Château Lafite Rothschild, 1er Cru Classé, Pauillac, 2016
Lafite certainly features amongst our wines of the vintage - classically styled with perhaps just a dash more immediate allure than usual - it's a very appealing prospect with its ethereal bouquet of potpourri, graphite infused black cherry and crème de cassis. Structurally this is towering and serious, a grand, statuesque Lafite that will need considerable time to reveal itself fully. The palate is deeply concentrated with stony, raspberry pip hints, bright, bejewelled fruits; super-sleek and utterly engaging. The finish is momentous, a lovely saline touch and tannins with the most refined texture that focus the palate towards a sweet cassis finish. What a very smart Lafite - one of the most sophisticated wines of 2016. Lafite back to its best!
critic reviews
A blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot, the 2016 Lafite Rothschild is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a lot of swirling and shaking to unlock notes of redcurrant jelly, wild blueberries, and cassis, followed by suggestions of tar, licorice, crushed rocks, forest floor, and black truffles, plus an emerging waft of lilacs. Medium-bodied, the palate is taut with muscular black fruits and mineral layers, supported by ripe, fine-grained tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long with loads of earthy sparks. Needs a lot of time!
The 2016 Lafite-Rothschild was tasted from two bottles, the first demonstrating some signs of oxidation. The second is quite rich and powerful on the nose, offering blackberry, raspberry, black olive and <em>sous-bois</em> scents that are almost Pessac-Léognan in style. The palate is well balanced with firm, grippy tannins. It feels precise and poised, brimming over with energy and displaying a sense of control toward the lightly spiced, athletic finish. I would like the aromatics to be tempered, although that will happen with time. There is real breeding in this 2016, and it will mature in bottle over decades. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting.