{"product_id":"chateau-lafite-rothschild-pauillac-premier-grand-cru-classe-2023-750ml","title":"Château Lafite Rothschild - Pauillac (Premier Grand Cru Classé) 2023 (750ml)","description":"\u003cp\u003eAt the summit of Pauillac, the 2023 vintage from the Premier Grand Cru Classé stands out for an expression of pure elegance, nuanced and deep. This cuvée from Château Lafite-Rothschild marries the Médoc terroir's uprightness with a caressing texture, driven by sculpted tannins and a luminous finish. The bouquet suggests noble dark fruits, cedar and graphite, for a signature of great precision. Here you hold a bottle of character, conceived for chosen moments, patient ageing and the pleasure of sharing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWinemaker Notes\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTo achieve balance at Lafite, there’s no need to arrive with big hooves. This year, more than ever, Lafite entered discreetly, without being noticed. In the vineyard, he asked questions. In the wake of successive heatwaves, we expected a shock, a tipping point, but their vines continued their serene trajectory, the grapes reaching maturity while retaining a precious tension.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn the cellar, extractions must be precise, we’re down to the day, with a run-off calendar where we have to make the right choices. At Olivier’s instigation, we decided to blend our finest lots, destined for the grand vin, earlier than usual, as early as December. And that’s when the balance was struck!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA quiet power is born this year from blending. Just as in this illustration, where you might see individuals face to face holding hands, the parcels are built together, reminding us that nothing beats the art of blending.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBlend: 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eProfessional Ratings\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e98Decanter\u003cbr\u003e\nA clear contender for wine of the vintage. Deep, purple colour on the rim. Some soft herbal and floral aromatics, milk chocolate. A real sense of understated power as Lafite does so well. Not so demonstrative at all, but there’s a gorgeous charming delicacy to this - fine powdery blue fruit tannins with edges of liquorice and slate. Smooth and supple, excellent weight in the mouth, light and streamlined, less overt acidity and brightness than Carruades, but still with a mouthwatering centre that gives strawberry and cherry fruit flavours. Ends with subtle graphite and wet stone, long and lingering though. Just delightful, so elegant and finessed. You can feel the density on the finish, the slight weight of the tannins comes at the end, bringing a controlled and quiet power. I love the sense of ease and seamlessness about this wine, it just slips down. 1% of very old Petit Verdot went into the blend this year. 15% press. 3.8pH. 38% grand vin production. Ageing 90% new oak. A potential 100-point wine.\u003cbr\u003e\nBarrel Sample: 98\u003cbr\u003e\n98James Suckling\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eVery perfumed, with currants, orange peel, strawberries, cedar and lead pencil. Medium-bodied, with ultrafine tannins that are completely integrated into the wine, giving a graceful and seductive finish. Weightless. It's so long and caressing, making you smile with each sip. A joyful young Lafite. 93% cabernet sauvignon, 6% merlot and 1% petit verdot.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e98Vinous\u003cbr\u003e\nThe 2023 Lafite-Rothschild races out of the glass with notable textural intensity. Explosive and deep, with striking balance, Lafite dazzles in this vintage. The 2023 is a somber, virile Lafite endowed with remarkable depth and tons of sheer character. Plum, blackberry, gravel, pencil shavings, graphite, mocha and lavender build into the intense, palate-staining finish. The blend is 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot. –Antonio Galloni\u003cbr\u003e\nBarrel Sample: 95-98\u003cbr\u003e\n97Jeb Dunnuck\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eReminding me of the 2019 with its modern yet ultra-classic style, the 2023 Château Lafite-Rothschild sports a gorgeous perfume of cassis, freshly sharpened lead pencil, tobacco, and loamy earth that gives it an utterly classic Pauillac profile and style. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has good concentration, ripe, polished tannins, flawless balance, and so much charm and accessibility. Based on 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, drink this gorgeous Lafite over the coming 40-50 years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e96Robert Parker's Wine Advocate\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBottled a touch earlier than usual due to the extensive construction work that is ongoing at the estate, the 2023 Lafite Rothschild offers up notes of cassis and plums mingled with pencil shavings, spices and a subtle touch of fresh leather. Medium- to full-bodied, deep and layered, it's rich and youthfully structured, with supple, powdery tannins, lively acids and a sapid finish.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Chateau Lafite Rothschild","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":68103655653600,"sku":"132532","price":699.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0649\/9713\/0464\/files\/chateau-lafite-rothschild-pauillac-premier-grand-cru-classe_1_0657e94f-f185-42c6-b2b8-1b5887b1b534.jpg?v=1792698686","url":"https:\/\/www.mywineconnection.com\/products\/chateau-lafite-rothschild-pauillac-premier-grand-cru-classe-2023-750ml","provider":"My Wine Connection","version":"1.0","type":"link"}