Chateau Lafite Rothschild 2018

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "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."

WEINWISSER: "Tiefes Purpur mit opaker Mitte. Was für ein delikates Parfüm nach schwarzen Johannisbeeren, frischen Alpenheidelbeeren und roter Grütze. Im zweiten Ansatz Holundersaft, Veilchenstrauss und Lakritze. Am sublimen Gaumen mit seidiger Textur, herrlicher Extraktsüße und straffem Körper, stützende Terroirwürze. Im konzentrierten Finale explodiert das Finessenpaket mit einer vollen Ladung dunkler Kirschen, Palisander und dunklen Trüffeln – ganz grosses Lafitekino – diese beeindruckende Konzentration in magischer Perfektion macht hier den Unterschied. Endet mit königlicher Adstringenz. Der lässt einen nicht mehr los und raubt mir förmlich den Atem! Weltklasse!"

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "The 2018 Lafite Rothschild is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a little swirling to unlock notes of baked plums, boysenberry preserves, and crème de cassis, with touches of menthol, Indian spices and smoked meats. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers mouth-filling, spicy black fruits with velvety tannins and a long, energetic finish."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "An immensely structured wine, this is complex, concentrated and yet so contained. The wine impresses with its balance, layers of succulent black-currant fruits and effortless style. A wine for the long term, it should not be touched before 2029."

JAMES SUCKLING: "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."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "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."

DECANTER: DECANTER:"This stood out during en primeur, not just for itself but also in comparison to so many estates around it. While several properties had an unusual vintage, where their personalities were subverted by the weather conditions, Lafite just continued being Lafite, a true mark of ist character and ist terroir. This is still of course extremely young, keeping ist cards close to ist chest; the power for now is hidden, waiting, and will slowly unveil. This is going to be a beautiful Lafite in the future, a brilliant wine with bilberry, slate and pencil lead character, and a eucalyptus mint wash. 3.75pH. A yield of 40hl/ha. 40% of the production went into the grand vin. 74IPT."

JEB DUNNUCK: "Checking in as a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.5% Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot, the 2018 Château Lafite-Rothschild is one of those magical Lafites that offers an already up-front, complex, nuanced style yet has the class and balance to evolve for 40-50 years. As always, this wine is never about sheer power, and the 2018 offers a full-bodied, incredibly elegant and weightless style that carries textbook blackcurrant fruits, lead pencil shavings, green tobacco, cedarwood, and camphor aromas and flavors. I compared this wine to a more elegant version of the 2016 from barrel and I think that comparison still holds. Incredibly up-front and charming, and already drinkable with sweet tannins, it will unquestionably pick up more complexity and nuance over the coming 4-6 years. It should hit maturity around age 10 and evolve for 75 years or more given its perfect balance. This is a beautiful, quintessential Lafite that exudes elegance and charm."

FALSTAFF: "Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarter Wasserrand. Intensives schwarzes Beerenkonfit, tabakige Nuancen, ein Hauch von Edelholz. Komplex, engmaschig, feine Herzkirschen, reife Tannine, geprägt von guter Frische, rotbeerige Nuancen im Abgang, finessenreich und delikat, salziger Touch im Abgang, sicheres Entwicklungspotenzial."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Black core. Introverted dark fruit, almost sour in its dark freshness. Amazing elegance without any apparent sweetness. So dry, so serious but with body and richness in the middle. Classicism and precision. Some rocky/mineral darkness. Paper-fine layers of tannins. Fresh with a power and yet a delicacy at the same time. A dark dry purity. There is a serenity to this wine, it has muscles but is not flexing them. Opens up to riper, richer fruit character. Wonderful harmony and refined length. Could turn out to be my wine of the primeurs tastings. (It did.) (JH)"

WINE SPECTATOR: "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."