Work in the cellars continues this philosophy – the malolactic fermentation is started naturally, with no added yeasts, and much of the First Wine is fermented in the same wooden vats which have been in place since the 1980s. And every single barrel used to age the wine at Lafite is made by their on-site coopers. There are a few new touches of course - an extension to the cellar has been in place since the 2011 harvest, with a range of stainless steel and cement tanks from 40 to 120 hectolitres, to increase plot selection (most typically for grapes from the young vines, to ensure their progress is being meticulously tracked).

Production is split between Chateau Lafite and the (at times notorious) second wine, Carruades de Lafite. Although selection for Carruades has been drastically increased in recent years, there are no plans for a third wine here, as any grapes that don’t make it to Carruades are used for the branded wine DBR Legende, produced by parent company DBPR (Lafite).