--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Among the world's most renowned wines, the most famous is undoubtedly Chateau Lafite Rothschild from Pauillac, France.
Founded in 1354 by a nobleman named Lafte, Chateau Lafite was already quite famous in the 14th century. In 1675, it was acquired by J. D. Segur, then a leading figure in the world of wine. Segur was a powerful figure in the wine industry, owning the prestigious Chateau Latour, Chateau Mouton, and Chateau Calon-Segur. King Louis XIV of France once said that the Segur family was probably the wealthiest family in France. After the death of the third head of the Segur family in 1755, the ownership of Lafite entered a period of relative turmoil. However, the quality of Lafite wines remained undiminished. Finally, in 1868, Baron James Rothschild won a public auction and purchased it for a record-breaking 4.4 million francs. The family has owned Château Lafite Rothschild ever since, maintaining its reputation as one of the world's top wineries.
Château Lafite Rothschild employs very traditional viticultural methods. The vineyards are primarily planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, comprising 70% of the grapes, with other varieties including 25% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. The average vine age is 39 years. Notably, the winery does not use grapes from vines younger than 10 years old (approximately 20 hectares) for winemaking; the vines producing the flagship wine have an average age of around 45 years. The oldest vines are planted in a plot called "La Graviere," planted in 1886. Chemical pesticides and fertilizers are largely avoided; the grapes are carefully cultivated by hand to ensure full ripeness before harvesting. Skilled workers select the grapes on the vine, choosing only the best ones. After harvesting, the grapes undergo a second selection process by highly skilled workers before pressing to ensure that every grape pressed meets high quality standards. At Lafite, it takes two to three vines to produce one 750ml bottle of wine.
To best preserve the terroir of each plot, the harvested grapes are separated by plot and fermented in different tanks. After alcoholic fermentation, the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation, followed by aging in small oak barrels. During aging, the winery conducts several tastings to monitor the wine's development. The following March, the winery performs its first racking, then blends wines from different plots. Afterward, the wine enters an 18-20 month aging period, undergoing multiple rackings and egg white clarification before bottling and release in June. Notably, Château Lafite Rothschild uses two different types of fermentation tanks: traditional large oak barrels and modern stainless steel tanks. Furthermore, all oak barrels used by the winery are sourced from the winery's own cooperage. During barrel making, the winery toasts the oak barrels to varying degrees depending on the characteristics of the different wines.
As a major winery, given the high price of Château Lafite Rothschild itself, the winery launched its second label, Carruades de Lafite, for market considerations. Carruades de Lafite uses grapes from Château Lafite Rothschild's Carruades vineyard, ensuring superior quality. This distinguishes Carruades de Lafite from most other wineries' second labels—the grapes come from high-quality, independent vineyards, rather than slightly inferior portions from the same vineyard. Compared to Château Lafite Rothschild, Carruades de Lafite contains a higher proportion of Merlot, resulting in a fragrant and sweet character. The wine exudes rich aromas of red and black fruits such as raspberry, blackberry, and blackcurrant, accompanied by notes of cedar, licorice, and tobacco. It has a smooth, full-bodied palate and excellent aging potential.
(Vintage 2010)
Decanter 100 pts
This vintage featured a cold winter and cool weather at flowering, followed by a dry summer with a hot July and warm days and cool nights in August and September. The season delivered a wine with an inky dark colour and bright aromas of blackcurrant and spice with a distinctive floral edge. The texture is lively and crisp, with plenty of freshness, firm tannins, and impressive length. This wine will be best after another 10 years in bottle and will easily last 50 years beyond that. This superb, vibrant wine is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Merlot with no Cabernet Franc or Petit Verdot in the grand vin.
Jane Anson 100 pts
Inky colour, more so than in many years of Lafite, imprinted by the vintage. It is at this level, in these type of years, where you see why these terroirs have stood out for centuries. We are in a crowded field of excellence in Pauillac in 2010, and yet still the First Growths manage to deliver an extra heartbeat of brilliance. This is still extremely closed, and I have no hesitation in saying that when Lafite is planning its 250th anniversary celebrations that this will be one of the wines that it chooses, just as we all marvelled at the 1893 in the summer of 2018. Blocks of liquorice and black chocolate come through alongside the tannins, standing guard to ensure the fruits don't escape before they are ready to do so. There are vintages where Lafite is sculpted, liquid elegance (like 2017, speaking of one I have recently tasted), and where it stands out against the vintage, and then there are other years when it epitomises why the vintage is so good, and that is where we are here. It has less obvious muscles than the Latour but every bit of the strength.
Wine Advocate 100 pts
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!
Wine Enthusiast 100 pts
Almost black in color, this stunning wine is gorgeous, rich and dense. It's grand and powerful, with a strong sense of its own importance. The beautiful tannins and the fragrant black currant fruits are palpable. It's a great wine, with huge potential.
James Suckling 99 pts
This is shy and not giving its all at the moment. Yet it is full and intense with a tightly intertwined tannic and fruit structure. Ethereal blackberry, currant, cedar, and nutty flavors. Dried flowers too. Cedar jewel box smell comes out with time. Great finish. So, so long and harmonious.
Wine Spectator 97 pts
Rather tight, with an alluring whiff of cocoa that lures you in before disappearing into the core of steeped plum, roasted fig and blackberry coulis notes. Sandalwood, black tea and loam elements fill in on the long and expansive finish. This seems to be lying in wait for what could be a very long time in the cellar before unfurling fully.
Vinous 96 pts
The 2010 Lafite-Rothschild has more vivacious bouquet than expected with veins of blue fruit and iodine tincturing the black fruit. It is well defined if just missing the audacity of the Latour. The palate is approachable on the entry with fine grain tannins. It feels a touch more mature than the other First Growths, though the pliant and poised finish has a sensuality uncommon in Lafite. Superb.
(Vintage 2009)
James Suckling 100
This is what the Medoc is all about. The freshness and delicacy of this wine in combination with its serious concentration and firm core are totally stunning. Time has already worked its magic and this is already delicious, but has decades in front of it.
Robert Parker 99+
The main reason the 2009 Lafite Rothschild did not receive a perfect score is because the wine has closed down slightly, but it is unquestionably another profound Lafite, their greatest wine since the amazing 2003. Among the most powerful Lafites ever made (it came in at 13.59% alcohol), the final blend was 82.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot. The selection was incredibly severe with only 45% of the crop being utilized. A tight, but potentially gorgeous nose of graphite, black currants, licorice and camphor is followed by a full-bodied wine revealing the classic elegance, purity and delineated style of Lafite. It is phenomenally concentrated with softer tannins than the 2005, the 2003's voluptuous, broad, juicy personality, and low acidity. There are several vintages that I thought were a replay of their colossal 1959, most notably 1982 and 2003, but 2009 is also one to keep an eye on. It is still extremely youthful and seems slightly more backward than I would have guessed based on the barrel tastings, but it needs 10-15 years of bottle age, and should last for 50+.
Decanter 99
This wine is stunningly impressive but almost the opposite of the 2010 vintage. The year offered a warm, wet spring followed by a hot, dry summer and cool nights in September, giving a riper, more generous impression. A bit of smoke and spice on the initial attack with a ripe, plummy fruit character that is more black than red and a supple, dense richness on the palate that lingers sumptuously on the finish. This vintage will drink sooner than the 2010, yet should easily last as long. The finished wine is a blend of 82.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and a half-percent of Petit Verdot. Picking began in mid-September for the Merlot and early October for the Cabernet, with 45% of the fruit going into the grand vin.
Jane Anson 99
Cedar, sandalwood, slate, liqourice, smoked earth, this is subtle, inches slowly through the palate, showcasing fine tannins that at first hide the depth and power in the wine, preferring instead to levitate above the palate. The more muscular cassis, bilberry, cocoa bean and pencil lead arrive as it opens up, and the Pauillac character becomes very clear. An utterly signature Lafite, at every moment the estate signature dominates the vintage character, and of all the First Growths in this tasting it performs the trick of gaining in power with every minute that it is open in the glass, suprising you with how much it builds and layers in complexity. True to itself, effortlessly confident, will stay on this plateau for many decades. 100% new oak, Charles Chevallier technical director.
Wine Spectator 98
This is stunning for its ability to take massively endowed fig, currant paste and crushed plum fruit flavors and harness them with ultrasuave freshly roasted espresso, black tea and ganache notes. A seductive style, long and velvety, with the dense core of black fruit and smoldering iron just waiting and waiting. Best from 2020 through 2040.
Wine Advocate 97
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.
Vinous 96
The 2009 Lafite-Rothschild is quite high-toned and expressive on the nose, perhaps the most ostentatious of the top flight 2009s with upfront black cherry and boysenberry fruit, lavish new oak and touches of violet. The palate is sleek and satin-like in feel with copious dark cherry and boysenberry fruit, fig and dates, almost honeyed in texture towards the precocious finish that has an opulent bent, almost hedonistic, unusual for this First Growth. But it is kinda irresistible. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.
Wine Enthusiast 96
95-97 Barrel sample. A powerful expression of Cabernet Sauvignon, solid in structure. The wine is rich and concentrated, very textured. Great spice go with just enough fresh acidity, in this big wine.
Jancis Robinson 19/20
A very deep crimson for a Lafite, though the texture is somehow ethereal and dancing. Unencumbered by too much ripeness. Lovely wine – so subtle and gorgeous and beautifully harmonious.
(Vintage 2012)
Wine Enthusiast 96
Showing the serious side of Lafite, this is big and dark, powered by tannins as much as fruit. The wood aging is still showing, although that will integrate into the great structure that holds up the ripe black currant fruits. Totally dominated by some of the finest Cabernet Sauvignon in Bordeaux, this wine has strength while also having great freshness.
James Suckling 95
Superb structure for the vintage with blackcurrants, cedar, mushroom and sweet tobacco character. Full-bodied yet reserved and tight with an impressive density. Long finish.
Jane Anson 95
Wine Spectator 94
This has a dark, smoky edge from the start, with smoldering tobacco and grilled savory notes lining the core of steeped plum, macerated black currant and lightly mulled cherry fruit. Shows a loamy, smoky edge to the finish, with the tobacco hint peeking out. Features admirable range, depth and grip, with just a twinge of the vintage's austerity lurking.
Vinous 93
Tasted blind, the 2012 Lafite-Rothschild is a vintage I have not tasted for several years. It has a well-defined nose with slightly leafy black fruit, pencil shavings and cedar. It does not quite deliver the precision of the 2012 Latour tasted alongside, but it is distinctly "Lafite". The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, well balanced with tobacco-tinged black fruit. Elegant and composed, it is not a vintage that goes out to win applause, rather, quietly goes about its business. Give it a couple more years in bottle. Tasted blind in Bordeaux.
Wine Advocate 91
The 2012 Lafite Rothschild, representing only 38% of their total production, is a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance mostly Merlot. It is a very stylish, elegant, yet concentrated Lafite Rothschild with an opaque ruby/purple color, soft well-integrated tannins, nice integrated oak, acidity and alcohol. Lafites’s 2012 reveals good, opaque, ruby/purple color and plenty of lead pencil and blackcurrant fruit. The wine is medium-bodied and should hit its prime 2020-2035.
