Lafite Rothschild – Designer Wine of the First Growths
The most famous of the famous First Growth Bordeauxs, Chateau Lafite Rothschild brings feelings of happiness. Friends, family and the world recognizes the label with the artist image of the Rothschild Chateau.
"A brilliant offering and a candidate for wine of the vintage, this is classic Lafite"
Robert M. Parker, Jr. about 2002 Lafite
A drizzly day in Pauillac, we had the privilege of tasting at Chateau Lafite Rothschild. Travelling with the owner of restaurant, Pamplemousse Grille, had its benefits as we were treated like we were something special. In addition to tasting the 2002 Lafite Grand Vin, we also got to taste some of the Lafite affiliate wines. We tasted the: 2002 Château Lafite Rothschild [RP94], 2014 Château Smith Haut Lafitte [RP93], and 2015 Château Duhart-Milon [RP90]. I thought it was interesting to taste a 2014 Smith Haut side by side with a 2002 Grand Vin Lafite. Ultimately, only one point separates the two wines and that point equates to about $750. Although scores represent some foundation, wine is all about the personal experience and who you get to share it with!
These wines have an unmatched ability to age for decades in the bottle. The 2002 Lafite is in a great drinking window and will continue to show beautifully for years to come.
Critical Acclaim:
2002 Chateau Lafite Rothschild
"Bubbling over with crushed berries, currants and spices, with tobacco notes. Beautiful. Full-bodied, with gorgeously velvety tannins and a long finish of pretty fruit. This is a racy yet elegant Lafite. Classy." James Suckling for Wine Spectator Mar 2005
Wine Spectator - 95 Points
The first of the ‘first growths’
In terms of red Bordeaux, or claret as it is also referred to by the British, there are no greater wines than the five châteaux referred to as the ‘first growths’: Château Lafite-Rothschild, Château Latour, Château Margaux, Château Haut-Brion and Château Mouton Rothschild.
First growth, or premier cru classé, is the top tier of the Bordeaux classification, a list drawn up under the instruction of Napoleon III in 1855.
The wines were ranked in importance from first to fifth growths (crus), with four first growths listed initially (Mouton Rothschild was added in 1973). Lafite was officially ranked first in the list of the 1855 Classification of the Bordeaux Grands Crus Classés prepared for the Universal Exhibition in Paris in the same year.
Within the five rarefied first growths, Lafite is perhaps the wine with the best reputation for quality and longevity, commanding correspondingly high prices. It is considered by some to be the best wine to come out of Bordeaux.