Château Lafite-Rothschild 2014

VertdeVin

The nose is fruity, pure, round, relatively gourmand and offers richness (precisely well-balanced). It reveals notes of crushed blackberry, cassis and slight hints of violet, crushed strawberry combined with discreet hints of licorice, zan, toasted oak, hints of spices as well as a very discreet hint of pepper (in the background) and hints of flower (in the background). The palate is fruity, fine, mineral, nicely elegant, pure, quite straight and offers an iodine / saline mineral frame and a small tension. In the mouth this wine expresses notes of juicy blackberry, cassis and slight notes of licorice, fresh strawberry combined with slight hints of raspberry, zan, spices, a few delicate hints of toasted oak as well as a very discreet hint of clove and a very discreet hint of caramelization. Tannins are fine, elegant and nicely built. Good length and beautiful persistence. The persistence is suave, gourmande and offers notes of iodine / gravel minerality.

Falstaff

Wine Enthusiast

This is a major wine. It has enormous tension, structure and a core of dark tannins. Amid all this, the wine is also packed with fruit and concentrated blackberry and black-plum flavors. It will age slowly and steadily with its enormous structure and concentration. Drink this wine from 2027.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2014 Lafite-Rothschild, tasted with head winemaker Eric Kohler, has retained that very opulent and outgoing bouquet that dare I say actually reminded me of Mouton-Rothschild. There are layers of blackberry and boysenberry fruit, still that hint of juniper berry, certainly a more extrovert Lafite-Rothschild compared to recent vintages. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannin, very focused and quite linear, again with plenty of black fruit laced with cedar and tobacco. It begins to clam up towards the saline finish, suggesting that it will need several years in bottle, but I still have high expectations for this First Growth once afforded several years in bottle.