Château Lafite Rothschild | 2020 | 1er Grand Cru Classé - Pauillac
As Lafite as Lafite gets, this ultra-classic reveals a dense ruby/plum hue as well as a
tight, yet layered bouquet of ripe blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, freshly sharpened
pencils, graphite, and subtle spice. Flawlessly balanced, deep, concentrated, and
layered, it has an incredible mid-palate, building, perfect tannins, and a finish that leaves
you salivating. Refined, elegant, and perfection are the buzzwords here. Unfortunately,
it's not for the instant gratification crowd, and I wouldn't be surprised to see this require
15 years to hit the early stages of its prime drinking window. It will probably hit its 100th
birthday in fine form.
19/ 20
Jancis Robinson
2020 Vintage
97/ 100
Robert Parker The Wine Advocate
2020 Vintage
98/ 100
Falstaff
2020 Vintage
Tasted: Jan 2023
Dark ruby garnet, purple reflections, deep core, delicate rim brightening. Somewhat restrained, delicate cassis, ripe dark wild berries, fresh plums, candied orange zest. Complex, tightly meshed, ripe cherries, fine currant, finesse-rich acidity, silky tannins, mineral-salty, very long lasting, a seductive wine of great freshness and delicacy, already very well developed, delicate sweetness on the finish, certain ageing potential for many years to come. (2030-2070).
About Winery
Château Lafite Rothschild
Bordeaux, France
"Lafite has a soul, a beautiful soul, tender and generous. Lafite changes the earth into a dream. Lafite is harmony, harmony between nature and man, because without our wonderful winegrowers, nothing would be done. (Baron Eric de Rothschild)
There can only be one at the top: And the first to be named on perhaps the most famous wine ranking list in the world - the Bordeaux classification from 1855 - was Château Lafite from Pauillac. Only four wineries (Lafite, Margaux, Latour and Haut-Brion) climbed to the top of the pyramid and received the title "Premier Cru Classé".
But long before that, word had spread about the legendary quality of Lafite wines from the Médoc. Perhaps the most beautiful anecdote: a doctor from Bordeaux prescribed a bottle of Lafite to Marshal Richelieu (1696-1788) as the "most pleasant of all tonics." And when Richelieu returned to the Paris court, King Louis XV (1710-1774) remarked that his marshal "looked 25 years younger than before he left." It's crystal clear, that's what was given to the king from that moment on.
The vineyard comprises three main areas: the slopes around the Château, the plateau of Carruades to the west and a 4.5 ha plot in the neighboring commune of Saint-Estèphe. The surface area is 112 ha, it is a fine gravelly soil, deep, mixed with aeolian sands on a tertiary limestone subsoil, well drained and well exposed.
The grape varieties are cabernet sauvignon (70%), merlot (25%), cabernet franc (3%) and petit verdot (2%).