2021 Lafite Rothschild
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Tasting Notes
Yields were 20% lower in 2020 chez Lafite, but the alcohol is the same, just under 13%. The key this year – beyond exceptional efforts in the vineyard, especially working organically (the first year at Ch. Lafite-Rothschild) – was careful vinification, Eric Kohler believes. The Technical Director was gentle with extraction, but included more press wine in the blends (15% for the Grand Vin) – and one of the highest portions of Cabernet Sauvignon ever (96%). Tasting this alongside the estate’s other wines, the leap in quality is evident. The nose is quiet at first, dark and brooding, slowly revealing its pinpoint, pencil-lead and mineral precision with time in the glass. There’s a crunch of tiny red and black berries, the lift of redcurrant and a seasoning of oak spice (100% new). It is, however, the exceptional length that reveal's the wine's true class, with elegance and savoury freshness. The balance here is impeccable, building to a long, nuanced, smoke-scented finish. Such was the level of work required to produce a wine of greatness this year that it cost the château 45% more – an investment few estates could make. Blend: 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot
Critic Scores
Average Score
William Kelley, Wine Advocate
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
I loved the Grand Vin 2021 Château Lafite-Rothschild, and if anyone is going to excel in a cooler, elegant vintage like 2021, it will be Château Lafite. Based on 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, is has a brilliant perfume of pure crème de cassis, spring flowers, graphite, gravelly earth, and sandalwood, which will turn toward more classic Lafite cedar pencil with age. Medium-bodied on the palate, it has supple, elegant, yet substantial tannins, great balance, and a beautiful finish. Like most wines from this estate, it has a classy, regal, incredibly impressive style.
The 2021 Lafite-Rothschild casts an imposing presence. Black fruit, sage, menthol, licorice and incense give Lafite its dark, almost somber, personality. Cabernet Sauvignon is dialed up, and that very much comes through in the wine's flavor profile and overall feel. The tannins are quite prominent at this stage. In some ways, the 2021 reminds me of the 1996, but with the greater delineation found in today's wines. I can't wait to see how it ages. The 2021 is one of the stars of the Left Bank. Its longevity will ultimately be dictated by storage conditions more than anything having to do with the wine itself.
The 2021 Lafite-Rothschild, which was aged in 90% new oak, has a deep, almost opaque hue. This has quite an arresting bouquet with dense blackberry, sous-bois and pencil box scents, quintessential Lafite aromas with nuanced floral scents surfacing with time. The palate is medium-bodied, though with more weight than you would expect given the growing season. The Cabernet Sauvignon imparts graphite and almost briny elements into the aromatic profile. Sapid and classic in style, head winemaker Eric Kohler suggests that it is a return to the style of Lafite-Rothschild of the nineties in terms of freshness. I concur.
About the producer
Ch. Lafite Rothschild is one of the most famous wine estates in Bordeaux and the world. One of the Left Bank’s five First Growths, the Pauillac property is renowned for producing wines of finesse and elegance that age beautifully.