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The quality of Château Lafite Rothschild needs no introduction. As early as 1815, Abraham Lawton had already designated it as leader: “I ranked it as being the most elegant and delicate, with the finest body of the three (leading wines)” he qualified in 1855. As to Château Lafite traits shared by all vintage years, it was an enlightened amateur that summed it up best by saying “...whatever the case, all the Château Lafite wines have an almond and violet aroma!”
“At Lafite, time stands still. The grapevines live long – some live 80 years long – in the deep gravel Gironde landscape, thriving through the labour of Man’s hand. While each plot of vineyard awaits its maturity, macerates and ferments a single type of grapevine, while the tannins become balanced, and the wine slowly separates from its sediment: weeks, months, and then years of aging bring out the almond, violet, and bilberry aromas, as well as woody and spicy fragrances, so that this red wine renders its intricate bouquet to the eye and palate. Ever since the King’s Wine of King Louis XV, monarchs have come and gone... but the exquisite vintages of Lafite Fine Wines make History. 'THEATRE DES SAISONS 1998, SOUPERS KRUG'.
Owner of Château Lafite Rothschild for five generations, the Rothschild family has been based in this Bordeaux vineyard since 1868. High values and the respect of traditional methods make them passionate about harmony and excellence. Their wines bear witness to that passion year after year. Their skills have patiently enriched through the generations, with world-renowned success.
Their skills have served other exceptional Bordeaux wines and vineyards, which share the same values of humility and high standards. Over the years, DBR has expanded its offerings through the acquisition of Château Duhart-Milon, 4th growth wine from Pauillac, Château Rieussec, 1er growth Sauternes wines, Château l’Evangile in Pomerol, Château Paradis Casseuil in Entre-Deux-Mers, Château Peyre-Lebade, Bordeaux wines in Haut Médoc and Sélections Réserves, as well as Légende R.
History
While the first known reference to Lafite dates to 1234 with a certain Gombaud de Lafite, abbot of the Vertheuil Monastery north of Pauillac, Lafite’s mention as a medieval fief dates to the 14th century. The name Lafite comes from the Gascon language term “la hite”, which means “hillock”. There were probably already vineyards on the property at the time when the Ségur family organised the vineyard in the 17th century, and Lafite began to earn its reputation as a great winemaking estate. Jacques de Ségur is credited with the planting of the Lafite vineyard in the 1670’s and in the early 1680’s. In 1695, Jacques de Ségur’s heir, Alexandre, married the heiress of Château Latour, and they gave birth to Nicolas-Alexandre de Ségur. The fiefs of Lafite and Latour were thus unified at the beginning of their estate legacy.
Today Château Lafite Rothschild is managed by Baron Eric de Rothschild, nephew of Baron Elie. Baron Eric’s management of the estate made strides forward through research for excellence and the gradual addition of a new technical team. In the vineyard, the replanting and restoration work was mirrored by re-evaluated fertilizing and limited herbicide treatment. In the chais, a stainless steel tank complex was installed alongside oak tanks, and a new circular aging chai was constructed under the supervision of Catalan architect Ricardo Bofill. This new design style would be acclaimed for its innovative character and uncompromising spirit, and can hold 2,200 barrels. In the same artistic spirit, in 1985 Baron Eric began a tradition of inviting fine-arts photographers to photograph Château Lafite. These include such artists as Jacques Henri Lartique, Irving Penn, Robert Doisneau, and Richard Avedon. He would also extend the horizons of the Domaines through new acquisitions both in France and abroad (see History of the Barons de Rothschild Domaines). The very fine vintages from the 1980’s (1982, 1985, 1986, 1989, and 1990) would be lauded by soaring market prices.
These good market conditions continued throughout the 1990’s. The turn of the century was very peaceful, and many fine new vintages were aging in the chais and cellars. Among them, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2003 will reveal their splendour with age. This reasonable optimism is based on permanent research for excellence that is so much a part of Château Lafite Rothchild’s history.
  
Facts & Figures
Area under vine
103 hectares
Production
180,000 to 300,000 bottles of Château Lafite Rothschild
240,000 to 360,000 bottles of Carruades de Lafite
Soil
Soils with deep fine gravel mixed with aeolien sands on a bedrock of tertiary limestone. They are well drained and well exposed to the sun.
Grape varieties
71% Cabernet Sauvignon
25% Merlot
3% Cabernet Franc
1% Petit Verdot
Blend and aging for Château Lafite Rothschild
Cabernet Sauvignon 80 to 95%, Merlot 5 to 20%, Cabernet franc and Petit Verdot 0 to 3%. Note that there are a few differing cases such as vintage 1994 : 99% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Petit Verdot, vintage 1961 : 100% of Cabernet Sauvignon. Length of ageing in oak barrels: 18 to 20 months, including 100% new barrels.
Blend and aging for Carruades de Lafite
Cabernet Sauvignon 50 to 70%, Merlot 30 to 50%, Cabernet franc and Petit Verdot 0 to 5%. Length of ageing in oak barrels : 18 months, including 10/15% in new barrels the rest in two year old barrels.
  
Wines available
All wines sold by BDXV come direct from Bordeaux and have been stored at the Chateaux or in professional storage facilities since the time of bottling. BDXV’s wines have never ever been in the hands of private collectors. This gives you the customer the highest level of quality guarantee that the wines you buy have been stored in optimal conditions since the time they were bottled.
Chateau Lafite Rothschild 2005, EUR POA*
Score: 96 points. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2050.
Robert Parker: 96 points
April 2008: While the 2005 is another brilliantly classic Lafite Rothschild, for my taste, it comes in slightly behind their extraordinarily opulent 2003 as well as the dramatically powerful 2000. A blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Merlot, the 2005 boasts a dark ruby/purple color in addition to that exceptional Lafite perfume of graphite, spring flowers, crushed rocks, and sweet black cherry and black currant fruit that exudes class and nobility. The wine is medium-bodied with extremely high levels of tannin in addition to sensational purity, length, and overall harmony. However, it is exceptionally backward, and even more tannic than either the 1995 or 1996.
April 2007: Made in an ethereal style, the 2005 Lafite is composed of nearly 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, just under 11% Merlot, and a tiny fraction of Petit Verdot (representing only 40% of the total harvest). It is a deep, structured, linear style of Lafite Rothschild that is in total contrast to the opulence and extravagant richness of the 2003 and the bold, dramatic power of the 2000. The dense ruby/plum/purple-tinged 2005 offers up scents of graphite, flowers, crushed rocks, and loads of berry fruit. Medium-bodied and sweet with high tannin, it represents the quintessentially elegant style of Bordeaux. Another brilliant effort made under the auspices of administrator Charles Chevalier, it should be at its finest between 2015-2050+.
April 2006: The 2005 Lafite is a lighter-styled effort than I expected, but of course, this estate is renowned for its delicacy and finesse. After the world-beating, off-the-charts 2003, which is a modern-day clone of the 1959, the 2005 seems pretty and restrained, but very noble as one would expect. Remarkably, the alcohol is actually higher in 2005 than in 2003, topping out at 13+%. The final blend was 88.8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10.7% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot. Production represented only 40% of the harvest. The wine’s dark plum/ruby/purple color is followed by Lafite’s tell-tale aromas of lead pencil shavings intermixed with flowers, minerals, sweet berries, and black currants. Medium-bodied, quintessentially elegant and finesse-styled with high but ripe tannin, it is an impeccably pure, exceptionally well-made effort. Despite its obvious charm, my instincts suggest it will shut down after bottling.
Jancis Robinson: 19/20 points
Extremely complex and intriguing on the nose. More lifted than Duhart Milon and Carruades. Very fine-boned and minerally – graphite sensation (although there is no Cabernet Franc in the final blend). Delicate – which is quite an achievement in 2005! Very subtle and very youthful. Wonderful opulence with a neat, dry finish. A gorgeous drink that may be overlooked in comparison with Latour’s greater drama but a very fine representation of both château and vintage, with, I suspect, a very long window of drinkability.
Chateau Lafite Rothschild 2003, EUR POA*
Score: 100 points. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2050.
Robert Parker: 100 points
A modern day version of the 1959 Lafite, the 2003 Lafite Rothschild was bottled in mid-May, 2005 after achieving 12.9% natural alcohol – hardly an astonishing figure given the vintage’s weather conditions. A combination of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, it represents a ripe version of the essence of Lafite-Rothschild. Dense purple-colored, with classic notes of graphite intertwined with melted licorice, creme de cassis, smoke, and flowers, it reveals extraordinary richness, opulence, power, purity, intensity, and viscosity. Whether this wine will close down or not is questionable as it is somewhat atypical given its sweetness and softness. Analytically, there are extremely high tannins, which I suspect will assert themselves in the future. Production in 2003 was less than half of normal.
Jancis Robinson: 18.5/20 points
Deep lively purplish crimson. This is a very exciting wine which manages to be primarily a fine Lafite and only then an expression of the extreme ripeness of the vintage. There is no exaggeration here and most of all the dancing finesse of Lafite on song (if that is not too confusing a description). Deep and concentrated - by some measure more so than Carruades - and still introvert but it opened out to great delicacy. Pure Lafite with the extra ripeness of 2003 and a little spike of leafiness on the edge to keep it lively. Round and opulent on the mid palate but never heavy. Sweeter than usual but there is sufficient acidity and a nice dry kick of dryness to keep it all in check and beautifully airborne. Yields averaged 33 hl/ha rather than the usual 45.
Chateau Lafite Rothschild 2000, EUR POA*
Score: 100 points. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2050.
Robert Parker: 100 points
Well, well, well - Lafite Rothschild does it again. Ever since manager Charles Chevalier was transferred from his beloved Sauternes property of Rieussec (also owned by the Rothschilds) to Lafite in 1994, there has been a succession of profound wines to emerge from this noble estate. The 2000 Lafite Rothschild, a blend of 93.3% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6.7% Merlot (only 36% of the crop made the grade) has an opaque ruby/purple color, followed by an extraordinary aromatic expression of liquid minerals/stones interwoven with the tell-tale graphite notes, mulberry, black currants, caramel, and tobacco. In the mouth, it is remarkably light on its feet, but somehow seems to pack intense flavors into layer upon layer of fruit and richness that cascade over the palate. A compelling wine, with extraordinary precision, great intensity, and a seamlessness in spite of what are obviously elevated levels of tannin, this wine was provocatively open and beautiful when tasted in January and February, but I am sure it will soon close down. The finish lasted a whopping 72 seconds! This is utterly fascinating stuff.
Jancis Robinson: 18.5/20 points
Very, very deep, dark crimson. Full blooded and some scent. Very subtle. Quite a bit of acidity. Not fresh. Maybe a bit low key. A bit dead on the palate.
Chateau Lafite Rothschild 1996, EUR POA*
Score: 100 points. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2050.
Robert Parker: 100 points
Tasted three times since bottling, the 1996 Lafite-Rothschild is unquestionably this renowned estate's greatest wine. As I indicated last year, only 38% of the crop was deemed grand enough to be put into the final blend, which is atypically high in Cabernet Sauvignon (83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 7% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot). This massive wine may be the biggest, largest-scaled Lafite I have ever tasted. It will require many years to come around, so I suspect all of us past the age of fifty might want to give serious consideration as to whether we should be laying away multiple cases of this wine. It is also the first Lafite-Rothschild to be put into a new engraved bottle (designed to prevent fraudulent imitations). The wine exhibits a thick-looking, ruby/purple color, and a knock-out nose of lead pencil, minerals, flowers, and black currant scents. Extremely powerful and full-bodied, with remarkable complexity for such a young wine, this huge Lafite is oozing with extract and richness, yet has managed to preserve its quintessentially elegant personality. This wine is even richer than it was prior to bottling. It should unquestionably last for 40-50 years.
Chateau Lafite Rothschild 1982, EUR POA*
Score: 100 points. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2070.
Robert Parker: 100 points
The 1982 Lafite possesses a dark, dense ruby/purple color with only a subtle lightening at the rim. Spectacular aromatics offer jammy cherry and black fruits intertwined with lead pencil, mineral, and smoky wood scents. Powerful for a Lafite, this wine unfolds to reveal extraordinary richness, purity, and overall symmetry in addition to stunning flavor depth and persistence. The finish lasts for nearly a minute. Plenty of tannin remains, and the wine displays a vibrancy and youthfulness that belie its 18 years of age. The modern day equivalent of Lafite-Rothschild's immortal 1959, the 1982 will enjoy another 30-70 years of life! An amazing achievement!
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