The 2021 Lafite Rothschild is a blend of 96% CS, 3% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot.
The nose is still dominated by fresh fruit and elegant toasty notes.
On the palate, an immediate sensation of power, without any excess, follows a fleeting vivacity. The freshness of the finish, the grain of the tannins and the velvety woodiness suggest great ageing potential.
Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs a lot of swirling to shake loose notions of ripe blackcurrants, fresh blackberries, and black raspberries, followed by hints of cedar, graphite, cloves, and cast-iron pan with a waft of roses.
Light to medium-bodied, the palate delivers intensely perfumed black fruits with a floral and herbal undercurrent textured by firm, finely grained tannins, and featuring well-integrated acidity, finishing on a lingering fragrant earth note.
95/97 POINTS WINE ADVOCATE
97 POINTS JAMES SUCKLING
97 POINTS VINOUS ANTONIO GALLONI
This should be one of the most long-lived wines of the vintage, with cellaring potential of 40+ years. Yields came in at 33 hl/ha and the wine has a pH of 3.9. 2029-2063.
Château Lafite Rothschild is the result of a rare harmony of nature, which it alone controls and which continues to be created from vintage to vintage, for over a thousand seasons.
For the Grand Vin Château Lafite Rothschild, only vines older than 10 years are used. Although each vintage is unique, there is usually a large proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon, then Merlot, with a small contribution of Petit Verdot.
On the plateau of Lafite’s mythical gravel, the men and women who work in the vineyards are the ones who pass on wine-growing traditions. And for over one hundred and fifty years, with the arrival of Baron James, the same family has taken turns to deliver a single message: That of precision and resilience in the face of the master strokes that the sky writes on its lands.
“Lafite remains unyielding, yet delicate, and subtle.”
In this eternal beginning anew, in this inconstancy of nature that writes a different destiny each year, Lafite remains unyielding, yet delicate, and subtle. It has the nature of the wise, unchanging like its eternal gravel. For if it is still there after a thousand seasons, its roots and soul will tell us that it is already writing its future. The vineyard of Château Lafite Rothschild comprises three main areas: The slopes around the Château, the Carruades plateau to the west and a 4.5-hectare lot in the neighbouring township of Saint-Estèphe.
The surface area is 112 hectares. The soil is made up of fine, deep gravel mixed with windblown sand on a well-drained, and well exposed tertiary limestone subsoil. The grape varieties grown here are Cabernet-Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. Each barrel is tasted individually and only the best are selected for the final blend. After blending, the wine is aged in new oak barrels for 15 months. Fermentation takes place over 15 days at a controlled temperature of 18°C.
For the Grand Vin Château Lafite Rothschild, only vines older than 10 years are used. Although each vintage is unique, there is usually a large proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon, then Merlot, with a small contribution of Petit Verdot.
Maturation: For Lafite's terroir to produce its magic, the vinification process must be carried out with extreme precision. The distribution of the grapes between wooden, stainless steel and concrete vats is determined on the basis of the characteristics of each plot and the grapes’ degree of maturity. Alcoholic fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature with regular pumping over to gently extract all the phenolic compounds. The maceration period is around 22 days. After malolactic fermentation, the wines are transferred to French oak barrels. Lafite has its own cooperage in Pauillac, the Tonnellerie des Domaines, a factor that contributes to its unique style. Every barrel is tasted and only the best are selected for the final blend. The wine is then aged in new oak barrels for 15 months.
