Twenty years may seem few in the long history of Champagne, yet they can be enough to build an identity that is recognizable and increasingly established day after day. This is the snapshot that captures the current state of Barons de Rothschild, a Maison founded in 2005 and distributed in Italy by Domori. The Champagne house, which unites the different souls of a family that has shaped the greatness of Bordeaux, is now preparing to enter a new phase: maturity. A chapter inaugurated by the recent opening of the futuristic winery in Vertus, the operational heart of a project that has made Chardonnay, finesse and time its stylistic cornerstones. Guillaume Lété has accompanied its evolution since 2011. Over these years, the young Chef de Caves has witnessed the many profound changes that have affected both Champagne and its wines: increasingly challenging harvests, tangible effects of climate change, more curious consumers and a market in which the world’s most famous sparkling wine must confront new trends without losing its identity. In this interview, Guillaume Lété shares how he imagines the future of Barons de Rothschild, his relationship with terroir and the wines that inspire him in his daily work.
Since joining Barons de Rothschild in 2011, what are the most significant changes you’ve observed in Champagne?
Many things have changed. Today we experience vintages that are far more contrasted than in the past, and each year develops an increasingly distinct expression. This is not necessarily negative: some vintages evolve even more favorably than those thirty or forty years ago and, in certain respects, can be easier to interpret.
What I observe above all is greater variability. Profiles are often more solar — this is now evident — but extreme weather events are also increasing: frost, storms, droughts and ripening patterns that follow completely different schemes from those we once knew. The world changes, Champagne changes with it, and this inevitably leads us to question the future.
The wine world is undergoing major transformations, from new consumption styles to trends like dealcoholized wines. What should Champagne’s role be in this context?
I believe Champagne must remain faithful to its nature. It is a wine linked to joy, conviviality, celebration. It is a great gastronomic wine that carries the message of our terroir, our history and our identity.
At the same time, Champagne must live with its time. We must engage with new generations, who today are much more curious and ask questions that probably no one would have imagined thirty years ago. This evolution is positive because it generates dialogue, explanation and sharing. And wine, above all, is this: something to be shared.
Barons de Rothschild is a relatively young Maison within Champagne’s long history. What personal contribution would you like to bring to the construction of its identity?
I don’t feel the need to introduce major changes. Since 2011, we have already traveled about 75% of the path that has led us to build the identity we now recognize in our Champagnes. The convictions that guided us remain deeply relevant.
For us, there are fundamental principles. The first is respect for the land, for the terroir and for its individual expressions. The second is respect for time: doing things well requires patience, without forcing balances but rather accompanying them.
We want to craft contemporary Champagnes, based on finesse and drinkability. Our ultimate goal is always the same: to inspire the desire to drink a second glass. This, in my view, is the mission of Champagne.
Is there a terroir in Champagne that feels particularly close to you?
There are many, but inevitably I start from home. I come from Avize, and this Grand Cru holds a special place in my heart and in my professional life. I consider it one of the most complete terroirs for Chardonnay.
That said, I also love the great Pinot Noir terroirs and many other Chardonnay terroirs, both in the Côte des Blancs and elsewhere. The most interesting thing is to continue exploring them, vintage after vintage, always seeking new balances.
Is there a terroir you haven’t worked with yet and would like to explore through your work at Barons de Rothschild?
Rather than seeking new ones, I believe the real challenge is to deepen our understanding of the terroirs we already work with. Today we are fortunate to have a very broad reading of the Montagne de Reims and Côte des Blancs terroirs.
The true margin for growth lies in understanding their nuances even more deeply, measuring their expressions with greater precision and pushing further in interpreting these identities. This is where I see the greatest qualitative potential for the future of the Maison.
Outside Champagne, which wines do you enjoy drinking or which inspire your work?
I love wine in an absolute sense, regardless of origin, grape variety or color.
Naturally, I feel a particular affinity for Chardonnay and for the extraordinary work Burgundy has developed around the concepts of climat and micro‑terroir. For a Maison like ours, whose wines are composed of about 70% Chardonnay, it is a fundamental source of inspiration — in vineyard management, in the search for maturity and in working with oak.
But beyond Burgundy, I also love great Bordeaux. Then, there are excellent wines in the Loire and in southern France. And of course, how could I not mention great Italian wines.
