Château Lafite-Rothschild

6/12/2018 Jeb DUNNUCK JEB DUNNUCK (JEB DUNNUCK) : 94-96 / 100 The 2017 Lafite-Rothschild is another classic wine from this estate that’s in the same mold as the 2015, if not slightly deeper, darker, and more concentrated. Made from almost all Cabernet Sauvignon and offering a gorgeous array of crème de cassis, lead pencil, graphite, and hints of minerality, it’s medium to full-bodied, pure, precise, and as refined and elegant as it gets. It has the supple, approachable style of the vintage and will be relatively approachable in its youth, yet will cruise for three decades on its balance and purity. 5/28/2018 Vinifera VINIFERA (JACQUES PERRIN) : 95-97 / 100 Nez profond, réglissé, doux, sur le cèdre et graphite, excellente présentation. Chair exquise et fondue de l’attaque, saveur gorgée de fruits et d’épices. L’harmonie de ce vin est confondante et le millésime semble très bien lui convenir, son élégance fait merveille. Très complet, de l’attaque à la finale. Une quintessence de Lafite, avec à peine 12°5 d’alcool. 5/15/2018 Vinous VINOUS (ANTONIO GALLONI) : 94-97 / 100 The 2017 Lafite-Rothschild is gorgeous. Silky, nuanced and polished, the 2017 captures all the finesse that makes Lafite such a vaunted property. Even in this unusual vintage, Lafite retains its super classic flavor profile, shape and personality. And that is one of the signatures of truly great sites. Like many of his colleagues, Technical Director Eric Kolher opted for gentle extractions and incorporated a relatively high amount of press wine (16%) into the blend. Those are merely details, though, because the 2017 Lafite is stellar. It also has the potential to be the most complete of the First Growths. 5/11/2018 The Wine Cellar Insider THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER (JEFF LEVE) : 96-98 / 100 This most graceful of the First Growths is brimming with luster, tranquility and refined textures. The wine glides in discreetly, slowly building intensity as it expands on your palate while quietly and effortlessly moving from sweet red fruits to darker plums and cherries. There is a flawless ascendancy here with length, purity of fruit and balance. This is a wine of finesse. Produced from a blend of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3.5% Merlot and .5% Petit Verdot, the wine reached 12.8% alcohol with a pH of 3.75. The Grand Vin represents 40% of the harvest, which took place September 11 to September 29. 5/1/2018 Vinous VINOUS (NEAL MARTIN) : 95-97 / 100 The 2017 Lafite-Rothschild had been blended in mid-March, a couple of weeks prior to my visit, therefore it was important to let this settle and aerate. Moreover, I returned on my final day in Bordeaux mid-April for a second reading. It feels very aloof at first, even a little green, although that ebbs away with time in the glass to reveal pure blackberry and bilberry fruit, touches of brine, cedar and graphite. Patience discloses a really quite sublime array of aromas. The palate is where all the action is: filigree tannin, very well judged acidity, harmonious and poised with a silky smooth finish that glides across the mouth. It does not possess enormous length but it is very precise and, for want of a better, less clichéd word, classic from start to finish. Tasted twice with consistent notes. 4/27/2018 Wine Advocate WINE ADVOCATE (LISA PERROTTI-BROWN) : 97-99 / 100 Composed of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon with 3.5% Merlot and 0.5% Petit Verdot, the deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Lafite Rothschild is a little shy on the nose to begin, opening out to scents of crushed blackcurrants, black cherries and warm black plums with touches of yeast extract, charcuterie, cigar box and fertile loam plus a hint of iron ore. POW—the paradoxically ethereal, medium-bodied palate hits you with vibrant, exhilarating black fruit and previously latent floral layers, supported with fantastic freshness and super fine-grained, pixelated tannins, finishing with persistent mineral and perfumed layers. Truly. Stunning. 4/25/2018 Decanter.com DECANTER.COM (JANE ANSON) : 98 / 100 This is delicious, a real take-a-step-back moment. There's a high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon here, complex and layered with cassis and bilberry notes that tease the attack before being filled out with charcoal, slate, cedar, and even truffle hints, even at this early stage. The finish just doesn't want to quit. It's effortless but questioning, and most importantly it feels like a Lafite - for me this is a contender for red wine of the vintage. Less intense than 2016, but still just beautiful. 40hl/ha yield, unaffected by frost, or maybe just one tiny corner. 99% new oak. 3.75pH. Drinking Window 2027 - 2045 4/25/2018 Wein Wisser WEIN WISSER (RENÉ GABRIEL) : 19 / 20 4/17/2018 Wine Enthusiast WINE ENTHUSIAST (ROGER VOSS) : 96-98 / 100 Firm and closed, this is a dark and dense wine. There are impressive tannins alongside juicy black plum flavors as well as great concentration. It is an exceptional wine, with the power you should expect from a Lafite. It is certain to age and will not be ready before 2025. 4/6/2018 Jamessuckling.com JAMESSUCKLING.COM (JAMES SUCKLING) : 97-98 / 100 This is very tight and tannic with lots of blackcurrant and sweet-tobacco character. Firm and powerful tannin texture sets this up for a long and chewy finish, yet it remains very compact and polished. It's a wine that possesses all the hallmarks of Lafite — everything from flavors to structure.