The iconic Château Lafite Rothschild was classified as a first growth in 1855 and has been in the Rothschild family since 1868. Today, Lafite is headed up by Saskia de Rothschild, daughter of long-time steward Baron Eric de Rothschild.
Château Lafite Rothschild is an iconic first-growth property in the Pauillac appellation of Bordeaux, France. It achieved its top-tier rank in 1855 and has been in the Rothschild family since 1868. Today, Lafite is headed up by Saskia de Rothschild, daughter of long-time steward Baron Eric de Rothschild.
The property is located at the northern tip of Pauillac, separated by St Estèphe by marshland and the Jalle de Breuil stream. Two areas of the vineyard are particularly notable: the gravel plateau, which is the heart of the grand vin; and the Plateau de Carruades, from which Lafite’s second wine takes its name. The vineyard is planted mostly to Cabernet Sauvignon (70%), along with Merlot (25%), Cabernet Franc (3%) and Petit Verdot (2%).
A new cellar was completed here in time for the 2011 harvest, with a combination of stainless steel and concrete tanks, of varying sizes. The barrels come from Lafite’s own cooperage, located not far from the property.
In addition to its 110 hectares of vines, the estate has 300 hectares of woods and marshes. The team consider this to be an integral part of the ecosystem.
95 Points Robert Parker Wine Advocate
The 1999 Lafite Rochschild sports an engraved “1999” on the bottle along with an eclipse to mark that significant histoircal event of August 1999. A quintessential offering from Lafite Rothschild, this prodigious wine is both elegant and intensely flavoured and almost diaphanous in its layers that unfold with no heaviness. An opaue ruby/purple colour is accompanied by a complex bouquet of lead pencil, graphite, cedar, crème de cassis, toast, and vanilla. Medium bodied with extravagant layers of richness yet little weight and a finish that is all sweetness, ripeness, and harmony, this extroadinary Lafite increasingly appears to be amodern day clone of the majestic 1953. A mere one-third of the crop made it into the grand vin!Anticipated maturity:2007-2030
94 Points Jane Anson
1999 was a more difficult vintage, but this is a classic Pauillac at 20 years old, and we should expect it stay on its plateau for the next 20-30 years. You can feel the edges of an older Cabernet beginning to creep in as cigar box and gentle tobacco notes, but there is still dense but savoury fruit on display, with real elegance and finesse to the tannins. Showing great harmony, this is where the beauty of Lafite is on display – you can find many wonderful 2009 and 2010s, but not so many wonderful ’99s. All four grapes – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc – are in the blend here, perhaps something that happens only once every ten years or so. This vintage demonstrates how Lafite doesn’t need concentration to still be something incredible. A mixed year weather-wise with a good spring followed by a rainy summer until mid-August when the sun returned. There was an excellent Indian summer, then a few drops of rain again during harvest, which sped things up. These challenges, says Baron Eric, meant that they forgot about it for a good 15 years, as the wine was extremely closed, but around three years ago it started to open back up. This is ready to be enjoyed.