Currants and blackberries on the nose. Spicy and intense undertones. Full body, with juicy fruit and a soft, very silky texture and a long, long finish. Polished and very pretty. Best Carruades ever. Try in 2018.

Of course, the wine to buy in order to get a look at the Lafite Rothschild style and personality is their second wine, Carruades de Lafite, which has become very fashionable in Asia, causing the prices to soar. A very strong effort, the 2009 Carruades de Lafite may be the finest Carruades since the 2003. A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot and tiny amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it reveals lots of sweet cassis intermixed with subtle smoke and forest floor, undeniable lusciousness and full-bodied hedonism. The wood component is pushed to the background, and the wine is extremely viscous, round and delicious. Additional complexity should continue to emerge over the next decade and this 2009 should keep for 20-30 years.

Drinking Window: 2012 - 2042

Reviewer Name: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Review Date: 29th February 2012

91-93 Barrel sample. Very soft wine, with ripe Merlot dominant. There is a rich character along with fresh tannins, very juicy, licorice and big, firm fruits.

Drinking Window: 2018 - 2035

Review Date: 10th March 2011

Bright ruby-red. Open-knit, fruity nose offers plenty of charm to its strawberry, blackcurrant and floral aromas. Fresh and juicy on the palate, with red cherry and fresh blackcurrant flavors complicated by flinty and floral nuances. This easygoing, fragrant Carruades is hard to resist drinking up right now.

Reviewer Name: Stephen Tanzer

Review Date: 1st July 2012

(a blend of 51% cabernet sauvignon, 42% merlot, 5% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot; 13.5% alcohol; 55% of the total crop) Bright ruby-red. Delicious fruit-forward nose is remarkably charming in its strawberry, blackcurrant and smoky plum aromas. Then fresh and juicy on the palate, with flavors similar to the aromas and hints of flint and black pepper on the long, fruity, mineral-tinged finish. A charming Carruades that should offer immense drinking appeal during the first six to eight years of its life in bottle. Carruades is made from young vines on a north-exposed parcel close to the main chateau building, and from some younger, high-quality vines in the heart of the Lafite vineyard. While these latter centrally located vines are currently too young to be used for the grand vin, says Chevallier, "they have greatness written all over them. And when the grapes are as fully ripe as they were in '09, Carruades is a really lovely wine."

Drinking Window: 2014 - 2030

Review Date: 1st May 2010

(a blend of 51% cabernet sauvignon, 42% merlot, 5% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot; 13.5% alcohol; 55% of the total crop) Bright ruby-red. Delicious fruit-forward nose is remarkably charming in its strawberry, blackcurrant and smoky plum aromas. Then fresh and juicy on the palate, with flavors similar to the aromas and hints of flint and black pepper on the long, fruity, mineral-tinged finish. A charming Carruades that should offer immense drinking appeal during the first six to eight years of its life in bottle. Carruades is made from young vines on a north-exposed parcel close to the main chateau building, and from some younger, high-quality vines in the heart of the Lafite vineyard. While these latter centrally located vines are currently too young to be used for the grand vin, says Chevallier, they have greatness written all over them. And when the grapes are as fully ripe as they were in '09, Carruades is a really lovely wine.

Reviewer Name: Ian d'Agata

Review Date: 1st May 2010