Château Lafite Rothschild, 1er Cru Classé, Pauillac, 2020

Name: Château Lafite Rothschild, 1er Cru Classé, Pauillac
Brand: Château Lafite Rothschild
Price: 2491.93 GBP

Available Vintages

all 1994 1995 1996 2000 2002 2007 2009 2013 2014 2015 2016 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024

critic reviews

Neal Martin,Vinous

The 2020 Lafite-Rothschild is a wine that I completely misread in the glass. It has a very well-defined bouquet—mainly red fruit, mulberry, warm gravel and subtle floral scents. Very comely. The palate is medium-bodied with a supple entry, again, red fruit at the fore, with notes of white pepper and a touch of bay leaf. There is a lot of structure here, and I'm just missing the "juiciness" that I observed after bottling, suggesting this has gone into its shell. I will seek to re-taste another time. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

DRINKING WINDOW 2030 - 2060

date of review 11/2024

97/100William Kelley,Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2020 Lafite Rothschild opens in the glass with a deep bouquet of cassis, black truffle, pencil shavings and violets. Full-bodied, fleshy and layered, its broad attack segues into an ample core of fruit framed by supple, melting tannins. Seamless, layered and complete, it's richer and deeper pitched than the 2019, and its notably high pH of 3.94 likely means it will never shut down. It's a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot, incorporating just a touch more Merlot from the plateau of Carruades than the 2019.

DRINKING WINDOW 2027 - 2055

date of review 04/2023

98/100Lisa Perrotti-Brown,The Wine Independent

The 2020 Lafite Rothschild is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, with a pH of 3.94. Deep garnet-purple in color, it slowly unfurls to offer very pure, intense scents of crushed blackcurrants, fresh plums, and blackberries, plus suggestions of violets, cinnamon stick, fertile loam, and tapenade with a touch of tar. The light-bodied palate is very tightly knit with many black fruit, mineral, and fragrant earth layers and a firm backbone of grainy tannins, finishing long and earthy. A bright, bright, shiny Lafite! It needs a good 12-15 years!

DRINKING WINDOW 2028 - 2065

date of review 03/2023

97/100Jane Anson,Inside Bordeaux

Delivers classic sculpted Lafite architecture, where everything builds slowly and carefully, step by step, nothing out of place. This is a delicious wine with pencil lead and crushed mint leaf from mid palate through to the close of play, elegant and understated power, brimming with estate signature. The tannins are elongated, finely balanced against the acidity, with slate scraping texture. Fine and long but with a ton of understated power, uncompromising. Eric Kohler technical director, 100% new oak.

DRINKING WINDOW 2028 - 2050

date of review 02/2023