Chateau Lafite Rothschild 2015

WEINWISSER: "91 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 9 % Merlot. (Der Cabernet Franc und der Petit Verdot wurden deklassiert). Sattes Purpur- Granat, dicht in der Mitte, lila Schimmer aussen. Das Bouquet zeigt eine wunderbare, delikate und auch berauschende Süsse: Karamell, Sandelholz, kandierte Früchte. Im zweiten Ansatz zeigt er ein parfümiertes Damassine-Pflaumenspiel und feinste Noten von frischem Thymian, Minze und getrockneten Küchenkräutern. Im Gaumen nonchalant, mit einer sehr reichen und gleichzeitig ganz feinen Adstringenz. Die Balance ist royal, alles ist am richtigen Ort. Ein tänzerischer, schier verspielter Lafite. Und genau das darf er manchmal auch. Das wird eine ziemlich ähnliche Delikatesse wie es der 1953er in seinen allerbesten Zeiten war."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "This is a great vintage from Lafite. The profile is rich in feel, with a seriously firm tannic structure. Solid, complex and with great authority, this Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant wine is impressively dense in dark-fruit tones. It will age for many years. Drink from 2027, although that would almost be too soon."

JAMES SUCKLING: "Firm and powerful with blackberries, blueberries, currants and wet earth. Full-bodied, yet tight and angular with very pretty fruit and brightness. Really racy and super and set for a long, long life. Better after 2025. Reviewed in Hong Kong Chinese Wine Tasting July 2020."

DECANTER: "The power in this vintage of Lafite is hidden, but it is there in spades and tiptoes up along the palate. Lovely brushed tannins are extremely well placed, discreetly holding the fruit. In many ways this is a truly classic Lafite because it is understated and lyrical. It's a wine that demands you know Lafite to see just how beautifully it will develop, says winemaker Eric Kohler. 40% of overall estate production. 100% new oak. Bottled early June 2017. Drinking Window 2025 - 2045."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Lafite Rothschild is not a wine to imbibe in its youth. As a youngster, all the elements are there, the intense purity of fruit, the impossibly, silky textures, freshness that gives lift without ever feeling acidic. In fact, the qualities and character as it builds in intensity, volume and length. Like all great vintages of Lafite, this is going to take time, at least 15-20 or more years to deliver its experience at its best."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The deep garnet-purple shaded 2015 Lafite Rothschild is blended of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Merlot and was matured for 20 months in new oak barrels from Tonnellerie des Domaines (their own cooperage). It is still sporting a lot of cedar at this nascent stage with a vibrant core of black raspberries, red currants and crushed plums plus touches of cigar boxes, violets and underbrush with a waft of tilled loam. Medium-bodied and elegantly styled with wonderful freshness and depth, it is compellingly earthy/minerally in the mouth with a frame of seductively silky yet very firm tannins and culminating in a very long, racy and pure finish. Boasting spectacular finesse and packed with nuances, clearly, given some of the challenges here in 2015, this is a masterpiece of diligence in the vineyards, careful selection and very clever crafting—bravo!"

JEB DUNNUCK: "The grand vin 2015 Lafite-Rothschild checks in as 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot that was brought all in 100% new oak. Director Eric Kohler (who replaced Charles Chevallier in 2015) told me the vintage suffered a touch of dilution but wasn’t a complicated year. The 2015 is an aristocratic, classy example from this estate that offers textbook lead pencil shavings, tobacco, smoked herbs, and graphite as well as a beautiful core of currant and cassis fruit. It’s the most refined and subtle of the first growths, has medium to full-bodied richness, building tannin, and undeniable class and charm. Give bottles 4-5 years of bottle age and enjoy over the following 2-3 decades."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, tiefer Farbkern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung, mit etwas Nougat unterlegter Edelholztouch, zart nach reifen Pflaumen, Lakritze und Tabak, facettenreiches Bukett. Stoffig, sehr finessenreich unterlegte schwarze Beerenfrucht, fast seidig wirkende Tannine, salzige Mineralität, extraktsüßer Abgang, wirkt in dieser Phase etwas schlanker, angenehme delikate Süße im Nachhall, großes Zukunftspotenzial."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Velvet- and silk-textured red currant, raspberry and black cherry compote notes glide through, supported by a perfectly embedded graphite spine, while enticing violet, black tea and alder accents add range through the finish. Very refined and sneakily long. Best from 2025 through 2045. 16,000 cases made."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Tasted blind. Slightly weak greyish crimson. Black fruits on the nose and then high acid on the palate. A little low key. Fresh and linear. A refreshing drink in which the tannins are well managed. Slight graininess of texture. Introvert."