2015 Château Lafite Rothschild Pauillac First Growth OWC

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About the Wine

Château Lafite has regularly been listed at the very top of critics list throughout history. In 1855 the Château was ranked as a Premier Grand Cru in the famous classification that was prepared for the Universal Exhibition of that year. Even through the centuries, Lafite is still one of the top wines in the world.

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 organized the vineyard in the 17th century, and Lafite began to earn its reputation as a great winemaking estate. The vineyard consists of three main areas: the hillsides around the Château, the adjacent Carruades plateau to the west, and 4.5 hectares in neighboring Saint Estèphe. The average age of the grapevines is 39 years old. But it should be noted that vines younger than 10 years old are not used in the Grand Vin.

Ageing: Cabernet Sauvignon 97% Merlot 2.5% Petit Verdot 0.5% spends 18 months in new French Oak Barrels made on site.

Tasting Notes: Deep, dark colour. The nose is still reserved but offers a glimpse of the enormous aromatic potential that will be revealed over time. Very fresh, with delicate notes of cedar and mint. Intense and vibrant on the palate, giving the impression of tremendous power still contained. 

 

12 btl OWC available upon request with a min. purchase + shipping


Reviews

Here is a Lafite with lots of muscle and tone. Very tannic and velvety textured. Full body, fresh acidity and a bright finish. Shows a tenderness at the end. Gorgeous. 97-98 JS

Rich, powerful and enveloping, the 2015 Lafite-Rothschild is endowed with serious volume and textural resonance. Super-ripe plum, smoke and spice notes emerge in the glass, but only with great reluctance. Although the aromatics aren't giving much at this point, the palate is much more expressive. The wine's sheer power and authoritative tone result in an unusually dramatic Lafite. The 2015 is 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Merlot that spent 20 months in oak, which is a bit more than the norm. ~96+ VM 

The deep garnet-purple shaded 2015 Lafite Rothschild is blended of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Merlot and was matured for 20 months in new oak barrels from Tonnellerie des Domaines (their own cooperage). It is still sporting a lot of cedar at this nascent stage with a vibrant core of black raspberries, red currants and crushed plums plus touches of cigar boxes, violets and underbrush with a waft of tilled loam. Medium-bodied and elegantly styled with wonderful freshness and depth, it is compellingly earthy/minerally in the mouth with a frame of seductively silky yet very firm tannins and culminating in a very long, racy and pure finish. Boasting spectacular finesse and packed with nuances, clearly, given some of the challenges here in 2015, this is a masterpiece of diligence in the vineyards, careful selection and very clever crafting—bravo! 96+ WA