Carruades de Lafite, Pauillac, 2005
Carruades contains the broadest and most balanced blend of grape varieties of any of the wines of Domaines Barons de Rothschild, being 46% Merlot, 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. The 2005 is an absolutely beautiful, focused wine, with pure red and black berries and plum on the nose, over delicate floral notes beyond; silky tannins on the palate lead to harmonious layers of rich cassis fruit, toast and grilled meat, and after some time, to a long and elegant finish carried on very fine tannins.
critic reviews
An integral part of the 1855 story, the Carruades plateau was purchased in 1845 by Lafite, and was kept separate from the main wine until the early 20th century, recognised for its quality so much that in the 1850s then owner of Lafite was told not to sell it to neighbouring Mouton as it would give them a quality advantage. Today the original Carruades plateau is largely used for Lafite's first wine, and grapes for Carruades de Lafite taken from a variety of different plots, decided at blend. This 2005 is complex, fleshy, nuanced, flavoursome, elegant black fruits, juicy uplift on the finish, ready to drink but going nowhere. 43hl/ha yields, 80% aged in oak, 10% new oak,
Their second wine, the 2005 Carruades de Lafite, shows much of the character of its bigger sister, with loads of red and black currant fruit, spice box and earth. Medium-bodied, with soft tannins, this precise, pure and seductive wine should be drunk over the next 15-20 years.
Good deep red. Pungent aromas of currant, cherry skin, leather, graphite, olive and flowers. Suave, minerally and penetrating, with lovely energy and floral lift. Not at all a fleshy style but classic, vibrant and firmly built, finishing with excellent lift.