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  • Country ranking ?

    277
  • Producer ranking ?

    15
  • Decanting time

    4h
  • When to drink

    from 2018
  • Food Pairing

    Lamb with aubergines

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The Story

The Château Lafite estate run by the Rothschilds is, with its 100 hectares of cultivated land, the largest of the main Pauillac vineyards.

It is located in the highest part of the area and the view from its château, with its conical towers that appear on the label, takes in the banks of the River Gironde, which flows nearby. The wines are a blend of four different varieties of grape – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petite Verdot and Cabernet F...

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Wine Information

2005 was the fourth consecutive year to have a deficit in rainfall, but the drought began very early, at the end of May, which allowed the vine to adapt itself by reducing its leaves. The very hot weather in June and July gave way to progressively cooler weather in August and the cool nights allowed good acidity levels to be maintained, resulting in slow steady ripening. A year of atypical weather but in the end ideal for the production of hea...

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Vintage 2005

Bordeaux Vintage Report 2005 is a truly fantastic vintage with great quality across the board on both the Left and Right Banks.

The 2005 vintage became the most expected since 2000. The en primeur market was heated, and prices skyrocketed. The cold winter delayed the bud break before the hot ans dunny spring broke up. Even vegetative growth and flowering gave a perfect start to the vintage. The summer turned out to be one of the driest ever...

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Average Bottle Price

2023 2021 2019 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010
975€ +29.1% 755€ +14.4% 660€ -17.5% 800€ +0.3% 798€ -2.9% 822€ +4.6% 786€ -10.6% 879€ -1.2% 890€ -30.6% 1 282€ -4.3% 1 340€

This data comes from the FINE Auction Index, a composite of average prices for wines sold at commercial auctions in 20 countries. The average prices from each year have been collected since 1990. This chart plots the index value of the average price of the wines.

Latest Pro-tasting notes

15 tasting notes

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Written Notes

Robust and powerful reds are full-bodied or very full-bodied wines that have rich flavours. Due to oak maturation, you can discern powerful spicy notes. High tannins lend these wines a good structure.

  • 97p

Black velvety red, colour sticking to the glass, superb fragrance and intensity, concentrated ripeness, immense depth but overall an impression of fragrance and elegance, a perfect wine. Drink 2015-50.

  • 100p

The 2005 Lafite is a lighter-styled effort than I expected, but of course, this estate is renowned for its delicacy and finesse. After the world-beating, off-the-charts 2003, which is a modern-day clone of the 1959, the 2005 seems pretty and restrained, but very noble as one would expect. Remarkably, the alcohol is actually higher in 2005 than in 2003, topping out at 13+%. The final blend was 88.8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10.7% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot. Production represented only 40% of the harvest. The wine’s dark plum/ruby/purple color is followed by Lafite’s tell-tale aromas of lead pencil shavings intermixed with flowers, minerals, sweet berries, and black currants. Medium-bodied, quintessentially elegant and finesse-styled with high but ripe tannin, it is an impeccably pure, exceptionally well-made effort. Despite its obvious charm, my instincts suggest it will shut down after bottling. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2050+.

  • 95p
Tasted twice - last time in in May 2008. Dark red. This wine was immense. The first thing I noticed was a simply fantastic nose of perfectly ripe blackcurrants with incredibly aromatic fireworks. It showed an enormous power, length and aftertaste, and was silky everywhere. There was pure elegance and pure sophisticated touch too. True and majestic 1.Growth par excellence!!
  • 100p
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Information

Origin

Pauillac, Bordeaux

Vintage Quality

Outstanding

Value For Money

Poor

Investment potential

Very Good

Fake factory

Be Cautious

Glass time

2h

Drinking temperature

16

Inside Information

Wine Advocate #176
Apr 2008
Robert M. Parker, Jr. 96+ Drink: 2020 - 2050 $774-$2718 (1250)
While the 2005 is another brilliantly classic Lafite Rothschild, for my taste, it comes in slightly behind their extraordinarily opulent 2003 as well as the dramatically powerful 2000. A blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Merlot, the 2005 boasts a dark ruby/purple color in addition to that exceptional Lafite perfume of graphite, spring flowers, crushed rocks, and sweet black cherry and black currant fruit that exudes class and nobility. The wine is medium-bodied with extremely high levels of tannin in addition to sensational purity, length, and overall harmony. However, it is exceptionally backward, and even more tannic than either the 1995 or 1996. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2050+
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