Château Lafite-Rothschild 2020

Very discreet at this stage, smoky; compact on the attack, great density, but also an unusual fruity fullness, particularly noticeable in the long finish.

An utterly brilliant Lafite – a sense of understated charm, it’s certainly not shouting but delivers a bright, sharp, joyous sensation. Almost subtle in its presentation with delicacy and refinement on show yet such clear power underneath. An incredible aromatic display with ripe black fruits, pepper, liquorice and crushed stones – calm, controlled and contained with beautiful tannin integration and a chalky, salinity on the finish. Supremely complete with mass appeal.

Amazing aromas here with tobacco, crushed stone, cigar box, currants, tar, and lead pencil, as well as spices, iron, and dried ginger. Medium- to full-bodied, with density and tightness. Very compact and complex. Racy. Delicacy with strength. Orange peel undertones. A wine to contemplate. You must understand it to understand the great Lafites of the past and those of the future. Only 12.8% alcohol. 92% cabernet sauvignon, 7% merlot and 1% petit verdot. Best after 2030, but drink it if you have the chance to taste it.

92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot. Cask sample. A very masculine Lafite with a powerful tannic frame (bigger than 2019 and 2018). Deep, intense and stately on the nose with mineral-graphite notes to the fore. Palate rich but with a massive charge of fine-grained tannin and lingering freshness. Enormous length on the finish. Incredible potential. (JL)

The 2020 Lafite-Rothschild, which contains the highest proportion of Merlot since 2016, hit the bull's eye from barrel. Revisiting the wine in bottle since July, it still bursts from the glass with copious blackberries, touches of blueberry and juniper, pencil lead and a hint of crushed stone. Wonderful delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiseled tannins, quite linear and “correct” — a quintessential Lafite-Rothschild in many ways. It gently builds in the mouth while keeping a restraint on things, finishing with fine sapidity yet a little more juiciness than you would have found a decade or two earlier. This has the potential to evolve beautifully over several decades.

The compelling nose, with its showy notes of lead pencil, tobacco leaf, cedar, cigar box, currants, spice and wet forest leaf, comes through easily. The palate is pure silk in texture. Seamlessly moving from the beginning, middle and end, the wine is fresh, bright, long and intense. The purity in the fruit, paired with its energy and lift, lingers for more than 50 seconds. Refined, elegant, complex and compelling, if you have the patience to wait for 15–20 years before opening a bottle, this is going to be one of the great vintages for Lafite Rothschild. The wine is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot, 12.8% ABV. The harvest took place September 14–October 4. With yields of 37 hectoliters per hectare, the Grand Vin represents 45% of the harvest. 97–99 pts

Dark ruby garnet, purple reflections, deep core, delicate rim brightening. Somewhat restrained, delicate cassis, ripe dark wild berries, fresh plums, candied orange zest. Complex, tightly woven, ripe cherries, fine currant, finesse-driven acidity, silky tannins, mineral-salty, very long finish, a seductive wine of great freshness and delicacy, already very well developed, delicate sweetness on the finish, with certain ageing potential for many years to come. (2030-2070).

Exotic and ripe nose, almost sweet fruit with prune, cassis, raspberry, chocolate, violet and a gentle toast underneath. Very dense and powerful palate without heaviness, classically built yet with another dimension of ripeness and purity, chewy and very powdery tannin paired with layers of unctuous dark fruit, a hint of some oak-derived butterscotch and roasted coffee notes with a bright fresh backbone and great persistency.

Looking at the Grand Vin, the 2020 Château Lafite-Rothschild is a sensational effort checking in as 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot that hit 12.8% natural alcohol and a pH of 3.94. As Lafite as Lafite gets, this ultra-classic reveals a dense ruby/plum hue as well as a tight, yet layered bouquet of ripe blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, freshly sharpened pencils, graphite, and subtle spice. Flawlessly balanced, deep, concentrated, and layered, it has an incredible mid-palate, building, perfect tannins, and a finish that leaves you salivating. Refined, elegant, and perfection are the buzz words here. Unfortunately, it's not for the instant gratification crowd, and I wouldn't be surprised to see this require 15 years to hit the early stages of its prime drinking window. It will probably hit its 100th birthday in fine form.

What a regal fragrance: wild cherry, blackcurrant nectar, Brazilian tobacco and dark graphite. On a second pass, sandalwood and olives. On the sublime palate, with silky texture and a perfectly ripe tannic frame, it joins the great Lafite vintages. In the concentrated finish, red-berry contours, profound minerality and an endless length – what a beauty! “Cabernet was the King.”

Kunz barrel sample 2021: highly concentrated, profound, complex, sensational bouquet, cassis cream, black olives, prunes, flint, graphite, Black Currant. Dense, multi-layered, powerful, very elegant palate with dense black fruit, plenty of fine tannins, a concentrated, creamy structure, sensational aromatics, a very long, dense, superb finish with many lingering flavors.

Highly concentrated, profound, complex, sensational bouquet: cassis cream, black olives, prunes, flint, graphite, black currant. Dense, multi-layered, powerful, very elegant palate with dense black fruit, plenty of fine tannins, a concentrated, creamy structure, sensational aromatics, and a very long, dense, superb finish with lots of lingering flavors. 20/20 2020 - 2060

Delivers classic, sculpted Lafite architecture, where everything builds slowly and carefully, step by step, nothing out of place. This is a delicious wine with pencil lead and crushed mint leaf from mid-palate through to the close, elegant and understated power, brimming with the estate’s signature. The tannins are elongated, finely balanced against the acidity, with a slate-scraping texture. Fine and long but with a ton of understated power, uncompromising. Eric Kohler, technical director, 100% new oak.

The 2020 Lafite Rothschild is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, with a pH of 3.94. Deep garnet-purple in color, it slowly unfurls to offer very pure, intense scents of crushed blackcurrants, fresh plums, and blackberries, plus suggestions of violets, cinnamon stick, fertile loam, and tapenade with a touch of tar. The light-bodied palate is very tightly knit with many black fruit, mineral, and fragrant earth layers and a firm backbone of grainy tannins, finishing long and earthy. A bright, bright, shiny Lafite! It needs a good 12-15 years!

95-96

On the nose, immense depth, like a bottomless well, releasing scents that dance in the air and rise to the heavens. Majestic, heady aromas of dark fruit, slate, graphite and coal. Embracing on the palate, as if wrapped in brushed silk. The intensity and density of the substance, which occasionally reveal themselves, remain tightly coiled for now; the fresh fruit eagerly awaits its moment of full bloom. The exquisite balance between acidity and fullness promises a long life. A very refined wine.

As usual, Lafite Rothschild stands out with finesse and depth. The tannins are highly precise and the wine is marked by its 12.5% alcohol… deep and subtle, it doesn’t seek to impress and shows precise, carrying tannins with fine grain. You can truly sense its greatness, that unchanging element, even in wines that are in “hibernation” mode. Each year, it seems to me that Lafite rises above the vintage, following its own path, its own logic. For me, it is one of the greatest successes of the vintage. It overwhelms nothing; it speaks calmly, serenely, clearly. That is the essence of its strength.

97–99. Barrel Sample. This is a complete wine, with its layers of fruit and tannin in total harmony. Concentration comes easily backed by a palate that shows salinity, as well as impressive black currant fruits. The wine is certainly destined for long-term aging.