Carruades de Lafite, Pauillac, 2019
Lovely perfumed cabernet notes of pencil and cedar are swiftly followed by fragrant sweet berries. On the palate an overriding sense of poise and equilibrium, layers of gravel buffered by wonderful sweetness and a sense of tension and energy. This has some peps, a real sense of kinetic energy alongside an open generosity. Charming but also enough cerebral layering to make it feel intellectually engaging. Plenty of persistence, but not in a weighty way. Almost enjoyable already, which is a mark of its balance rather than any sense of being lightweight.
critic reviews
The 2019 Carruades de Lafite, a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc, is deep garnet-purple in color. Notions of sauteed herbs, damp soil, and tapenade waft from the glass over a core of redcurrant preserves, baked plums, and tilled soil. The medium-bodied palate is chewy and subtly fruited, with a soft-spoken finish.
The 2019 Carruades de Lafite has more red fruit on the nose, tertiary scents and touches of tobacco, harmonious. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, moderate depth, not complex and in fact, just a little monotone on the finish. Maybe this is entering a dumb phase? Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.
The 2019 Carruades de Lafite is rich and expansive, bursting with aromas of ripe berries, violets, spice box, cedar and cassis. Medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, it's broad and generous, with a more exotic, extravagant profile than the grand vin but also levels of concentration and character that exceed what was the case a decade ago. In recent years, Lafite has actually ripped up parcels that routinely never made it into the grand vinand the grand vin now includes more and more Cabernet Sauvignon. Even if Carruades now contains less Merlot than was historically the case (27% in 2019), I suspect it's benefiting from the inclusion of Merlot that would have formerly made it into the assemblage of Lafite itself.
One of the more concentrated Carruades, with the highest percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon to date, packed with powerful dark plum and blackcurrant fruits, pencil lead and slate. Knitted down, sculpted tannins, there is austerity even rigidity to the structure, but it has laid on weight and depth over ageing. This is a Carruades with a sense of occasion and will need time in bottle. 38hl/h yield, 28% new oak.