Lafite Rothschild 2012

Tasted blind. Lustrous crimson. Ageing nose. But very luscious sweetness on the palate. Bounces out of the glass. Clean, dry finish. Really quite opulent overall, counterbalanced by more freshness than some of its peers. Saline note on the end. Drink 2022-2042.

The nose is rich black fruit dominated and the palate starts with damson plum richness. The mid palate is lighter complex the fresher bramble backed by richer cassis. The tannins give structure but are not too obvious and towards the back there is freshness that brings out hints of spice. The finish has richness yet an elegant charm. 2020-40.

It's in years like 2012 that the talent of a winemaker like Charles Chevalier is most evident.After a slight dip in 2011, at least by its own high standards, this is a very elegant, evenrestrained Lafite, with lots of colour, a leafy, graphite-like perfume, refreshing minerality,subtle oak and very pure cassis fruit. It's fairly light, but there's concentration there too. Aclassic wine that will appeal to lovers of refreshing, understated claret.Drink: 2022-40

The classically styled 2012 exhibits attractive elegance, medium body and outstanding concentration, but not the complexity and depth or prodigious qualities of many other recent Lafites. It is a relatively soft, spicy effort displaying notes of crushed rocks, white chocolate, black currants and graphite. It should be drinkable in 5-8 years and last for two decades. Charles Chevalier was candid in saying that the tropical heat wave, along with the poor flowering resulted in intense labor in the vineyard and during the harvest where triage was the operative word, and had to be done thoroughly and consistently. The 2012 Lafite Rothschild, a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.5% Merlot and 0.5% Petit Verdot, was the result of a harvest that took place between September 28 and October 9 for the Merlot, October 9-16 for the Cabernet Sauvignon. The small amount of Cabernet Franc included in the Carruades de Lafite was harvested on October 11 - 12. Only 38% of the production made it into the grand vin. If the 2012 fills out completely it could turn out similar to the 1998 Lafite.

Tasted en primeur at the château. The Grand Vin was picked between 28th September (with the Merlot) and 16th October (with the Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot) and is a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.5% Merlot and a pinch of Petit Verdot. It has a fragrant pencil lead bouquet with small dark cherries and brambly blackberry fruit. The definition is very fine with moderate intensity. The palate is more convincing than the aromatics at this point with fully ripe, quite tensile tannins and very good cohesion. Naturally it does not have the weight of a top Lafite vintage, although the focus is impressive. There is a nascent femininity about this Lafite and it might show much better after bottling. Tasted April 2013.

This is beautiful for the vintage. Full body and very tender with fine tannins and a pretty finish. Attractive currant, cedar, and sweet tobacco character. More delicate than the 2011.

91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.5% Merlot, 0.5% Petit Verdot. Very dense and lustrous. Unusually (for Lafite) intense and creamy; it's almost as though Carruades has assumed Lafite character and Lafite is more Moutonish, almost flamboyant! Dry edge but very savoury and rather lords it over us - see how ripe our Cabernets were…! Perhaps the tannins are not the ripest but the fruit certainly is. Classic Pauillac if not exactly classic Lafite. Not quite as 'whole' as Haut-Brion perhaps.