Composed of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2.5% Merlot and 0.5% Petit Verdot, the 2017 Lafite Rothschild is deep garnet-purple colored. It opens slowly, cautiously with restrained notes of chocolate-covered cherries, mulberries, warm blackcurrants, and wild blueberries, followed by emerging notions of smoked meats, fragrant earth, crushed rocks and lilacs with touches of cast-iron pan and Marmite toast.
Medium-bodied, the palate is deceptively light and quite ethereal on entry, growing in the mouth to reveal elegant layers of energetic red and black fruits with tons of savory accents. Framed by exquisitely ripe, wonderfully fine-grained tannins, it has exhilarating freshness and a very long, hypnotically perfumed finish. On a final note, the alcohol here is a jaw-dropping 12.5%, which is something of a miracle considering the ripeness of the Cabernet. A total head-turner, I cannot wait to follow the development of this wine!
Château Lafite Rothschild is a renowned winery located in the Pauillac appellation of Bordeaux, France. The estate has a long and rich history dating back to the 17th century when it was owned by the Ségur family. In 1868, the property was purchased by Baron James de Rothschild, who transformed it into one of the most prestigious wine estates in the world.
The vineyards of Château Lafite Rothschild cover 112 hectares and are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. The winery produces three wines: the grand vin, Château Lafite Rothschild, which is made from the best grapes of the estate; Carruades de Lafite, a second wine made from younger vines and grapes that do not meet the standards of the grand vin; and Duhart-Milon, a wine produced from the vineyards of the neighboring estate.
The style of production at Château Lafite Rothschild is traditional and focused on quality. The grapes are hand-harvested and sorted before being fermented in oak vats. The wine is then aged in oak barrels for 18 to 20 months before being bottled.
Château Lafite Rothschild is known for producing wines that are elegant, complex, and age-worthy. The grand vin is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, and is characterized by its aromas of blackcurrant, cedar, and tobacco, as well as its firm tannins and long finish. Carruades de Lafite is a softer and more approachable wine, with aromas of red fruit and spices. Duhart-Milon is a more structured wine, with aromas of black fruit and a firm tannic structure.
Overall, Château Lafite Rothschild is a producer of some of the finest wines in the world, with a long and rich history and a commitment to quality and tradition. Its wines are highly sought after by collectors and wine enthusiasts alike, and are sure to impress even the most discerning palate.
The deep garnet-purple shaded 2015 Lafite Rothschild is blended of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Merlot and was matured for 20 months in new oak barrels from Tonnellerie des Domaines (their own cooperage). It is still sporting a lot of cedar at this nascent stage with a vibrant core of black raspberries, red currants, and crushed plums plus touches of cigar boxes, violets and underbrush with a waft of tilled loam.
Medium-bodied and elegantly styled with wonderful freshness and depth, it is compellingly earthy/minerally in the mouth with a frame of seductively silky yet very firm tannins and culminating in a very long, racy and pure finish. Boasting spectacular finesse and packed with nuances, clearly, given some of the challenges here in 2015, this is a masterpiece of diligence in the vineyards, careful selection, and very clever crafting—bravo!
The 2014 Lafite-Rothschild, tasted with head winemaker Eric Kohler, has retained that very opulent and outgoing bouquet that dare I say actually reminded me of Mouton-Rothschild. There are layers of blackberry and boysenberry fruit, still that hint of juniper berry, certainly a more extrovert Lafite-Rothschild compared to recent vintages. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannin, very focused and quite linear, again with plenty of black fruit laced with cedar and tobacco. It begins to clam up towards the saline finish, suggesting that it will need several years in bottle, but I still have high expectations for this First Growth once afforded several years in bottle.
A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot (harvested between September 3-21), the 2011 Lafite Rothschild came in at 12.6% natural alcohol (considerably lower than in 2010 and 2009). Exhibiting a deep ruby/purple color, lots of crushed rock, red and black currant, forest floor and underbrush characteristics, moderate tannin and medium body, it is built somewhat along the lines of the 1999 and 2001. It should be a 20- to 25-year wine, but it is not at the level of the 2008, 2009 and 2010. Fresh acids give the wine a somewhat more clipped feeling than most great Lafites have exhibited. Nevertheless, there is a lot of freshness and vibrancy to this vintage.
Deep garnet in color, the 2010 Lafite Rothschild is a little mute on the nose at this stage, opening to reveal warm blackcurrants, baked plums and boysenberry scents with hints of chocolate mint, violets, cedar chest and pencil lead. Full-bodied, rich and densely packed with perfumed black fruit layers, it has a rock-solid backbone of fantastically ripe, grainy tannins and beautiful freshness, finishing very long and minerally. Still very youthful!
The deep garnet colored 2009 Lafite Rothschild bursts from the glass with red and black currant preserves, warm plums, mulberries and kirsch scents plus suggestions of sweaty leather, cigar box and menthol. Medium-bodied, elegant and firmly structured, it has wonderful freshness and a long earthy/meaty finish.
A candidate for the -wine of the vintage, - the 2008 should have been purchased before it began to soar in value because of the significance of the number 8 in the Chinese culture (denoting good luck). Representing 40% of the production, this blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc offers aromas of high-quality unsmoked cigar tobacco, lead pencil shavings, creme de cassis, earth, cedar and asphalt.
Full, rich, and stunningly concentrated, I doubt it is inferior to the 2010, just more classic as well as slightly more forward and a degree weaker in alcoholic potency (12.5% versus 13.5%). The 2008 should be relatively drinkable in 6-10 years as it is already showing remarkable complexity and breed and will last for 30-35 years...at the minimum.
The 2006 Château Lafite-Rothschild offers impressive fruit intensity on the nose, although it does not have the precision of the 2006 Mouton-Rothschild. Red berry fruits intermingle with rose petals and sous-bois scents - very typical Lafite bouquet where less can be more. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin and a keen line of acidity. It is certainly very well balanced with graphite-tinged black fruit, but whereas Mouton-Rothschild possesses that peacock's tail, Lafite remains linear. Nevertheless, the sophistication really comes through here. It is a Lafite-Rothschild that may spring a few surprises down the line, one of those wines that keeps drawing you back. Understated class.
The 2006 Château Lafite-Rothschild offers impressive fruit intensity on the nose, although it does not have the precision of the 2006 Mouton-Rothschild. Red berry fruits intermingle with rose petals and sous-bois scents - very typical Lafite bouquet where less can be more. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin and a keen line of acidity. It is certainly very well balanced with graphite-tinged black fruit, but whereas Mouton-Rothschild possesses that peacock's tail, Lafite remains linear. Nevertheless, the sophistication really comes through here. It is a Lafite-Rothschild that may spring a few surprises down the line, one of those wines that keeps drawing you back. Understated class.
Here, from an ex-château bottle tasted in Bordeaux, it delivers that graphite, pencil-box bouquet that unfurls gradually in the glass, biding its time, graceful but not intense. Parallel to some of its fellow 2005s, it is developing a little more spice, namely thyme and sage, than I recall. The palate is medium-bodied and beautifully balanced, to wit, a sophisticated Pauillac that priorities elegance and poise over intensity of fruit—in keeping with Lafite Rothschild's style. You come away with the sense that it will take its time and decline, giving away a great deal in its primacy, even if it is still more approachable than the 2005 Latour for example. Therefore, I would be inclined to set this aside for several more years.
Here, from an ex-château bottle tasted in Bordeaux, it delivers that graphite, pencil-box bouquet that unfurls gradually in the glass, biding its time, graceful but not intense. Parallel to some of its fellow 2005s, it is developing a little more spice, namely thyme and sage, than I recall. The palate is medium-bodied and beautifully balanced, to wit, a sophisticated Pauillac that priorities elegance and poise over intensity of fruit—in keeping with Lafite Rothschild's style. You come away with the sense that it will take its time and decline, giving away a great deal in its primacy, even if it is still more approachable than the 2005 Latour for example. Therefore, I would be inclined to set this aside for several more years.
Château Lafite Rothschild is a renowned winery located in the Pauillac appellation of Bordeaux, France. The estate has a long and rich history dating back to the 17th century when it was owned by the Ségur family. In 1868, the property was purchased by Baron James de Rothschild, who transformed it into one of the most prestigious wine estates in the world.
The vineyards of Château Lafite Rothschild cover 112 hectares and are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. The winery produces three wines: the grand vin, Château Lafite Rothschild, which is made from the best grapes of the estate; Carruades de Lafite, a second wine made from younger vines and grapes that do not meet the standards of the grand vin; and Duhart-Milon, a wine produced from the vineyards of the neighboring estate.
The style of production at Château Lafite Rothschild is traditional and focused on quality. The grapes are hand-harvested and sorted before being fermented in oak vats. The wine is then aged in oak barrels for 18 to 20 months before being bottled.
Château Lafite Rothschild is known for producing wines that are elegant, complex, and age-worthy. The grand vin is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, and is characterized by its aromas of blackcurrant, cedar, and tobacco, as well as its firm tannins and long finish. Carruades de Lafite is a softer and more approachable wine, with aromas of red fruit and spices. Duhart-Milon is a more structured wine, with aromas of black fruit and a firm tannic structure.
Overall, Château Lafite Rothschild is a producer of some of the finest wines in the world, with a long and rich history and a commitment to quality and tradition. Its wines are highly sought after by collectors and wine enthusiasts alike, and are sure to impress even the most discerning palate.
The 2003 Lafite Rothschild comes as close to perfection as any of the great Lafites made over the past three decades (1982, 1986, 1996, 2000, 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2010). This sensational effort came in at 12.7% natural alcohol, it is made in the style of one of this estate’s great classics, the 1959. Composed of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it exhibits a dense ruby/purple color to the rim along with a luxurious bouquet of cedarwood, lead pencil shaving, white chocolate, cocoa and cassis. Fat, rich, opulent and full-bodied with low acidity and stunning seductiveness and complexity, this noble wine possesses a bountiful, generous, heady style. It is just coming into its plateau of maturity where it should hold for 20-25 years. This is one of the candidates for the wine of the vintage – make no mistake about that.
The 2003 Lafite Rothschild comes as close to perfection as any of the great Lafites made over the past three decades (1982, 1986, 1996, 2000, 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2010). This sensational effort came in at 12.7% natural alcohol, it is made in the style of one of this estate’s great classics, the 1959.
Composed of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it exhibits a dense ruby/purple colour to the rim along with a luxurious bouquet of cedarwood, lead pencil shaving, white chocolate, cocoa, and cassis. Fat, rich, opulent, and full-bodied with low acidity and stunning seductiveness and complexity, this noble wine possesses a bountiful, generous, heady style. It is just coming into its plateau of maturity where it should hold for 20-25 years.
This is one of the candidates for the wine of the vintage – make no mistake about that.
The 2003 Lafite Rothschild comes as close to perfection as any of the great Lafites made over the past three decades (1982, 1986, 1996, 2000, 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2010). This sensational effort came in at 12.7% natural alcohol, it is made in the style of one of this estate’s great classics, the 1959.
Composed of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it exhibits a dense ruby/purple colour to the rim along with a luxurious bouquet of cedarwood, lead pencil shaving, white chocolate, cocoa, and cassis. Fat, rich, opulent, and full-bodied with low acidity and stunning seductiveness and complexity, this noble wine possesses a bountiful, generous, heady style. It is just coming into its plateau of maturity where it should hold for 20-25 years.
This is one of the candidates for the wine of the vintage – make no mistake about that.
A brilliant offering and a candidate for wine of the vintage, this is classic Lafite that reminded me somewhat of the 1976, although the vintage conditions were completely different. This is a medium-weight, quintessentially elegant style of Lafite with notes of lead pencil shavings/graphite along with black currants, plums, and crushed rocks/mineral. Wonderfully pure, dense, with a deep ruby/purple colour and loads of fruit, definition, and a long finish, this is a brilliant, elegant Lafite Rothschild that builds incrementally in the mouth and has more power and density than it initially seems.
The 2001 Lafite Rothschild’s deep, saturated plum/purple color is accompanied by lead pencil liqueur-like notes intermixed with sweet red and black currants, plums, and cedar. This blend of 86.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13.5% Merlot is a classic example of Lafite. Extremely elegant, medium-bodied, with intense concentration, richness, and sweet tannin, it appears to be on a rapid evolutionary track, at least in comparison to recent Lafite vintages that have been far more backward and powerful.
A blend of 93.3% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot, the wine still has a dark ruby/purple color and an extraordinarily youthful nose of graphite, black currants, sweet, unsmoked cigar tobacco, and flowers. The wine is rich, medium to full-bodied, but has that ethereal elegance and purity that is always Lafite. I originally predicted that it would first reach maturity in 2011, but I would push that back by 5-7 years now, although it has 50-60 years of life in front of it. Owners of this beauty are probably best advised to forget it for 5 years.
A blend of 93.3% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot, the wine still has a dark ruby/purple color and an extraordinarily youthful nose of graphite, black currants, sweet, unsmoked cigar tobacco, and flowers. The wine is rich, medium to full-bodied, but has that ethereal elegance and purity that is always Lafite. I originally predicted that it would first reach maturity in 2011, but I would push that back by 5-7 years now, although it has 50-60 years of life in front of it. Owners of this beauty are probably best advised to forget it for 5 years.
The 1996 Lafite-Rothschild was remarkably deep in color considering that it is now 20 years in age. The bouquet is classic Pauillac with pencil shavings and sous-bois infusing the black fruit, masculine and a little aloof, yet focused and very well delineated. The palate is very well balanced with crisp blackberry and boysenberry fruit, spicier than I recollect, a crescendo of flavors so that it seems understated at first but fans out with a sense of confidence towards the finish. I think this still has more to give so cellar it away for another 5-8 years if you can, but otherwise this is an exemplary Lafite-Rothschild that I can envisage getting better and better in bottle, if not quite as enthralling as either Mouton-Rothschild or Château Margaux. - Neal Martin
