow nationalists, who suspected the loyalty of Jews, aristocrats, and clergy—each of whom had dangerously "international" connections. As Rothschild critic Myron Fagan (a playwright and journalist, who "launched a one man crusade to unmask the Red Conspiracy in Hollywood which had set about to produce films that would aid that One World Governement [sic] plot,") asserts:

"Adam Weishaupt was a Jesuit-trained professor of canon law, teaching in Engelstock University, when he defected from Christianity to embrace the Luciferian conspiracy. It was in 1770 that the professional money lenders, the then recently organized House of Rothschild, retained him to revise and modernize the age-old Protocols of Zionism, which from the outset, was designed to give the Synagogue of Satan, so named by Jesus Christ, ultimate world domination so they could impose the Luciferian ideology upon what would remain of the human race after the final social cataclysm by use of satanic despotism."

For instance, by making better wine. In 1978, Baron Philippe de Rothschild, owner of Château Mouton-Rothschild in Pauillac, France, met with Robert Mondavi to discuss a joint venture that would wed French tradition, American technique—and presumably, Luciferian ideology. The winery they started, Opus One, produced what was perhaps the first "ultrapremium" American wine, introduced in 1984 at $50 per bottle—more than double the price of comparable California vintages. As Steve Pitcher wrote in Wine News (Feb./Mar. 2000), the price reflected the work which had gone into the wine:

"Opus One is meticulously 'hand massaged,' with frequent topping of barrels and six rackings during its 18 months in barrel, making it extremely labor intensive. The wine is moved only by the gentle force of gravity; mechanical pumps are banned. In the first-growth tradition, the $700 French barrels are never reused. And, at a cost of more than $29 million, the Opus One Winery ranks as one of the world's most expensive single-product facilities."

The wine was an immediate and enduring success, which of course awakened suspicion. Was it merely an accident that a vulgar American corporation was working with scions of an ancient banking family to dominate the worldwide wine market? Surely, there must be more to the story than that—some Hidden Hand squeezing the grapes....

And indeed there was. According to the always-informative Web resource Illuminati Today Index, that hand belongs to Opus Dei. The intrepid anonymous author of the Sept. 3, 2006 expose "Dorothy Bush-Koch Linked to Rothschilds and Opus Dei through Devil's Wine" reports with alarm that Dorothy Bush-Koch, sister of the president, is married to a man named Robert "Bob" Koch, himself also a president—albeit only of the Wine Institute, an industry lobbying group. But who should turn up among the members of that secretive vintners' cabal? None other than both the Mondavis and the Rothschilds. Even worse, the site reports:

"The winery itself and the name of its prime product "Blood Red" have given rise to suspicions of satanic ritualism and architecture. The Baroness Rothschild who now heads this particular enterprise also has a joint venture with the Chilean winery Concha y Toro—or Seashell and Bull—in Chile. That Winery is openly run by Opus Dei. Its favorite brand is Cassilera del Diablo or Devil's Cellar. The silver wrapping on the cork has the outline of a devil. Rather odd for a group that claims to be doing God's Work as the name Opus Dei implies in Latin....  A QUESTION WITH AN ANSWER WE MAY NOT WANT TO KNOW: Does the Catholic Church use Opus One for Mass?"

http://takimag.com/article/the_rothschi ... _opus_dei/

[CrackSmokeRepublican]

Since 1933, Baron Philippe de Rothschild SA, located at Pauillac in the Médoc, has been motivated by a constant ambition: to make the world's finest wines, each in its own category, whether the châteaux wines for which it is responsible – the renowned Château Mouton Rothschild, a First Growth, and its distinguished lieutenants, Château Clerc Milon and Château d'Armailhac – or branded wines, like the famous Mouton Cadet.

Baron Philippe de Rothschild SA has also exported its know-how beyond Bordeaux: to the Pays d'Oc, with a range of varietal wines and, more recently, Domaine de Baron'arques; to California, with Opus One; and to Chile, with Almaviva.

One of the key factors behind the company's undisputed success is the art of blending, which it practises with exceptional skill. Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, the majority shareholder of Baron Philippe de Rothschild SA, works closely with the executive directors to maintain, modernise and develop the family business.

As well as telling you more about the company, this site gives you access to databases, including tasting notes, Château Mouton Rothschild labels, etc., and offers a number of virtual tours.

We hope you enjoy discovering the world of Baron Philippe de Rothschild.

http://www.bpdr.com/

[CrackSmokeRepublican]

Baron Edmond and Benjamin de Rothschild  

Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite)




1868 Baron James de Rothschild purchases Château Lafite, 1st growth wine classified in 1855.

On 8 August 1868, Baron James de Rothschild purchased Château Lafite, which was under public sale as part of the Ignace-Joseph Vanlerberghe succession (see history of Château Lafite Rothschild for the preceding period). Just 3 months after the purchase, Baron James passed away, and Lafite became the joint property of his three sons: Alphonse, Gustave and Edmond. The estate then included 74 hectares of vineyards.



1870 An exquisite vintage year during Médoc's "golden age"

As if the soil were infused with the era's feeling of prosperity, the 1868 decade left a rich legacy of remarkable vintages, particularly 1869, 1870, 1874, 1875, and 1878. Fortunately for Barons Alphonse, Gustave, and Edmond de Rothschild, the "golden age" of Médoc, heralded by the 1855 vintage, continued for another fifteen years after Château Lafite's purchase.

1900 Two truly exceptional vintages emerge from a troubled era

The late 1800's and the early 1900's were turbulent. The grapevines suffered both a phylloxeric crisis and mildew. The situation was made worse by organized fraud, which took a toll on the major vintages, as did World War I, the Great Depression, and France's occupation during World War II. Particular exceptions to this dark period include vintage years 1899, 1900, then 1926 and 1929: all of the highest quality. It was during this period that Barons Edouard, Robert, James and Maurice de Rothschild succeeded their fathers at the head of Château Lafite.

1946 The Rothschild family entrusts Château Lafite to Baron Elie de Rothschild

A new generation of Rothschilds inherited Château Lafite: Barons Guy, Alain, Elie, and Edmond. After the difficult decades following the turn of the century, and the painful period of World War II, Baron Elie de Rothschild was entrusted with the recovery of the Estate. Vintages 1947 and 1949 were rays of hope amid the hard labors of renewal, but the Bordeaux grapevines suffered from frost again in February 1956. Nonetheless, the recovery went on and gave rise to a new era, heralded by the exceptional vintages 1959 and 1961.

1962 Purchase of Château Duhart-Milon, 4th growth wine classified in 1855, Pauillac.

Owned by the Castéja family for more than a century, Château Duhart-Milon suffered successive inheritances which led to the parceling of the vineyards and a decline in the wines' quality. When the Rothschild family purchased it, the property featured only 17 hectares of vineyards. To restore Château Duhart-Milon to its former glory, massive works were undertaken. The vineyards were nearly fully reintegrated and replanted, and new chais and tank rooms were installed at Pauillac.

1974 Baron Eric de Rothschild takes over Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite)

Baron Eric, nephew of Baron Elie, took over the management of Lafite and has been active in making it an exceptional estate. He extended DBR expertise to new properties by renovating exceptional estates and châteaux. The changeover was hailed by several fabulous vintages, including 1975, 1976, and 1982. Baron Eric was part of the fifth Rothschild generation to inherit Château Lafite, along with Barons David, Edouard, Robert, Nathaniel and Benjamin de Rothschild.

1984 Purchase of Château Rieussec, 1st growth wine classified in 1855, Sauternes and Château Paradis Casseuil, Entre Deux Mers

After meeting various fortunes throughout the numerous changes in owners over two centuries, Château Rieussec set out to lead the Sauternes vintage lists as soon as DBR began management. To express its potential, draconian measures were undertaken for an enhanced selection at all levels. A new chai was also built in order to prolong the wines' aging in barrels, and has been used since vintage year 1989.
1985 First pictures of Château Lafite Rothschild entrusted to a photographer

In 1985 Baron Eric put into place an artistic project which associates Lafite with talented photographers including Jacques Henri Lartigue, Irving Penn, Robert Doisneau and Richard Avedon. Every year an artist is given "carte blanche" to create an illustrated greeting card. The collection was completed retroactively from 1975 to 1985 and the number of artists who have participated is now more than 30. Daniel Vignat, former creative director of Publicis, assists Eric de Rothschild in this endeavour.

"Obviously, Chateau Lafite wine needs no publicity; this nectar of the gods speaks for itself! But combining art with this brilliant image is captivating. We have been doing it for more than 20 years, calling on many "dinosaurs" but also on some of the great upcoming young talent. And we are continuing to do so with unbridled enthusiasm."

1987 Inauguration of a new cellar at Château Lafite Rothschild

Built under the supervision of Catalan architect Ricardo Bofill, the new cellar is underground and circular, with a vault supported by 16 columns, giving the structure a majestic and airy style. The cellar holds 2200 barrels. Its construction took two years and the displacement of some 10,000m3 of earth. "Cellar 2000" is used for ageing second-year wines. The central portion is occasionally used for wine tastings and fine dinner receptions. The cellar, which is the first in the world to break away from a traditional linear organization, has sparked much admiration in the form of many new projects using this circular storage which is very functional for the work in the cellar.
1988 Acquisition of Vina Los Vascos, Chile

DBR broke new ground in winemaking by purchasing Vina Los Vascos (founded around 1736) from a Chilean family. The vineyards were reorganized to produce fine wines, as part of the DBR philosophy: replant gradually, modernize the bodega, and meticulously respect quality practices. The goal was to create an exemplary estate in the Chilean landscape, featuring excellent ground-climate conditions and unfathomed potential for vineyards.
1990 Purchase of Château l'Evangile, Pomerol

Owned by the Ducasse family for over a century, Château l'Evangile has a fabulous location between Château Petrus and Château Cheval Blanc. DBR has fostered a finer selection of wines, and has created Blason de l'Evangile as a second wine. A restoration project and renewal of vineyards has been in progress since 1998. The total renovation of the tank room and the cellar finished in 2004 completes the new configuration of the estate.
1993 Distribution of Château Peyre-Lebade, a Haut Médoc Bordeaux wine

Purchased by Baron Edmond de Rothschild at the same time as Château Clarke, Château Peyre-Lebade is located in the heart of Listrac-Médoc. It heralds both steadfastness and renewal of soil dear to DBR, since the grapevines have been present for centuries and is being revived by both vineyard renewal and modern installations. Baron Benjamin de Rothschild, son of Edmond, has managed the operation of the vineyards in this same tradition since 1997.
1995 Development of the Bordeaux Collection

Along the lines of "Reserve des Barons", DBR decided to propose different appellations to customers and friends, in a spirit of tradition similar to the Château's own wines. The project led to Réserves Pauillac, Médoc and Bordeaux. Since 2000, our teams have selected blended wines, Légende and Saga, with this same philosophy. They are part of DBR's longstanding tradition in quality, selection, and ageing.
1998 Caro Project, Mendoza, Argentina

The Bodegas Caro project has united DBR and the Catena family, a pioneer in quality Argentine wines, in producing a fine blend of two emblematic grapes: Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines are being made from the Catena family's finest vineyards, the best in the region, and the first wines have been marketed by DBR since late 2002 (2000 vintage).There are two wines in the range: Caro and Amacaya.
1999 Aussières Estate, Corbières, Languedoc

The project was to revive the Aussières Estate, one of the most beautiful Narbonne estates. This 600 hectare estate in the Narbonne district was abandoned for 4 years. 160 hectares of grapevines are being replanted at the rate of around 40 hectares a year, mostly with traditional Corbières grapes: Syrah, Mourvèdre and Grenache. The entirely renovated cellar has been operational in the heart of the Aussières vineyards since 2003. The first wines have been marketed by DBR since 2005 (2003 vintage).
2000 A legendary and very promising vintage, preview of the upcoming decade

The turn of the century went over smoothly, given the fine vintages that are currently aging in DBR chais and cellars. Among them, 1990, 1995, 1996, and 2000 and some of the others will mature into renowned vintages.
2003 An exceptional vintage marked by drought, heat and early ripening!

In Bordeaux, the rainfall in the first 8 months of the year was two–thirds less than the average over the last 30 years. Temperatures, with peaks at 40°C were much higher than in 1893, a year which was considered to be exceptionally hot. Harvesting began on 25th August at Rieussec, 1st September at l'Evangile, 5th at Duhart, 8th at Lafite, sweet whites from the 17th and after a superb month of September, harvesting ended on 1st October. The 2003 harvest will go down in history! The wines from this atypical vintage stand out with their richness, depth and smoothness with very rounded tannins.
2004 Inauguration of the new cellar at Château L'Evangile

The vat room and the cellar were completely rebuilt to be more suited to plot selection. The grapes from each plot can be separated in small batches to better judge whether they can be used in the Grand Vin after fermentation. Once fermentations are finished, the wine is placed in oak barrels in the underground barrel-ageing cellar where it is aged for 18 months. Particular care was given to the aesthetic aspects with strong exterior colours and contrasting dark colours inside which lend an intimate style to the beautiful circular cellar.
2005 LAFITE 2005 : A vintage of exceptional quality

For the third consecutive year Europe witnessed drought, but the temperatures remained reasonable and ripening was slow, uneventful and complete. The result satisfied the most demanding winegrowers with small quantities, high degrees of alcohol and perfect plant health. A truly superb harvest producing very concentrated wines and very rich tannins. A very great vintage for laying down and which has seduced wine lovers.


2008 Establishment in Penglai, China  :wtf:

DBR (Lafite) has decided to develop a quality vineyard in China with the CITIC group. Out of the many regions visited, the peninsula of Penglai, province of Shandong, proved to be the most promising area for producing a great wine, in terms of its climatic and geological conditions.

2008 Establishment in Penglai, China

DBR (Lafite) has decided to develop a quality vineyard in China with the CITIC group. Out of the many regions visited, the peninsula of Penglai, province of Shandong, proved to be the most promising area for producing a great wine, in terms of its climatic and geological conditions.

This region also possesses an ancient tradition in viticulture. The top quality soils enable planting of just over 25 hectares of vines on the slopes.

« I am very pleased to develop a vineyard in a country where the interest in fine wines is increasing every year. It is particularly exciting to participate in the creation of an exceptional Chinese wine » Baron Eric de Rothschild

http://www.lafite.com/eng/History