Château Lafite-Rothschild 2018

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2018 Lafite Rothschild is blended of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.5% Merlot and 0.5% Petit Verdot and has 13.3% alcohol. Deep purple-black in color, it needs a fair bit of swirling to unlock intoxicating scents of blackcurrant cordial, baked plums and black cherry compote with an undercurrent of dark chocolate, licorice, cast-iron pan, cedar chest and fertile loam, plus a waft of pencil lead. The delicately crafted, medium-bodied palate is dripping with class, featuring layers of mineral-laced black fruits and exquisitely ripe, singularly Lafite tannins, finishing with epic length and depth. This simply stunning, delicately crafted expression of 2018 with its singularly evocative imprint of Lafite will require a good 7-8 years in bottle, then should continue to inspire awe over the following 40+ years.

James Suckling

Wow. The aromas are so intense and refined at the same time, offering gorgeous blackcurrant, lead-pencil and orchid character. Such purity of fruit. Sleek and finely polished with a fine cut to the tannins that provide such grace and glamor. Yet, it’s got the power and structure to age for decades. On and on. Try after 2029.

VertdeVin

The nose is fine, elegant, delicate, harmoniou, racy, complexe and offers a beautiful minerality, intensity, power, tension as well as richness/concentration. It reveals notes of ripe/fresh cassis, ripe/fresh blackberry and small notes of ripe/fresh strawberry associated with small touches of flowers (violet and discreet hints of cornflower), hints of liquorice, very discreet hints of cardamom, tonka bean, Cuben pepper as well as a very discreet hint vanilla flower (in the bakground) and toasted. A multi-layer wine which requiers work into the glass and patience before it reveals. The palate is fruity, juicy, well-balanced and offers a beautiful freshness/minerality, a mineral frame, a beautiful definition, precision, tension, a very beautiful finesse, straightness, richness (but full of finesse) as well as power. On the palate this wine expresses notes of fleshy/juicy blackberry, fleshy/juicy black cherry and small notes of juicy/fleshy strawberry associated with touches of fresh cornflower, juicy/fresh small blue fruits as well as hints of liquorice stick, cocoa, very discreet hints of toasted and a subtle hint of caramelization/vanilla. Tannins are elegant, structuring and very finely chewy. Good length. There is a hint of saline minerality and sapidity on the persistence.

Adrian van Velsen - vvWine.ch

Falstaff

Deep dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, delicate watery edge. Intense black berry confit, tobacco nuances, a hint of fine oak. Complex, finely-meshed, fine cherries, ripe tannins, marked by good freshness, red berry nuances on the finish, finesse-rich and delicate, salty touch on the finish, sure development potential.

Wine Enthusiast

An immensely structured wine, this is complex, concentrated and yet so contained. The wine impresses with its balance, layers of succulent black-currant fruits and effortless style. A wine for the long term, it should not be touched before 2029.