Château Lafite Rothschild, 1er Cru Classé, Pauillac, 2006
Very deep purple, but not opaque in appearance; an elegant nose of blackcurrant fruit with blackthorn, overlaid with a creamy richness. Plenty of depth on the nose, with developing aromas of lead pencil shavings, minerals and liquorice, even a hint of crushed violets. The tannins are very smooth, with vitality and class, the wine's character building up in many layers of graphite, minerals and complex flavours. Persistent and balanced, with classic Lafite cigar tones on the finish. An iron fist in a velvet glove.
critic reviews
Good full ruby-red. Very ripe aromas of cassis, graphite and cedar chips, lifted by peppery and floral high notes. Densely packed and superconcentrated but light on its feet, with compelling flavors of spicy berries and minerals. The very long, slow-building finish stains the palate with flavor. Very backward but not austere; and unlike some recent vintages of Lafite, which could appear deceptively light in the early going, this showcases its density and ripeness from the outset. I have the impression that most of the less-ripe fruit was declassified into the far lighter Carruades de Lafite (87), which shows a distinctly cool style for the year.