Château Lafite Rothschild Pauillac 2017 - 1er Grand Cru Classé

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

As a premier cru of Pauillac, Lafite owes its unparalleled finesse to the gravel soils in the northern part of the appellation, set on a limestone base, combined with extremely rigorous selection processes that discard more than half of the harvest. Strongly dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, which often accounts for more than 90% of the blend, Lafite shines with notes of cedar and graphite that take more than fifteen years to fully develop. The new team in charge of the estate (the duo of Saskia de Rothschild and Éric Kohler) is committed to giving greater depth to both the first growth and the second wine.

Decanter

About the wine:

The color is a deep ruby, but not so deep as to be impenetrable—that’s not their style. The nose is initially reserved, then unfolds to reveal violets and rich yet well-defined black fruits. Lafite never tries too hard to please everyone in its early years, and it will take some time to open up. There is a lot of concentration—there are big tannins, but they are so fine that you don’t notice them at first. It will almost certainly take ten years for it to reach its drinking window, unlike many 2017 wines. With 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, much of the power is latent at this stage, with just a hint of Merlot to soften and gently layer through the palate. Extremely impressive. Drinking window: 2025–2050

Guide Hachette des vins

About the wine:

The devastating frosts of April 26 and 27, 2017, which caused so much damage to the Bordeaux vineyards, miraculously spared Lafite. The rest of the season proceeded smoothly, with early flowering, balanced rainfall, and a summer that was slightly cooler than usual but calm, leading to a slow and harmonious ripening of the grapes. Cabernet Sauvignon makes up 97% of the grand vin, with Merlot (2.5%) and Petit Verdot rounding out the blend. The color is dark and dense, the nose deep: roasted mocha, cedar, peppermint, and black fruits (blackcurrant, blueberry) unfold harmoniously but with a touch of reserve for now. On the palate, the wine is opulent and creamy from the first sip, carried by refined tannins of beautiful finesse and remarkable freshness, reinforced by a long finish of white pepper. And the best is yet to come

About the estate:

A former seigneury whose jurisdiction extended north of Pauillac, the estate owes its château and its winemaking tradition—established as early as the 17th century—to the Ségur family, Bordeaux parliamentarians and major vineyard owners, a legacy that earned it the status of a First Growth in 1855. But it owes its survival—having remained untouched by the divisions and sales that weakened so many prestigious estates—to the Rothschilds, who acquired it in 1868. It also owes its modernization and state-of-the-art facilities—such as its famous circular cellar designed by Ricardo Bofill—to the team led by Éric de Rothschild, who has been at the helm since 1974, and Charles Chevallier, its technical director until 2016. These facilities allow the full personality of an exceptional terroir—planted with 112 hectares of vines—to be revealed: a superb hillock of fine, deep gravel over a limestone subsoil. Éric Kohler took over as Lafite’s technical director in 2016, with Charles Chevallier remaining as a consultant and ambassador for the château.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

Lafite Rothschild has a deep garnet-purple color. It opens slowly and cautiously, with restrained notes of chocolate-coated cherries, blackberries, warm blackcurrants, and wild blueberries, followed by hints of smoked meat, fragrant earth, crushed stone, and lilac, with touches of cast-iron skillet and toast. Medium-bodied, the palate is deceptively light and quite ethereal on entry, developing to reveal elegant layers of vibrant red and black fruit with tons of savory accents. Framed by exquisitely ripe and wonderfully fine tannins, it offers exhilarating freshness and a very long, hypnotic finish. Finally, the alcohol content is 12.5%, which is nothing short of a miracle given the Cabernet’s maturity. I can’t wait to see how this wine evolves!

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the estate:

Masterful, Lafite stands out as the most refined of the Médoc wines when, after a few years of aging, it unfolds its captivating aromas of graphite and pencil lead. Tasting it is like discovering a unique texture and vitality. A vast estate spanning 178 hectares, 105 of which are planted with vines, Lafite has belonged to the Rothschild family since 1868. The château can also boast one of the richest collections of (very) old vintages, which demonstrates just how consistently exemplary the estate has been (with the exception of a few vintages). Saskia, daughter of Éric de Rothschild, took over as head of the group’s estates in 2018, while Éric Kholer has overseen winemaking since 2016. Noteworthy in recent vintages is the progress made by the second wine, Les Carruades.

James Suckling

About the wine:

The nose is deep and characteristic, with notes of blackcurrant, black tea, leather, and graphite. The aromas are inviting. This is a full-bodied, creamy, and magnificent wine with extremely polished and refined tannins. Yet it is powerful and long-lasting. The highest percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon ever achieved. Juicy and almost exotic, yet very refined with ripe tannins. Best enjoyed after 2025 and beyond.

Terre de Vins

Yves Beck

About the wine:

A deep garnet red with subtle violet highlights. Lafite immediately reveals great subtlety and freshness through notes of raspberries and a hint of blueberries. On the palate, the wine is dense and luscious, with smooth, silky, and compact tannins of very fine grain. They are in perfect harmony with the structure and lend the wine body. What freshness and finesse in this wine, and above all, what aromatic expression, right through to the finish. The finish is fruity, elegant, and persistent. You don’t have to be opulent and powerful to shine. Subtle and refined is nice too! A truly great Lafite 2023–2042

Jean-Marc Quarin

About the wine:

Deep, intense, and beautiful color. Superb nose—intense, refined, noble, and complex. Subtle notes of black fruit intertwined with pine, flowers, and licorice. A hint of smoke. Incredible! Ultra-delicate on the attack, very precise in texture, and melting on the mid-palate yet dense, the wine develops complexly on the finish, with tremendous flavor. It finishes long and smooth. It is worth noting the rarity of such density for a wine with just 12.5% alcohol. Note that the pH is 3.57, lower than that mentioned in the en primeur.

Vert de Vin

About the wine:

The nose is elegant and aromatic, offering power, depth, a subtle freshness, a lovely texture, harmony, and a nice finesse. It features notes of blackberry, violet, and, more subtly, strawberry and fresh red cherry, combined with delicate hints of graphite and gray pepper, as well as very subtle hints of flowers, nutmeg, and blond tobacco. The palate is fruity, elegant, and very finely structured, offering lovely definition, richness, a delicate, tangy framework, precision, delicacy, beautiful harmony, liveliness, and a lovely finesse of texture. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of juicy red cherry, juicy blackberry, and, more subtly, juicy strawberry, combined with subtle hints of juicy plum as well as delicate notes of licorice, graphite, Cuben pepper, chocolate flowers, and a very subtle hint of sweet spices and vanilla. A lovely texture on the finish. Good length and persistence.