Lafite Rothschild - Pauillac 2020

Jamessuckling.com

100

byJames Sucklingthe5/7/2023

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 a 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 taste it.

Alexandre Ma

99

byAlexandre Mathe4/18/2023

Wine Advocate

97

byWilliam Kelleythe4/6/2023

The 2020 Lafite Rothschild opens in the glass with a deep bouquet of cassis, black truffle, pencil shavings and violets. Full-bodied, fleshy and layered, its broad attack segues into an ample core of fruit framed by supple, melting tannins. Seamless, layered and complete, it's richer and deeper pitched than the 2019, and its notably high pH of 3.94 likely means it will never shut down. It's a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot, incorporating just a touch more Merlot from the plateau of Carruades than the 2019.

Jeb DUNNUCK

100

byJeb Dunnuckthe3/30/2023

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.

Alexandre Ma

99

byAlexandre Mathe3/15/2023

Vinous

97

byAntonio Gallonithe2/24/2023

The 2020 Lafite-Rothschild is a super-classic wine, just as it was en primeur. Bright acids and expressive saline notes give the 2020 its shape. The 2020 represents a sort of hypothetical blend of cooler and warmer years in terms of its overall feel. Today, it is surprisingly austere, but time in the glass brings out classic Lafite red/purplish fruit, lavender and graphite notes. Readers will have to be patient.

Vinous

98

byNeal Martinthe2/15/2023

The 2020 Lafite-Rothschild, which contains the highest proportion of Merlot since the 2016, hit the bull's eye from barrel. Revisiting the wine in the 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.

TASTED

98

byAndreas Larssonthe7/6/2021

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 a great persistency.

Vinous

95-97

byAntonio Gallonithe6/1/2021

The 2020 is a super-classic Lafite-Rothschild of grace and finesse. A reticent introvert, Lafite impresses with its vertical lift and palpable energy. It is a wine of regal bearing that does not feel the need to say much, and yet everything is very clearly there. Bright acids and strong, saline notes come alive in the glass as the long, persistent finish unfolds with remarkable grace. The 2020 is simply exquisite. It's a fabulous showing from the team led by Technical Director Eric Kohler.

Jeb DUNNUCK

97-99

byJeb Dunnuckthe5/28/2021

The 2020 Château Lafite-Rothschild checks in as 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot brought up in roughly 90% or more of new French oak. It's a deep, inky-hued Lafite boasting incredible notes of crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, graphite, crushed stone, and gravelly earth-like minerality. Full-bodied and beautifully balanced, with terrific purity of fruit, it has ripe tannins, a layered, seamless mouthfeel, and a great, great finish. It should surpass the 2015 and 2017 and be in the same realm as the 2018 and 2019. Despite its richness and depth, it hit just 12.8% alcohol, with an IPT of 72 and a pH of 3.5. It’s going to be just about immortal.

Yvesbeck.wine

98-100

byYves Beckthe5/27/2021

92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot
Superbe bouquet marqué par la fraîcheur, le terroir, les épices et… la torréfaction, ce que l'on relève plutôt rarement chez Lafite. Invitantes nuances florales et fruitées avec des pivoines, des framboises et des mûres puis une touche de graphite et de bois de réglisse. En bouche l'attaque est crémeuse et dense. Les tannins sont très fins et se révèlent lentement. Ils offrent une saine puissance avec sérénité et délicatesse, tandis que la fraîcheur assure le côté racé et juteux. Quelle puissance, quelle finesse, quelle persistance et quelle subtilité.

Un grand vin vigoureux et serein. Finale persistante. Un Lafite somme toute très classique, persistant et impressionnant dans la manière subtile de se révéler. 2028-2065 98-100/100

Vinous

96-98

byNeal Martinthe5/27/2021

The 2020 Lafite-Rothschild is much more intense and complex compared to the Carruades this year. This First Growth bursts from the glass with beautifully defined blackberry and wild strawberry scents laced with sprigs of wild mint and juniper berries. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins that frame the pixelated black fruit. This is quintessential Lafite in that it is not a powerful or immensely structured wine, but rather a First Growth with unerring balance and harmony, one that is unashamedly classic in style. There is just the right amount of dryness on the finish to urge you back for another sip. So Lafite it has its name tattooed onto its DNA. It will begin to soar after 10 years in the cellar.

Decanter.com

97

byJane Ansonthe5/25/2021

This is pretty much as close to entirely Cabernet Sauvignon as Bordeaux gets (92%) and yet it has an incredibly fine, gentle richness to the tannins. They build up pretty quickly though, so that by the end of the palate you start to feel the closing in and tightening, deftly underscoring how well this will age. The kaleidoscope of flavours and aromatics that Lafite does so well is fully on display, nothing trying too hard, a velvet texture to the tannins where the cassis fruit, earth, crushed stone and graphite is held in from beginning to end. Impressive that even in dry vintages like 2020 with the real concerns over global warming, the top Bordeaux estates can still produce wines of this quality.

The Wine Cellar Insider

97-99

byJeff Levethe5/21/2021

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 linger for more than 50 seconds. Refined, elegant, complex and compelling, if you have the patience to wait for 15-20 years before opining 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

Wine Advocate

96-98

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe5/20/2021

Displaying a deep purple-black color, the 2020 Lafite Rothschild takes a little swirling and coaxing to unlock scents of freshly crushed blackcurrants, boysenberries and spiced plums, followed by emerging nuances of red roses, raspberry preserves, underbrush and unsmoked cigars, with a waft of cedar chest. The medium-bodied palate is an exercise in elegance and finesse, featuring tightly wound layers of red and black berries and loads of mineral sparks, framed by finely grained tannins and well-poised tension, finishing with fantastic length and the most stunning perfume. Magnificent achievement. This 2020 is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot, coming in at 12.8% alcohol and a pH of 3.9.

Anthocyanes

96-98

byYohan Castaingthe5/11/2021

Très beau bouquet épicé, frais, complexe et un peu timide bien que l'on ressente toute la puissance aromatique. Un peu moka, légèrement cassis et mure à l'aération. En bouche, une grosse densité, de la puissance, des tanins structurants avec une bouche longue, tendue, droite et possédant un fond superbe. Très aérien dans sa puissance, ce Lafite Rothschild est sur des rails avec une capacité de garde magnifique. Une légère fermeté en fin de bouche, voire une austérité, qui devra se fondre après les élevages. Une belle bouteille en devenir.

Bernard Burtschy

97-99

byBernard Burtschythe5/10/2021

Falstaff

96-98

byPeter Moserthe5/10/2021

Dunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Ockerrandaufhellung. Mit feiner Edelholznote unterlegte schwarze Beeren, tabakiger Touch, Nuancen von Lakritze, reife Johannisbeeren, zart nach Trockengewürzen und Ingwer. Stoffig, reife rote Herzkirschen, etwas Cassis, frischer Säurebogen, gut eingebaute, reife Tannine, saliner Terroirtouch im Abgang, wirkt leichtfüßig und dabei sehr lange anhaftend, ein eleganter Lafite mit großer Entwicklungsperspektive.

My Bettane + Desseauve

95-96

by Bettane & Desseauvethe5/7/2021

Jamessuckling.com

99-100

byJames Sucklingthe5/4/2021

Rather ethereal and so refined with finesse, focus and brightness that provides incredible energy and pedigree. It’s full-bodied with ultra fine tannins that go on and on. Superb presence with tannins that melt into the wine. This is 12.8%. I love the wine. Lots of dark fruit and fresh tobacco. Lead pencil, too. 92% cabernet sauvignon, 7% merlot and 1% petit verdot.