The late Baron Edmond de Rothschild belonged to the French branch of the legendary Rothschild banking family. He was the great grandson of James de Rothschild, who bought Château Lafite in 1868, which 13 years before had been classified as one of the four First Growth Bordeaux wines from the Left Bank out of 61 châteaux named at the time. Baron Edmond continued the family wine-growing tradition and bought two Cru Bourgeois estates in the Médoc in 1973; Château Clarke in Listrac-Médoc, and Château Malmaison in Moulis-en-Médoc, and then created the Compagnie Vinicole Baron Edmond de Rothschild. In France there are two further estates in Saint Emilion, Château des Laurets in Puisseguin-Saint-Emilion, and Château Malengin in Montagne-Saint-Emilion. Baron Benjamin de Rothschild is the son and heir of Baron Edmond, and he has both carried forward his fathers visions, and also formed new ventures across the globe in South Africa, Argentina, New Zealand and Spain, producing prestigious wines that are beyond compare in the world of wine. In South Africa the Rupert and Rothschild Vignerons Estate at the base of the striking Simonsberg Mountain was formed in 1997, and produces just three outstanding wines. In 1999 in partnership with the French businessman Laurent Dassault, 250 hectares in Argentina's Mendoza was bought and Bodega Fleches de los Andes or the Arrows of the Andes was established, producing intensely fruity mostly Malbec wines. The arrows represent the five branches of the Rothschild family. 2012 saw interest turning to New Zealand; the 24 hectare Rimapere estate in Marlborough is a joint venture with the Peabody family of Craggy Range where they create exceptional Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, and again the family crest is is honoured as Rimapere means Five Arrows in the Maori language. Finally Baron Benjamin collaborated with the fabled Vega Sicilia to establish Macán in the Rioja region where 92 hectares of vines create profound wines from Tempranillo, first released in 2013. The numerical value of Macán in Pythagorean numerology is – you've guessed it – Five!