Chateau Lafite Rothschild 1er Grand Cru Classé 2023
Country: France Region: Pauillac, Bordeaux
Varietal: 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot
Vintage: 2023 Category: Red Wine Style: Dry
Producer: Château Lafite-Rothschild
Description:
First among the classified growths of 1855 in Bordeaux, the Château Lafite-Rothschild is a lord on its gravel lands. Carrying a long viticultural tradition initiated in 1620, it has asserted itself over the centuries as a true standard-bearer of the Pauillac appellation on the left bank of the Bordeaux region. Indeed, from Cardinal Richelieu to the then President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, the great personalities of this world have fallen under the charm of these great wines with a unique soul and unparalleled refinement.
The vineyards are situated in the Northern sector of Pauillac near to Saint Estèphe. Quality seems to be back to the highest level under wine-maker Eric Kohler who took over in 2015.
The 2023 vintage is a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot.
"An architectural Lafite that stretches out endlessly, crafted, delineated, powerful, sappy, with waves of salted cracked, graphite, crushed tobacco, mint leaf, cassis, squid ink, cocoa bean, campfire. Not the concentration of 2022, but in many ways showcasing the essence of Lafite more squarely, and this will delight anyone lucky enough to own it in future years. These Pauillac Firsts are all a little more closed down than I expected after experiencing them En Primeur - more like 2000 than 2001, and are seriously going to age well. 45hl/h yield, harvest September 7 to 29. 100% new oak. Eric Kohler director."
"The finest of the first growths this year appears to be the 2023 Lafite Rothschild, a terrific effort that unwinds in the glass with deep and incipiently complex aromas of cassis, pencil shavings, lilac and violets mingled with hints of cigar wrapper and mint. Medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, it's vibrant and refined, with a deep core of fruit, plenty of sweet structuring tannin and a compelling marriage between energy and plenitude. It's a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot that reminds me of 2019's tannins combined with 2016's unimpeachable classicism."
"The 2023 Lafite Rothschild is deep garnet-purple in colour. After a little swirling, wonderfully pure notes of boysenberries, wild blueberries, and blackcurrants emerge from the glass, followed by hints of violets, dark chocolate, licorice, and fertile loam with a hint of black truffle. The light to medium-bodied palate delivers electric sparks of vibrant black berry and mineral flavors framed by super-ripe, fine-grained tannins and great tension, finishing long and shimmery. A wine that is so, so cerebral, this is a vintage well played by Lafite. The blend is 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, with pH 3.76, and an alcohol of just 12.9%."
"The purity of cabernet sauvignon is so evident here. It mesmerizes you with aromas of black and red currants, cedar, tobacco and bark. It's full-bodied yet there's very impressive weightlessness and agility, as well as subtlety and focus. Some iron and terra-cotta. Cedar and sandalwood undertones. Juicy and plummy at the end. "
