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 | 13 | - |
Inc. VAT
£489.60 |
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|
Bordeaux | 1 | 87 (VN (ST)) |
Inc. VAT
£481.20 |
|||||
Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (87)Dark ruby-red. Withdrawn aromas of currant and herbs. Dry and quite closed, with limited sweetness. Flavors of plum, leather and currant leaf show only modest ripeness. Firm acids give this wine a slight sour edge. |
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|
Bordeaux | 1 | 91 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£261.60 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (91)There are 20,000 cases of the gorgeous 2003 Carruades de Lafite. Despite record heat in June, July and August, this wine only hit 12.8% alcohol, which seems modest compared to the higher alcohol levels of 2009 and 2010. A final blend of 50% Merlot, 48% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc has resulted in a second wine with a Lafite Rothschild-like character, plenty of creme de cassis, cedarwood and graphite notes as well as a supple, lush texture. It has reached full maturity where it should remain for another 5-10 years. |
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|
Bordeaux | 2 | 90 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£1,069.22 |
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Wine Advocate (90)The second wine, the 2007 Carraudes de Lafite, is nearly equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon with tiny dollops of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. A sleeper of the vintage, it offers sexy, ripe berry fruit intermixed with hints of cedarwood, forest floor, and underbrush. This plump, corpulent, fruity effort reveals a velvety texture as well as a lush finish. Enjoy it over the next 8-10 years. |
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|
Bordeaux | 2 | 95 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£573.20 |
|||||
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 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£1,180.82 |
|||||
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 | 94 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£470.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (94)Lead-pencil aromas with currants and plums, too. Full body, silky tannins and a focused and very refined finish. It's the tannins that drive things. An excellent second wine of Lafite. Needs two or three years to soften. Start drinking in 2021. |
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|
Bordeaux | 2 | 96 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£858.02 |
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James Suckling (96)This is a beautiful Carraudes with currant, sweet-tobacco and wet-earth aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied with a dense center-palate and tight, polished tannins. Fresh, with tension. Reminds me of the 1995 Lafite. This is so Lafite in character. It shows so much cabernet sauvignon character. It’s 68% cabernet sauvignon, 27% merlot and the rest cabernet franc. Try after 2026. |
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|
Bordeaux | 1 | 96-97 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£293.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (96-97)This is very classically structured with a palate that starts off slowly. Full-bodied and chewy with a soft, creamy texture and a long finish. Savory. A touch austere. 52% cabernet sauvignon, 42% merlot and 3% cabernet franc, the rest petit verdot. |
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|
Bordeaux | 1 | 96-97 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£753.62 |
|||||
James Suckling (96-97)This is very classically structured with a palate that starts off slowly. Full-bodied and chewy with a soft, creamy texture and a long finish. Savory. A touch austere. 52% cabernet sauvignon, 42% merlot and 3% cabernet franc, the rest petit verdot. |
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|
Bordeaux | 1 | 94-95 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£717.62 |
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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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Carruades de Lafite
(3x75cl)
2023
|
|
Bordeaux | - | - |
Expected Price Range
£451 -
£535
|
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|
Bordeaux | 6 | - |
Inc. VAT
£1,354.80 |
|||||
|
Bordeaux | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£3,719.60 |
|||||
|
Bordeaux | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£966.00 |
|||||
|
Bordeaux | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£3,410.40 |
|||||
|
Bordeaux | 2 | 86-88 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£1,098.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (86-88)The 1957, while not great, is nevertheless surprisingly good (twice I have rated it in the 86-88 range). |
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|
Bordeaux | 2 | 70 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£1,098.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (70)(Magnum) |
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|
Bordeaux | 2 | 80 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£937.20 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (80)Given the overblown praise for the 1961, 1966, and 1970 Lafites, it seems as though the 1964, a wine obviously made after the rains, is a wine that has taken more criticism than it deserves. Not that it is sublime or profound, but it has consistently shown a chunky, fruity character, and a whiff of some of Lafite's fabulous bouquet. Anticipated maturity: Now. Last tasted, 7/82. |
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|
Bordeaux | 1 | 72 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£768.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (72)This is a vintage in which Lafite could certainly have done better. Light ruby with browning very much in evidence, this wine in the mid-1970s had a fragrant, spicy, charming bouquet, easygoing, simple fruity flavors, and light tannins. Now it is quite tired with old, faded, fruit flavors. Drink up! Anticipated maturity: Now-probably in serious decline. Last tasted, 12/80. |
|||||||||
|
Bordeaux | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£849.60 |
|||||
|
Bordeaux | 11 | 93 (VT) |
Inc. VAT
£798.00 |
|||||
Vintage Tastings (93)The Lafite had a bit of volatile acidity to it, but some nice pencil, cedar and roasted fruit behind it. It was tender and slightly rich in the mouth, with a leathery finish. |
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|
Bordeaux | 5 | - |
Inc. VAT
£937.20 |
|||||
|
Bordeaux | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£740.00 |
|||||
|
Bordeaux | 11 | - |
Inc. VAT
£867.60 |
|||||
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 92 (WS) |
Inc. VAT
£2,117.54 |
|||||
Wine Spectator (92)Fruity, deep and firm, filled with plum and cherry, backed by youthful, stiff tannins. Needs time for complexity to develop. Try in 1995.--Lafite Rothschild vertical. - |
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|
Bordeaux | 1 | 98 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£3,662.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (98)The 1982 Lafite Rothschild is at the peak of its powers today, and the two bottles I drank this year were both exceptional. Wafting from the glass with aromas of sweet red berries and blackcurrants mingled with notions of cedar chest, cigar box, camphor and dried flowers, it's medium to full-bodied, supple and seamless, with an effortlessly elegant, harmonious profile and a long, fragrant finish. While this is far from being the most powerful Médoc of the vintage, it is among the most pleasurable. |
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|
Bordeaux | 1 | 96 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£771.20 |
|||||
James Suckling (96)This is Lafite. Prune and spices, with a cedar and wet tobacco character on the nose. Even tea. Full and rich with a dark China tea and cedar character. Just a hint of chocolate. Opens in the glass like a genie. Amazing. |
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|
Bordeaux | 1 | 86 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£830.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (86)Lafite's light-bodied 1991 possesses moderate ruby color, a solid innercore of fruit, as well as potentially excessive tannin for its size and constitution. The wine exhibits Lafite's subtle personality with a leafy, tobacco, lead pencil nose intertwined with sweet aromas of cassis. Dry, austere, and lacking length, it should turn out to be a good representation of Lafite-Rothschild in this so-so year. |
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|
Bordeaux | 1 | 91 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£2,172.02 |
|||||
James Suckling (91)Aromas of peat and fruits, with hints of cedar and berries. Full and velvety with good fruit and a medium finish. Goes mushroomy. A little light. |
Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Bordeaux | 13 | - |
Inc. VAT
£489.60 |
|||||
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 87 (VN (ST)) |
Inc. VAT
£481.20 |
|||||
Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (87)Dark ruby-red. Withdrawn aromas of currant and herbs. Dry and quite closed, with limited sweetness. Flavors of plum, leather and currant leaf show only modest ripeness. Firm acids give this wine a slight sour edge. |
|||||||||
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 91 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£261.60 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (91)There are 20,000 cases of the gorgeous 2003 Carruades de Lafite. Despite record heat in June, July and August, this wine only hit 12.8% alcohol, which seems modest compared to the higher alcohol levels of 2009 and 2010. A final blend of 50% Merlot, 48% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc has resulted in a second wine with a Lafite Rothschild-like character, plenty of creme de cassis, cedarwood and graphite notes as well as a supple, lush texture. It has reached full maturity where it should remain for another 5-10 years. |
|||||||||
|
Bordeaux | 2 | 90 (WA) |
In Bond
£883.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (90)The second wine, the 2007 Carraudes de Lafite, is nearly equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon with tiny dollops of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. A sleeper of the vintage, it offers sexy, ripe berry fruit intermixed with hints of cedarwood, forest floor, and underbrush. This plump, corpulent, fruity effort reveals a velvety texture as well as a lush finish. Enjoy it over the next 8-10 years. |
|||||||||
|
Bordeaux | 2 | 95 (JS) |
In Bond
£475.00 |
|||||
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. |
|||||||||
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 95 (JS) |
In Bond
£976.00 |
|||||
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. |
|||||||||
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 94 (JS) |
In Bond
£389.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (94)Lead-pencil aromas with currants and plums, too. Full body, silky tannins and a focused and very refined finish. It's the tannins that drive things. An excellent second wine of Lafite. Needs two or three years to soften. Start drinking in 2021. |
|||||||||
|
Bordeaux | 2 | 96 (JS) |
In Bond
£707.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (96)This is a beautiful Carraudes with currant, sweet-tobacco and wet-earth aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied with a dense center-palate and tight, polished tannins. Fresh, with tension. Reminds me of the 1995 Lafite. This is so Lafite in character. It shows so much cabernet sauvignon character. It’s 68% cabernet sauvignon, 27% merlot and the rest cabernet franc. Try after 2026. |
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|
Bordeaux | 1 | 96-97 (JS) |
In Bond
£241.50 |
|||||
James Suckling (96-97)This is very classically structured with a palate that starts off slowly. Full-bodied and chewy with a soft, creamy texture and a long finish. Savory. A touch austere. 52% cabernet sauvignon, 42% merlot and 3% cabernet franc, the rest petit verdot. |
|||||||||
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 96-97 (JS) |
In Bond
£620.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (96-97)This is very classically structured with a palate that starts off slowly. Full-bodied and chewy with a soft, creamy texture and a long finish. Savory. A touch austere. 52% cabernet sauvignon, 42% merlot and 3% cabernet franc, the rest petit verdot. |
|||||||||
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 94-95 (JS) |
In Bond
£590.00 |
|||||
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. |
|||||||||
Carruades de Lafite
(3x75cl)
2023
|
|
Bordeaux | - | - |
Expected Price Range
£451 -
£535
|
||||
|
Bordeaux | 6 | - |
Inc. VAT
£1,354.80 |
|||||
|
Bordeaux | 1 | - |
In Bond
£3,097.00 |
|||||
|
Bordeaux | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£966.00 |
|||||
|
Bordeaux | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£3,410.40 |
|||||
|
Bordeaux | 2 | 86-88 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£1,098.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (86-88)The 1957, while not great, is nevertheless surprisingly good (twice I have rated it in the 86-88 range). |
|||||||||
|
Bordeaux | 2 | 70 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£1,098.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (70)(Magnum) |
|||||||||
|
Bordeaux | 2 | 80 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£937.20 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (80)Given the overblown praise for the 1961, 1966, and 1970 Lafites, it seems as though the 1964, a wine obviously made after the rains, is a wine that has taken more criticism than it deserves. Not that it is sublime or profound, but it has consistently shown a chunky, fruity character, and a whiff of some of Lafite's fabulous bouquet. Anticipated maturity: Now. Last tasted, 7/82. |
|||||||||
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 72 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£768.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (72)This is a vintage in which Lafite could certainly have done better. Light ruby with browning very much in evidence, this wine in the mid-1970s had a fragrant, spicy, charming bouquet, easygoing, simple fruity flavors, and light tannins. Now it is quite tired with old, faded, fruit flavors. Drink up! Anticipated maturity: Now-probably in serious decline. Last tasted, 12/80. |
|||||||||
|
Bordeaux | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£849.60 |
|||||
|
Bordeaux | 11 | 93 (VT) |
Inc. VAT
£798.00 |
|||||
Vintage Tastings (93)The Lafite had a bit of volatile acidity to it, but some nice pencil, cedar and roasted fruit behind it. It was tender and slightly rich in the mouth, with a leathery finish. |
|||||||||
|
Bordeaux | 5 | - |
Inc. VAT
£937.20 |
|||||
|
Bordeaux | 1 | - |
In Bond
£614.00 |
|||||
|
Bordeaux | 11 | - |
Inc. VAT
£867.60 |
|||||
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 92 (WS) |
In Bond
£1,755.00 |
|||||
Wine Spectator (92)Fruity, deep and firm, filled with plum and cherry, backed by youthful, stiff tannins. Needs time for complexity to develop. Try in 1995.--Lafite Rothschild vertical. - |
|||||||||
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 98 (WA) |
In Bond
£3,049.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (98)The 1982 Lafite Rothschild is at the peak of its powers today, and the two bottles I drank this year were both exceptional. Wafting from the glass with aromas of sweet red berries and blackcurrants mingled with notions of cedar chest, cigar box, camphor and dried flowers, it's medium to full-bodied, supple and seamless, with an effortlessly elegant, harmonious profile and a long, fragrant finish. While this is far from being the most powerful Médoc of the vintage, it is among the most pleasurable. |
|||||||||
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 96 (JS) |
In Bond
£640.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (96)This is Lafite. Prune and spices, with a cedar and wet tobacco character on the nose. Even tea. Full and rich with a dark China tea and cedar character. Just a hint of chocolate. Opens in the glass like a genie. Amazing. |
|||||||||
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 86 (WA) |
In Bond
£689.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (86)Lafite's light-bodied 1991 possesses moderate ruby color, a solid innercore of fruit, as well as potentially excessive tannin for its size and constitution. The wine exhibits Lafite's subtle personality with a leafy, tobacco, lead pencil nose intertwined with sweet aromas of cassis. Dry, austere, and lacking length, it should turn out to be a good representation of Lafite-Rothschild in this so-so year. |
|||||||||
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 91 (JS) |
In Bond
£1,802.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (91)Aromas of peat and fruits, with hints of cedar and berries. Full and velvety with good fruit and a medium finish. Goes mushroomy. A little light. |