Château Lafite Rothschild Pauillac 2018 - 1er Grand Cru Classé

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

It will take its place alongside the 1959 in the annals of wine history, with greater intensity upon release, greater precision, more nuanced flavors, and finer integration of tannins than in any of the fine vintages that preceded it. A great wine worthy of its pedigree.

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 over 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 adding more depth to both the first growth and the second wine.

Guide Hachette des vins

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 Ségurs, Bordeaux parliamentarians and major vineyard owners, a legacy that earned it the status of 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. In 2016, Éric Kohler took over as Lafite’s technical director, with Charles Chevallier remaining as a consultant and ambassador for the château.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

With a deep purple-black color, the 2018 Lafite Rothschild needs to be swirled in the glass to reveal intoxicating notes of blackcurrant, cooked plums, and black cherry compote, with hints of dark chocolate, licorice, cast-iron skillet, cedar, fertile soil, and pencil lead. The delicately crafted, medium-bodied palate exudes class, with layers of black fruit and mineral undertones, and deliciously ripe tannins. Epic length and depth. This 2018 vintage is simply stunning and exquisitely crafted. The wine bears the uniquely evocative signature of Lafite and will require 7 to 8 years in bottle, after which it should continue to inspire admiration for the next 40 years.

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

About the wine:

This is one of the most spectacular Lafites ever produced. More exuberant than usual, it retains exemplary structure and unfolds on the palate with irresistible intensity of flavor. It finishes with peppery tannins of the highest caliber. The wine of the vintage.

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. Of note in recent vintages is the progress made by the second wine, Les Carruades.

Wine Enthusiast

About the wine:

Ranked 53rd out of 100 in the 2021 International Top Wines to Cellar: An immensely structured, complex, and concentrated wine, yet so restrained. It impresses with its balance, layers of succulent blackcurrant fruit, and effortless style. A wine for the long term, it should not be drunk before 2029.

James Suckling

About the wine:

WOW! The aromas are both intense and refined, with magnificent notes of blackcurrant, pencil lead, and orchid. The fruit is so pure. It’s elegant and finely polished, with delicate tannins that lend it such grace and glamour. Yet it possesses the power and structure needed to age for decades. Again and again. Try it after 2029.

Yves Beck

About the wine:

Subtle, complex bouquet. It unfolds very slowly, revealing classic fruity nuances. It is characterized by notes of red berries—first raspberries, then hints of blackberries—and finally, notes of licorice and peonies. On the palate, the wine is refined, subtly elegant, and creamy. It possesses an exceptional tannic structure and shines with finesse while highlighting its power! In fact, I have rarely tasted a Lafite Rothschild with such class and character. The tannins are firm and in harmony with the wine’s temperament and the tension of its acidity. It’s all about precision, class, the finesse of the texture, and the tannins’ ability to reveal themselves slowly, with relevance and precision. A wine that showcases its power without being massive and, above all, that has an alcohol content of just 13.3%, which is very rare for 2018! This is a truly great Lafite. 2026–2060

Vert de Vin

About the wine:

The nose is beautifully elegant, full of finesse and precision (like a delicate silk thread), offering power with finesse and control, depth (in subtlety), integrity, class, and depth. It features notes of vibrant wild blackberry, vibrant blackcurrant, and, more subtly, blueberry, combined with hints of ripe/vibrant blue plum, spices, raspberry leaf, as well as hints of tonka bean, a subtle hint of star anise, and tea. The palate is elegant, full of finesse, beautifully balanced, and offers delicacy, distinction, a fine, tangy structure, tension, finesse, delicacy, energy, as well as a certain dynamism and complexity. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of pulpy/juicy blackcurrant, boysenberry, and, more subtly, juicy purple plum, combined with hints of vibrant raspberry as well as hints of almond, hazelnut, a subtle hint of blueberry, licorice root, gravel, a subtle hint of clove, and an imperceptible hint of caramelization/vanilla (in the background). This wine possesses great vibrancy, distinction, and finesse.