Lafite Rothschild - Pauillac 2018

Vinous

98

byAntonio Gallonithe3/31/2021

The 2018 Lafite-Rothschild is a stunning wine. Silky and floral, the 2018 offers all the signatures of the Grand Vin, but amplified by the radiance of the year. In the glass, Lafite is rich and exotic, yet it also retains tremendous vibrancy. The interplay of Merlot picked early and Cabernet Sauvignon harvested late makes for wine of extraordinary dimension, complexity and class. Graphite, dark red fruit, spice and leather linger on the huge finish. Magnificent!

Wine Advocate

100

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe3/31/2021

The 2018 Lafite Rothschild is blended of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.5% Merlot and 0.5% Petit Verdot and has 13.3% alcohol. Deep purple-black in color, it needs a fair bit of swirling to unlock intoxicating scents of blackcurrant cordial, baked plums and black cherry compote with an undercurrent of dark chocolate, licorice, cast-iron pan, cedar chest and fertile loam, plus a waft of pencil lead. The delicately crafted, medium-bodied palate is dripping with class, featuring layers of mineral-laced black fruits and exquisitely ripe, singularly Lafite tannins, finishing with epic length and depth. This simply stunning, delicately crafted expression of 2018 with its singularly evocative imprint of Lafite will require a good 7-8 years in bottle, then should continue to inspire awe over the following 40+ years.

Jeb DUNNUCK

98

byJeb Dunnuckthe3/16/2021

Another magical wine from this hallowed appellation, the 2018 Château La Violette reminds me of a great vintage of Le Pin with its sexy, exotic style. Gorgeous notes of crème de cassis, mulled black cherries, graphite, cedar pencil, leafy herbs, and hints of truffle give way to a medium to full-bodied Pomerol that has silky tannins, a multi-dimensional, layered mouthfeel, and a great, great finish. Offering that rare mix of opulence and finesse, this beauty needs 4-6 years of bottle age and is going to evolve for 25+ years.

The Wine Cellar Insider

99

byJeff Levethe3/16/2021

Compelling in every sense of the word, you know you're in for something special just from the depth of color. From there you experience a cornucopia of aromatics meshing tobacco leaf, cigar box, cedar chest, red currants, cherries, red plums, 5 spice, flowers and earthy scents. Rich yet incredibly refined, the wine offers incredibly silky textures, a beautiful purity to the fruit and a seamless finish that exceeds 60 seconds. Produced from a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.5% Merlot and .5% Petit Verdot,13.3% ABV.

Vinous

96

byNeal Martinthe3/12/2021

The 2018 Lafite-Rothschild comes in an embossed bottle to celebrate 150 years of ownership by the de Rothschild family. Typical of this First Growth, there is nothing gaudy or showy on the nose; instead, sensual, almost placid aromas of tobacco and pencil-shaving-tinged black fruit unfold gently in the glass. Less extroverted than the 2018 Mouton, this is sophisticated and cerebral. As I found before, it only gains vigor after 60 minutes. The palate is beautifully balanced with finely chiseled tannins, pure black fruit and those traits of cracked black pepper and sage extant. I once thought it might challenge the 2016 with bottle age, and though I feel that the 2018 is not quite at that level, it is certainly a wine befitting the anniversary. Lafite-Rothschild, masterfully proving how less is more.

Wine Spectator

97

byJames Molesworththe2/1/2021

Very pure, with a sleek and extremely focused beam of cassis, black cherry puree and blackberry preserves streaming through, lined along the edges with savory, sweet bay leaf and black tea details. Those extra notes assert themselves through the finish, but without intruding too much on the fruit, letting it play out over a long iron spine. Hums with precision. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2030 through 2045. –JM

Yvesbeck.wine

94

byYves Beckthe1/26/2021

Bouquet de bonne intensité, subtil révélant une belle expression fruitée de baies noires et beaucoup de fraîcheur. Agréables notes de cassis accompagnée de la classique fraîcheur variétale du Cabernet. En bouche le vin élégant, précis. Il allie, à l'image des grands vins de Pauillac la finesse et la puissance. Les tannins sont serrés, parfaitement intégrés et en phase avec la race de la structure acide. Carruades dévoile sa construction avec beaucoup de délicatesse, de précision. Il y a de la rigueur, de la puissance et de bien grandes perspectives de gardes. Grande réussite.

Jamessuckling.com

99

byJames Sucklingthe1/26/2021

Wow. The aromas are so intense and refined at the same time, offering gorgeous blackcurrant, lead-pencil and orchid character. Such purity of fruit. Sleek and finely polished with a fine cut to the tannins that provide such grace and glamor. Yet, it’s got the power and structure to age for decades. On and on. Try after 2029.

Decanter.com

98

byJane Ansonthe1/12/2021

Vinous

95-97

byNeal Martinthe11/15/2019

The 2018 Lafite-Rothschild was picked September 17-25 for the Merlot and September 25 to October 4 for the Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a very intense bouquet of blackberry, tar, tobacco and graphite aromas. It feels extremely cohesive and harmonious, gaining vigor with aeration over 30 minutes. The pure, refined palate is medium-bodied with an arresting satiny texture, perfect acidity and an undercurrent of cracked black pepper and sage. This is a great Lafite-Rothschild that might end up challenging the 2016, though I concur with winemaker Eric Kohler that it is unlikely to surpass it. The 2018 Lafite-Rothschild is certainly impressive, and at 13.3% alcohol, you will not need so much aspirin the following day.

WeinWisser

20

byTjark Witzgallthe5/7/2019

Vinous

93-96

byAntonio Gallonithe5/3/2019

The 2018 Lafite-Rothschild is creamy, sensual and inviting, with lovely purity of fruit and impeccable balance. Dark cherry, plum, licorice and spice are some of the many nuances that develop. Time in the glass brings out striking aromatic depth and overall persistence. Although an undeniably attractive wine, the 2018 does not appear to have the sheer pedigree of the very best wines in this vintage. None of the three samples I tasted were as impressive as I had hoped for. Perhaps I had bad luck. Time will tell. The blend is 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.5% Merlot and 0.5% Petit Verdot.

Jeb DUNNUCK

96-98

byJeb Dunnuckthe5/1/2019

What will unquestionably be another magical wine from Eric Kohler and his team, the 2018 Château Lafite checks in as 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.5% Merlot, and just a splash of Petit Verdot. It's a classic Lafite that offers a deep purple/ruby color and beautiful notes of crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, tobacco, cedar, and graphite. Flawlessly balanced, full-bodied, and seamless, it's a wine that builds incrementally on the palate, offering incredible finesse, ripe, present tannins, and a great finish. It reminds me of a more elegant version of the 2016 and should be approachable with just 5-6 years of cellaring and keep just about forever.

Vinifera

100

byJacques Perrinthe5/1/2019

Emouvant. Grande noblesse d'expression sur un fond de fruits noirs et d'épices avec la note de cèdre inimitable propre au cru. Le corps est magnifiquement sculpté, d'une architecture millimétrique. Il déroule sa structure en douceur mais avec une trame d'une précision implacable, une dynamique de fraîcheur et une sève magnifiques. Longueur époustouflante.    

The Wine Cellar Insider

98-100

byJeff Levethe4/23/2019

The color matches a long obscured ruby jewel. The initial sip shows its sophistication, grace and refinement and there is an extraordinary purity in the fruit. Before taking a second sip for confirmation, you'll find tobacco, lead pencil, cedar, flowers, cherry pipe tobacco and if you dig really deep, you'll discover a subtle essence of orange in the background. On the palate, the wine is supple, silky, long and focused. Precision is an often misunderstood term used by wine writers. 2018 Lafite Rothschild is the poster child for precision in a wine. Never the most powerful of the First Growths, instead here, you find a wine of perfect balance, elegance and harmony with a unified, seemingly endless finish. Produced from a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.5% Merlot and .5% Petit Verdot, the wine reached 13.3% alcohol with a pH of 3.73. The Grand Vin represents 40% of the harvest, which took place September 17 to September October 4.

Wine Advocate

98-100

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe4/23/2019

The 2018 Lafite Rothschild is blended of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.5% Merlot and 0.5% Petit Verdot and has 13.3% alcohol. The Merlot was harvested September 17-24, the Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested September 25 to October 5, and the Cabernet Franc was harvested on September 24. It has a deep purple-black color and then WOW—what a nose. It comes sashaying out of the glass with bags of grace and perfume, revealing notions of lilacs, red roses, fragrant soil, cinnamon stick and Morello cherries with a core of blackcurrant cordial, fresh black plums, redcurrant jelly and tapenade plus a waft of iron ore. Medium-bodied, the palate has wonderful, tightly wound layers of black, red and blue fruits intermingled with floral, earth and mineral notions and a rock-solid frame of the most finely pixelated tannins you can possibly imagine. Anyone who wants to see what I mean when I babble about the Lafite tannins needs to try this benchmark. The finish goes on, and on, and on. If this wine doesn’t get Bordeaux lovers hearts' racing, nothing will.

Wine Enthusiast

96-98

byRoger Vossthe4/17/2019

This wine is packed with plenty of dark fruits and structured tannins that offer an immense power, while also keeping the elegance and richness of a grand Pauillac. With 91% Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend, the wine has fine tannins as well as bright acidity. It is a great wine with a long-term future.

Decanter.com

98-100

byJane Ansonthe4/17/2019

This is silky and delicious and juicy, not something you can often say about a Lafite En Primeur sample but before you even get close to tasting the wine you can feel the layers building.
It has the precision, the freshness and the sense of effortless elegance that Lafite always conveys with lots of power and depth, deep black fruits on the nose and a mix of spices from rosemary to saffron on the palate.
Is it better than the 2016? It’s hard to say at this stage but it certainly feels its equal, although differently constructed and unlikely to take as long to come around - think 10 rather than 14 years before reaching its drinking window.
It's worth adding that very few wines have been so unmarked by the extremes of the vintage, or as technical director Eric Kohler puts it; 'Even after 25 years of working at Lafite I continue to be full of admiration for this terroir. Other plots that we own reacted to the heat at times, but Lafite just kept sailing on as usual'.
The harvest took place between 17 September and 5 October, with a yield of 40hl/ha. 40% of the production went into the grand vin. 3.75pH which is classic for them. 74IPT.

Jamessuckling.com

99-100

byJames Sucklingthe4/12/2019

A very compact and linear Lafite with a fantastic mouthfeel of intense but ever so refined tannins that draw a straight line through the middle of the wine. It’s full-bodied yet compact with complex character of plums, blackcurrants, cigar tobacco, cedar and hints of hazelnuts and coffee. Salty. Orange zest at the end. Delicacy with power. Richness with softness. Glamorous. Lasts for minutes at the finish.