Lafite Rothschild
About Château Lafite Rothschild
Château Lafite-Rothschild is one of the most collectable wines in the world. Purchased in 1868 it has remained continuously in the Rothschild family. Less powerful than Latour and more classical than Mouton, the hallmarks of this wine of wines is a taut, lithe, willowy muscularity, enveloped by transcendent just-ripe black fruit with the perfect sweetness of blackcurrant, black cherry and plum. The scent of Lafite often beguiles its fortunate drinkers and the mythical, irresistible perfume of wonderful cedar, so fresh and elegant, must be experienced to be believed.
Part of Lafite’s centuries-long success lies in its situation on some of the most gravel-dominant terroir in the Médoc. Up to ten metres deep with the stuff in some places, there are a few pockets of aeolian black sand and bedrock of limestone to complete the soils. Naturally conducive to the production of the most unbelievable Cabernet Sauvignon, the Grand Vin of Château Lafite Rothschild is frequently composed of up to 90% of the varietal. Couple this with the outstandingly talented team, headed for 40 years by the imperious Charles Chevallier (until 2018), and we have an estate whose strength lies in its being “a spectrum of flavours rather than a strong expression of any particular one” in the words of Chevallier’s replacement, Eric Kohler.
The 1996 vintage onwards heralded some of the best wines in their history; 2003 and 2009 are notably outstanding. Elegant, fresh, with great fruit purity and remarkable ageing potential. The second wine, Carruades de Lafite, has also been intensely collected over the past decade.
| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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Bordeaux | 1 | 95 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£3,748.06 |
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James Suckling (95)This smells like a bouquet of flowers with blueberries and currants and spices. Full body, yet agile and refined. So fine and pretty. It's balanced and in harmony. Savory. A smoky, decadent and meat undertone. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 95-96 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£2,449.66 |
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James Suckling (95-96)This is an extremely fine-grained Carraudes with a complex character of chocolate, walnut, cedar and a hint of graphite. Medium-to full-bodied, tight and chewy but, at the same time, agile and light. Savory finish. Special. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 94-95 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£2,021.26 |
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James Suckling (94-95)Soft and attractive character to this wine, showing a polished-tannin frame and a juicy center-palate. Medium body with medium, velvety tannins. Juicy. 55% cabernet sauvignon, 36% merlot, 5% cabernet franc and 4% petit verdot. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£14,903.26 |
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James Suckling (100)The nose is fresh, bright, and dense. With aromas of violets, minerals, spices, cool stones, mint, dark fruits, and plum skins, this is beautiful. Very much still a baby right now, it needs much more time. This is a wine for the next generation. Finesse and elegance, truly a wine that makes you contemplate life. This is not about power, there is really nothing like it. 93% Cabernet Sauvignon. Do not even think about touching this for another ten years, 2020. 15+25+25+35. Find the wine |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 96 (WE) |
Inc. VAT
£10,640.86 |
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Wine Enthusiast (96)As so often with Lafite, it is power that marks this wine. That, and density of texture. The additional element in this vintage, and at this stage of the wine's development, is a dominant wood element. The vanilla and tannins from the wood match well with the concentrated tannins of the fruit, which is dark, dense and tight. This is a wine for long-term aging: in 15 years this will have superb richness. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£11,308.06 |
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Wine Advocate (100)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! |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (WI) |
Inc. VAT
£5,861.26 |
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The Wine Independent (100)The 2018 Lafite Rothschild is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a little swirling to unlock notes of baked plums, boysenberry preserves, and crème de cassis, with touches of menthol, Indian spices and smoked meats. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers mouth-filling, spicy black fruits with velvety tannins and a long, energetic finish. |
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| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Bordeaux | 1 | 95 (JS) |
In Bond
£3,102.00 |
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James Suckling (95)This smells like a bouquet of flowers with blueberries and currants and spices. Full body, yet agile and refined. So fine and pretty. It's balanced and in harmony. Savory. A smoky, decadent and meat undertone. |
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|
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 95-96 (JS) |
In Bond
£2,020.00 |
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James Suckling (95-96)This is an extremely fine-grained Carraudes with a complex character of chocolate, walnut, cedar and a hint of graphite. Medium-to full-bodied, tight and chewy but, at the same time, agile and light. Savory finish. Special. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 94-95 (JS) |
In Bond
£1,663.00 |
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James Suckling (94-95)Soft and attractive character to this wine, showing a polished-tannin frame and a juicy center-palate. Medium body with medium, velvety tannins. Juicy. 55% cabernet sauvignon, 36% merlot, 5% cabernet franc and 4% petit verdot. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (JS) |
In Bond
£12,398.00 |
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James Suckling (100)The nose is fresh, bright, and dense. With aromas of violets, minerals, spices, cool stones, mint, dark fruits, and plum skins, this is beautiful. Very much still a baby right now, it needs much more time. This is a wine for the next generation. Finesse and elegance, truly a wine that makes you contemplate life. This is not about power, there is really nothing like it. 93% Cabernet Sauvignon. Do not even think about touching this for another ten years, 2020. 15+25+25+35. Find the wine |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 96 (WE) |
In Bond
£8,846.00 |
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Wine Enthusiast (96)As so often with Lafite, it is power that marks this wine. That, and density of texture. The additional element in this vintage, and at this stage of the wine's development, is a dominant wood element. The vanilla and tannins from the wood match well with the concentrated tannins of the fruit, which is dark, dense and tight. This is a wine for long-term aging: in 15 years this will have superb richness. |
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|
Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (WA) |
In Bond
£9,402.00 |
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Wine Advocate (100)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! |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (WI) |
In Bond
£4,863.00 |
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The Wine Independent (100)The 2018 Lafite Rothschild is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a little swirling to unlock notes of baked plums, boysenberry preserves, and crème de cassis, with touches of menthol, Indian spices and smoked meats. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers mouth-filling, spicy black fruits with velvety tannins and a long, energetic finish. |
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