Speaking of Lafite, many people's first reaction is to associate it with the vintage year of 1270. Everyone agrees that a 1270 Lafite is a guarantee of quality, and even more a symbol of status. Those who can own and taste her are either rich or noble. So why is the 1270 Lafite so precious?
That must begin with the history of Lafite's birthplace, Corion Estate. This vineyard, located south of Beauclair on the shore of Lake Seidhe Llygad, and praised as the supreme wine among wines, was first established by the Hortense family.
The Duchy of Toussaint has many small vineyards. Some may not even have family crests, and the wines they produce have never received particularly high evaluations. The former Hortense Estate was one such place. Even its most famous Sansretour the Lost had only just crossed the threshold of a wine barony.
But both unfortunately and fortunately, a natural disaster of centipede invasion bankrupted and ruined them. At this point, perhaps there are already wine lovers secretly thanking the centipedes in their hearts!
Yes, thank the centipedes! They allowed the Corion family of the Umbrella crest, the universally known Phantom Troupe, the siblings Victor and Angoulême, to take over Hortense in 1270 and officially rename it Corion Estate.
And after the siblings took over the winery, their first famous work was the classic, immortal 1270 Lafite, named by Mr. Corion after the woman who was his first love! As for the tragic and beautiful story of how he met his first love at the age of eight, please see my humble work, My Childhood Sweetheart Cannot Possibly Taste This Good: Lafite's Past and Present.
As everyone knows, in the auction market or circulation market, even for the same wine, the price difference between a good vintage and a bad vintage can be as vast as heaven and earth.
For example, an 1285 Lafite has a market retail price of around ten thousand, while a 1270 Lafite will retail for no less than one million. Both come from Corion Estate, the same vineyard, the same cultivation method, the same brewing and aging craft, so why is the price difference so great?
The difference lies in the degree of legend. There are three reasons why a classic legend was born!
First is the year 1270 itself. Due to the centipede disaster and the transfer of ownership, the grapes of Corion Estate were harvested too late that year. The fruit aroma of the overripe grapes was unusually rich. Most experts believed that such wine would have a very short life and would find it difficult to continue maturing in the barrel.
In addition, the new owner of the winery was a witcher with no prior winemaking experience. Therefore, almost no one was optimistic that Corion Estate could produce any fine wine, and feared it might not even be able to reproduce the former Sansretour the Lost.
Second is the miraculous Count Crespi. This man's historical evaluation is mixed, with both praise and criticism. Quite a bit of indirect evidence suggests that he was very likely not an honest and down-to-earth operator.
But what was miraculous about him was that, under circumstances where no one recognized the wine at the time, Crespi, relying only on his participation in the estate handover and a brief exchange with Mr. Corion, believed in him with unwavering conviction. For more than a full month before the Wine Festival, he spared no effort in running around, calling out, waving flags, and shouting for Lafite, even more passionately than he did for his own wine.
Finally, while the 1270 Lafite was still in the oak barrel, spending her first month aging and maturing, Mr. Corion declared upon the reputation of his entire life that the 1270 Lafite would be the most legendary wine of the thirteenth century.
Thinking back to the wine review he released in advance that year: "My Lafite has a complex and rich flavor, carrying aromas of blackcurrant, violet, cedar, and rose. The entry is mellow, the tannins are silky, and the acidity is pleasant. Who could possibly not give Lafite a perfect score? I believe this wine is certainly worthy of a wine viscountcy."
Looking back from fifty years later, all of us must admit that Count Corion truly was a humble man!
What makes a legend classic is that it cannot be replicated, and the wonder of history and fate likewise leaves one sighing in admiration.
, Written in late autumn by the wine-tasting expert Arnaud, son of Benoit
...
At the wine tasting, before the wine cask of Corion Estate, Angoulême smiled like a weasel who had stolen a chicken.
Lady Anna Henrietta closed her eyes in intoxication. "Cedar, pencil, blackcurrant liqueur,
and a touch of floral fragrance, interwoven into an unforgettable aroma. This jewel-deep red wine has an extremely rich and concentrated mouthfeel, and one can sense layers of black fruit and red fruit aromas. Oh my gods! Lafite is actually this elegant and complex. Corion Estate's performance is shocking. I need a more professional opinion! Where is my court wine taster!? You, go fetch Benoit and have him try this."
The Duke of Toussaint assigned the knight Milton without the slightest hesitation, and her command was also carried out swiftly. The crowded masses parted to form a passage for the wine-tasting master to come over.
"Mm... It exudes an extraordinary aroma, sweet licorice, smoke, cedar, ink, blackcurrant, and earthy notes. And behind this enchanting fragrance..." From the moment the court wine taster Benoit smelled the aroma, his expression changed. He smelled it seriously and carefully, then took a small sip and closed his eyes to savor it in detail.
The noisy people around them lowered their voices in unison, waiting for Master Benoit's most authoritative and professional evaluation!
A short while later, he opened his eyes and bowed. "Thank you, Your Grace. This is the most delightful tasting surprise I have had in nearly three years!... She is a full-bodied, lush, rich, fleshy, low-acidity masterpiece.
"As expected of Her Enlightened Ladyship, to discover this masterpiece of the century. I believe that after waking for six to eight hours in a sealed decanter, this wine can bring an even more moving experience! Moreover, this is still not her best moment. She will need at least another five to eight years before reaching complete maturity. I conservatively estimate that she can age for fifty to sixty years.
"Here, I publicly extend an invitation to the master of Corion Estate. I hope he can spare some time for a small exchange with me, advise me on how to appreciate this complex and profound flavor, and privately sell me a few barrels of Lafite."
"Wow!" The listening crowd let out cries of amazement in unison. Everyone knew Master Benoit had not praised a red wine so highly in a long time.
With Anna Henrietta's three gold coins and Benoit's three silver coins set before them like jewels, those already in line could hardly wait, while those who had not joined the queue hurried to do so, forming before the wine cask a line that surpassed even Castel Ravello's. They queued up to deliver money to Lafite.
And not far away, after hearing Master Benoit's evaluation clearly, Horace de Funés raised his cup. "Congratulations in advance, Lord Corion!"
Victor raised an eyebrow. "Should I humbly say that it was only good luck? Or should I impolitely say that everything was only natural?"
"As a freshly minted Lafite lover, I hope everything was only natural. Such a beautiful taste should not be a fleeting blossom!" After he finished speaking, his smile turned somewhat gleeful. "Just now I saw Count Crespi come over to speak with you. Well, after Lafite, which he so vigorously promoted, performed so excellently, what did he have to say?"
"He hopes to purchase ten barrels of Lafite in advance, at a premium!"
"Ah... so it really was a peace negotiation..."
"My guess is that the thing he wants is different now. In the past, he wanted the vineyard, but now the vineyard is no longer important. What's precious is the formula!"
"Not only that, but your position is also different. You aren't from Toussaint, so you don't understand. In the past, Sansretour the Lost wasn't anything special, so he dared to play petty tricks on Hortense or on you when you had just taken over.
"But now you have the blazing-hot Lafite. Tsk, tsk, tsk! Let him try touching Corion Estate now. If a top-grade red wine suddenly stops being supplied, Her Enlightened Ladyship will definitely send the Ducal Guard to confirm the problem, and then he'll be in huge trouble!
"...So, he wanted peace. How did you answer him?"
Victor spread both hands. "What else could I do? Of course I agreed. Harmony brings wealth, after all! At least on the surface, he is Lafite's number one supporter. I specially hinted at a few winemaking secrets to him as a reward. When you go back, remember to tell your father that someone will recently go buy up the Coopers' Guild's rotten wooden barrels."
Hearing the trap hidden in his words, Horace smiled until his gums and dimples showed. "Ah... On behalf of the Coopers' Guild, I thank you. You truly are a bad fellow, Lord Corion!"
"Not at all, not at all, Mr. Funés. I still have a great deal to learn. I can't compare to your family's deep heritage."
And so, the joyous Wine Festival continued until dusk before coming to an end. As a matter of course, Corion Estate's Lafite won the title of best in the entire festival.
"The Red Wine King of 1270." Victor had Angoulême represent Corion Estate to accept the commendation. On one hand, this rewarded her for bringing two ladies over to taste the wine in succession. On the other hand, no matter what, in such a large-scale public occasion, a human was still more suitable than a witcher to appear on the viewing platform.
In any case, well-informed people all knew that, among the Corion siblings, the elder brother was the winemaker. A few days later, at the investiture ceremony in court, that would be the time for Victor to appear.
...
At night, back in the lower district, the Phantom Troupe ate dinner at the Clever Clogs. At several tables beside them, people were carrying out divinations full of festive atmosphere: with a cup of wine and a piece of cheese, through the subtle flavor produced by cheese and wine mixing in the mouth, one could predict the name of one's future spouse.
Hurrying back and forth with red wine and cheese, the tavern owner and the waitresses did not forget to take a few sips themselves in between work.
Pairing it with white wine produced by Vermentino, Victor tore off a large piece of herb-roasted chicken. "...So I should thank you for leaking a major secret of the troupe, causing me to be teased by Miss Tabris?"
Hearing that the leader's tone was not kind, and that the development of the situation could be big or small, Angoulême coughed softly twice. "Sorry. I didn't know that was a secret. I just said it casually. I haven't forgotten what you said, that the allusion behind Lafite means a little hill.
"Besides, who could have predicted that you, Vic, would actually start telling a first-love story? Last time, your ever-changing first love was clearly Asuna, and the time before that it seemed to be Rei, "
"Shut up! You golden-haired brat, you made a mistake and still dare talk back! Don't do it again next time!" Victor decisively cut off the girl's exposé. He had not expected that the nonsense he casually made up during idle chats had all been remembered firmly, then used to counterattack her brother. This little-sister-style follower with her memory pointed in the wrong direction would not do. He would have to find time to educate her properly!
Sticking out her tongue and making a face, knowing she had gotten away with it again, Angoulême cheerfully reached out to snatch the herb-roasted chicken. The Clever Clogs did this dish quite well. It was not much worse than the Pheasantry's signature dish.
When she was about three-quarters full, she ordered another plate of cheese.
"What are you doing? Don't tell me you also want to divine the name of your future spouse? I strongly doubt you'll have a spouse in the future!" the young man grumbled.
The girl sniffed. "Didn't you say you'd be invincible under the heavens sooner or later? Would the sister of someone invincible under the heavens lack good men?"
Brushing aside the bangs that had fallen over his forehead, Victor had nothing to say, and let Angoulême stuff the wine and cheese into her mouth to chew.
At that moment, someone suddenly hurried into the tavern. It was someone they knew, Horace de Funés, deputy captain of the Ducal Guard. As soon as he saw them, he beckoned, then gestured toward the outside, indicating they should speak outside.
Thinking of what he had entrusted him with before the festival ended, Victor knocked the table twice. Angoulême immediately put down gold coins to settle the bill, then followed his steps out.
The three of them came to an open space outside the tavern to speak, where there was no fear that anyone could overhear them.
"What's the situation, for you to come running to find me in such a hurry? Is there a problem with the two mercenaries staying at the Pheasantry?" the witcher asked first.
Hearing it was about this matter, Angoulême immediately became alert as well. After all, those two mercenaries had first been contacted by her.
Horace shook his head with a grave expression. "It isn't that there is a problem, but that there is a very big problem. After we arrested and interrogated them, the result was that they are not locals, and not even from Nazair Province. They are mercenaries from Temeria, subordinates of the Professor! Perhaps you've also heard this name. Although he has no criminal record in Toussaint yet, a notorious man like that is worth being vigilant against no matter where he goes."
Noticing that when he said the name, the expressions of both members of the Phantom Troupe changed, the deputy captain squeezed his wrist. "Looks like you know the Professor... Then there should be no problem with their confession."
"Oh, what did they confess?"
"Two things. First, the monster is real, and they really did want to hire you, but they would deliberately blur the danger and lure you there to be killed by the monster or to fight it to mutual ruin. The second matter is more urgent. Tonight... they intend to attack Corion Estate while you are away. But what I find very contradictory is that since they have a grudge against you, why would they not target you, and instead choose to attack while you are gone?"
Victor spat. "Who knows what that bastard is thinking? Perhaps the Professor doesn't dare face me? Because I once killed the mage who partnered with him in evil! So he only dares to hurt my subordinates as revenge." Making a casual guess, Victor made a farewell gesture and strode toward the stable.
One hand grabbed the witcher and kept him from leaving. Deputy Captain Horace's expression was serious. "There's no need to rush, Vic. This concerns Lafite, so it is no longer only your matter. The Ducal Guard is your backing. I have already reported it to Captain Damien. He is entering the palace now to await Her Enlightened Ladyship's summons!"
Understanding the other man's goodwill, Victor thought for a few seconds, then pried Horace's hand away. "It's all right. Angoulême and I can protect ourselves. Even if it is only by a moment, I want to return earlier. That estate is very comfortable to live in, and Alfred is also a very good butler. I can't let bandits ruin it. And this time, I won't let that bastard Professor run away again."
Holding his right fist before his mouth, the deputy captain's voice sounded muffled. "I know I can't stop you. Do me a favor and do what you say. Protect yourself. I don't want to become the first deputy captain to lose his position because of Lafite."
"Trust me, you won't! I'll wait for you at the estate."
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