x

Lafite-Rothschild 2023

Château Lafite-Rothschild, Bordeaux, France

Château Lafite-Rothschild
Bordeaux France
  • 100
    Points
  • The 182 best
    of 3 290 954
    wines globally
  • 8 Pros of
    8 recommend
    this wine
1057 100
  • Taste
  • Moment

  • Country ranking ?

    150

  • Producer ranking ?

    8

  • Decanting time

    4h

  • When to drink

    from 2030

  • Food Pairing

    Beef

The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.

Read more
Close

The 2023 Lafite-Rothschild was picked September 7 to 29 at 45hL/ha and matured in 90% new oak. This is more discrete on the nose—one of the tropes of this First Growth—even when compared to the more immediate Carruades. This takes time to unfurl in the glass, slowly revealing black fruit laced with pencil box and just a touch of pressed violet. There’s wonderful precision here. The palate is medium-bodied with a cashmere texture, very pure (ag...

Read more
Close

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...

Read more
Close

Vintage 2023

Challenges and triumphs: the 2023 vintage in Bordeaux

The Bordeaux wine region has long been revered for its exceptional wines, shaped by a delicate dance between nature and human skill. However, the 2023 vintage was proof of the resilience and adaptability of winegrowers in the face of difficult weather conditions. From the relentless weather conditions to the current activity in the vineyards in November, this year has been a rollercoaste...

Read more
Close

Average Bottle Price

2024
680€

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.

Tasting note

Be the first one to make a 20s tasting note!

Written Notes

I tasted this wine for the second time in September 2024. It is made up of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, with an alcohol content of 13.2%. When I tasted it in April 2024, it seemed to be more raw and oaky compared to recent vintages. However, it still displayed multidimensional and sophisticated characteristics, with excellent midpalate, perfect acidity, and a long-lasting aftertaste. By September 2024, it had become more accessible. Overall, it's fabulous stuff.

-
  • 98p

Extrême finesse aromatique, corps excellent, intégration harmonieuse et immédiate du boisé. Un des sommets du millésime. 97-98

-
  • 98p

Deep dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, delicate edge brightening. Attractive cassis, blackberry, delicate hint of liquorice, hint of oak, mineral background. Powerful, taut, lively, fresh red heart cherry, perfectly ripe tannins, mineral and very long lasting, extremely elegant and precise, lingers for minutes, has great class. This is the style that has made Bordeaux great, with charm and energy, with power and great certain ageing potential.

-
  • 98p

  Cassis, blackberries, dark fruits, anise, liquorice, fruit forward nose, detailed, firmer nose.
Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, cassis, blackberries, liquorice, detailed, layered, nuanced, spices, firmer, textured, intense, very long finish. 98-100

-
  • 100p

The purity of cabernet sauvignon is so evident here. It mesmerizes you with aromas of black and red currants, cedar, tobacco and bark. It's full-bodied yet there's very impressive weightlessness and agility, as well as subtlety and focus. Some iron and terra-cotta. Cedar and sandalwood undertones. Juicy and plummy at the end. 12.9% alcohol. 3.75 pH. A blend of 60% cabernet sauvignon and 40% merlot. 97-98

-
  • 98p

 Very elegant wine with purity and persistence. Dark purple colour with violet hue and black core.  Excellent nose with rich yet elegant fruit, fine aroma reminiscent of blackcurrants, ripe blackberries, floral hints and mild spices. Elegant toasting and discreet oak in the background. On the palate noble tannins, amazing depth and length, flavourful finish with elegance and persistence.

-
  • 99p
Load more notes

Information

Origin

Pauillac, Bordeaux

Vintage Quality

Excellent

Value For Money

Very good

Investment potential

Very Good

Fake factory

None

Inside Information

Located in Pauillac, Château Lafite Rothschild is a Bordeaux First Growth producer and possesses a long history of exceptional quality. It is also one of the largest Médoc estates. The Grand Vin is composed primarily of Cabernet Sauvignon (up to 95 percent) with the balance divided between Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. 1994 and 1961 are exceptions, however, and consist of 99-percent and 100-percent Cabernet Sauvignon, respectively. Part of the estate's production goes to its second wine, called Carruades de Lafite, which contains up to 70-percent Cabernet, with a larger proportion of Merlot. Lafite has a balanced elegance supported by the structure of its tannins. It is both full-bodied and silky. Aromas include currant and leather. The best vintages of Lafite include 1846, 1918, 1945, 1947, 1959, 1961, 1982, 1990, 2000, 2003, and 2005. Recent standouts include 2009, 2016, and 2020, as well as the 2018 vintage, which Lisa Perrotti-Brown of Wine Advocate gave 100 points, saying: “Anyone who wants to see what I mean when I babble about the Lafite tannins needs to try this benchmark. The finish goes on, and on, and on. If this wine doesn’t get Bordeaux lovers hearts' racing, nothing will.” Because of its superior blending techniques, Château Lafite Rothschild is able to offer top-quality wines even in more challenging years. 

Read more
Incorrect Information
If you found some information that is wrong, let us know
Send
Are you sure you want do delete this wine? All information will be lost.
Are you sure you want to recommend this wine?
Are you sure you want hide this written note ?
Are you sure you want show this written note ?
UPGRADE MEMBER PLAN
Upgrade your membership now, it's quick and easy. We use PayPal, the world's largest payment system, it accepts all credit cards. Once you've chosen your membership level, you'll go directly to PayPal. You can cancel your membership at any time.
Thank you for your support!
 

Pro Member

 

Winemerchant Member

 

Winery Member

 

User

 
Type a message ...
Register to Tastingbook
Sign up now, it's quick and easy.
We use PayPal, the world's largest payment system, it accepts all credit cards.
Once you've chosen your membership level, you'll go directly to PayPal, where you can sign up for a free 7-day trial period. You can cancel your membership at any time. We wish you a rewarding journey to the world of Fine Wines.

Free 7 days Member trial

 

Member

 

Pro Member

 

Winemerchant Member

 

Winery Member

 

User

  Register