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

    Château Lafite Rothschild, 1er Cru Classé, Pauillac,

    Destination

    vintage

    Château Lafite Rothschild, 1er Cru Classé, Pauillac, 1982

    Justerini & Brooks Tasting note
    Château Lafite Rothschild, 1er Cru Classé, Pauillac, 1982
    ABV:
    13%
    98/100
    Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
    Waves of saffron, truffle, black tea and earth set the pace for a remarkably balanced and aromatically-complex wine. This is still a baby at 17 years old, but has reached the level of Lafite character when all is elegance and finesse - the perfect example of how in Bordeaux they don't need excess to deliver something extraordinary. As things relax, you get a luscious, more concentrated core of cassis and bilberry fruit, with cedar, charcoal, violet, raspberry leaf and slate. Fine tannins hold it all in place, you could give this a long carafe to drink now, but the real magic needs another decade or so. Charles Chevallier technical director, and this was the last year with Emile Peynaud as consultant, before Jacques Boissenot took over in 2006. A pair of scales was chosen to decorate the bottle neck to reflect the balance of the vintage.
    Date Reviewed:
    09/2022
    Drinking Window:
    2022 - 2050
    95/100
    Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent
    The 2005 Lafite is a blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Merlot. Deep garnet-brick in color, it slips sensuously from the glass with eager-to-please scents of creme de cassis, Christmas cake, and cedar chest, giving way to hints of Indian spices, sweaty leather, and pencil shavings. The mineral-laced, medium-bodied palate is elegant and shimmery, delivering firm tannins and a soft-spoken finish. Delivering a mature, wonderfully evocative experience now, it is well within its drinking window and should cellar to 2045+. At this time the estate was managed by Baron Eric de Rothschild and Charles Chevallier was technical director.
    Date Reviewed:
    07/2022
    Drinking Window:
    2022 - 2045
    97/100
    Antonio Galloni, Vinous
    The 2005 Lafite-Rothschild is a gorgeous wine, but it is also very young. Readers lucky enough to own it will find a very classic, gracious Lafite-Rothschild that still needs a few years to be at its best. Bright red-toned fruit, crushed rocks, mint and licorice open first, followed by darker aromas and flavors that develop as the wine gains volume with air. Tasted next to its peers, Lafite is so typical of itself and less marked by the year. And that is one of the signs of a truly great terroir. Lafite-Rothschild is not as showy as many other wines in this vintage, but it is so true to its own identity, and that is the highest compliment I can pay it. The 2005 is 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot, done in 100% new oak, which is not at all noticeable. At the time, the Cabernet percentage was quite high, but that has now become the norm. Tasted two times.
    Date Reviewed:
    04/2021
    Drinking Window:
    2025 - 2055

    specifications

    country:
    France
    region:
    Bordeaux
    Appellation:
    Pauillac
    Producer:
    Château Lafite Rothschild
    style:
    Red
    Grape Variety:
    Cab Sauvignon Merlot
    Allergen Information:
    This product may contain sulphites. Full allergen information is available upon request, please call our Customer Relations Team on +44 (0)20 7484 6430.

    Bordeaux

    discover Bordeaux
    Château Lafite Rothschild

    Château Lafite Rothschild

    Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Première Cru Classé, is revered throughout the wine-drinking world: a modern-day phenomenon, a super-brand, probably the most recognisable brand from Bordeaux. And lest we forget, maker of some of the most distinguished, impressive, classic wines, anywhere on the planet.

    Lafite was well-loved in the British market throughout the 17th century and a favourite amongst many notable dignitaries including Robert Walpole. Through this time the estate belonged to the Ségur family, who also owned Calon Ségur, Phelan Ségur and for a short time Mouton. With such a wine-making dynasty at the helm it is no surprise that the reputation of the estate grew.

    By the time of the revolution, the estate was in the hands of a Ségur descendant, Nicolas Pierre de Pichard; however, the guillotine cut short his reign and ended the family's involvement. A string of owners followed, and at the time of the 1855 Classification, Lafite was owned by a Dutch family and under the management an English bank. The Vanlerberghe descendants elected to sell their holding in 1866 to a rather more famous banking empire, the Rothschilds, and the rest, as they say, is history.

    Baron Éric de Rothschild stepped down in 2021 after almost 40 years at Lafite. He was succeeded by his daughter, Saskia, who is ably assisted by technical director, Eric Kohler and Jean-Sébastien Philippe. Their wines are outstanding, and rightly lauded for their precision, complexity, and effortless grace. Modern day examples blend classical Pauillac flavours with cutting-edge winemaking technology – the results are sensational.

    discover Château Lafite Rothschild