Lafite Rothschild Pauillac 2022 Pre-Arrival
PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE
100 Points! A benchmark modern Lafite showing tobacco, orange peel, cedar, pencil shavings, violets and cigar box—so perfumed. Medium-bodied with lots of graphite, stone and hints of redcurrants on the palate. It goes on for minutes. Reminds me of Lafites that I love made decades ago. Could be the great 1986. A blend of 94% cabernet sauvignon, 5% merlot and 1% petit verdot. - JamesSuckling.com
100 Points! The 2022 Château Lafite-Rothschild is based on 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot that was harvested between the 31st of August and the 24th of September. Just sensational in its power while remaining weightless, it offers utterly classic Lafite aromatics of crème de cassis, freshly sharpened lead pencils, spring flowers, and graphite. Full-bodied, concentrated, and seamless on the palate, it has a multi-dimensional mouthfeel, off-the-charts purity, and a finish that won’t quit. It’s shockingly accessible, yet there’s no shortage of structure, depth, or concentration. Aged in new French oak barrels, this is a monumental Lafite that should evolve for 50-75+ years. If this doesn’t do it for you, I can’t imagine what would. - Jeb Dunnuck
100 Points! In bottle, the 2022 Lafite Rothschild has turned out even better than I anticipated. Wafting from the glass with aromas of sweet red berries, minty blackcurrants, violets and cigar box, it's medium to full-bodied, velvety and suave, with a deep, enveloping core of lively fruit, beautifully refined tannins, and a long, perfumed finish. Even at this early stage, it's remarkably integrated and harmonious, and it's certainly the most elegant of the first growths this year, reminding me of a modern-day version of Lafite's magical 1953. - William Kelley, robertparker.com
100 Points! Deep, dark and restrained, offering cool black fruit with hints of cocoa and sea spray minerality. Poised and perfumed, it glides across the palate with Lafite’s signature elegance. Tannins gently frame the red fruit, achieving seamless balance. Subtle yet commanding, with layers of refinement, depth and completeness, and a minty, stony, crystalline purity. A masterpiece of understatement and precision. I love this wine. 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot. Organic. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com
100 Points! Deep garnet-purple colored, notes of freshly crushed black currants, ripe plums, and juicy raspberries pop from the glass, leading to a beguiling undercurrent of star anise, cardamom, iron ore, and iris, with a gentle waft of forest floor. The exquisitely elegant, medium-bodied palate is an exercise in finesse, delivering a laser-precise backbone of very fine-grained tannins and incredible tension to frame the multi-layered minerals, berries, and spices, finishing with epic length and depth. Legendary. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW
98 Points! The 2022 Lafite-Rothschild was picked from 31 August to 24 September and apart from the 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, there is 17.5% pressed wine in the blend. The IPT is slightly lower than 2020. There is 13.6% alcohol this year, higher than 2018 and 2019. It has an intense bouquet with blackberry, crushed stone, touches of pencil box and undergrowth, very Lafite-Rothschild in style. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, perfectly judged acidity, linear and focused. Compared to vintages a couple of decades ago, there is mid-palate weight, yet it retains classicism and transparency, while delivering quite a gentle but insistent grip on the finish. Perpetually the most deceptive of First Growth, one should not doubt its long-term potential. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media
98 Points! The 2022 Lafite-Rothschild is a magnificent, thrilling wine. A Lafite for the ages, the 2022 possesses off-the-charts richness and yet never loses its unique Lafiteness. It's as if all the elements are dialed up to the maximum, but without sacrificing clarity. That's quite an achievement in my book. Inky red fruit, blood orange, spice and incense are some of the many notes that build in the glass. The 2022 is a Lafite of nearly indescribable beauty, driven by a high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon and spellbinding overall balance. Vinification was carried out over 22 days, after which the wine was racked into French oak, 100% new, for an élevage of 15 months. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media
2022 will be remembered as a vintage of excess: too hot, too dry, too everything. The weather this year was like a fiery poet, one who gets carried away, who goes too far, but who miraculously makes it work. The lack of water pushed the vines to their limits and made them move mountains.
Lafite Rothschild 2022 - The oddball grandmother - "A classical Lafite that reminds me of something like the 1986. It's really about being Lafite here. Terroir gives great elegance with strength" James Suckling, 99-100pts
The oddball grandmother, with an ageless quiet strength and incredible charm. To carry off this torrid vintage, it did indeed need an oddball. One of those characters with incredible charm, who doesn't fit in any box. Someone who has seen it all and who fascinated you as a child. The 2022 Lafite is a bit like that.
Each of the plots, which the teams know by heart, reacted differently in the face of adversity. On 5 September, the teams brought in their earliest-ripening Merlot. Ten days later, they were already on the Cabernet (a record for some plots). In vat, there was no need for extraction. The juices were black from day one, and left the teams amazed when they were run off after only 17 or 18 days. The final surprise? Mind-blowing press wines that will exalt the soul of our Lafite, making up 17% of the blend!
Blend
94 % Cabernet Sauvignon
5 % Merlot
1 % Petit Verdot
| Color | Red |
|---|---|
| DEC Score | 100 |
| JD Score | 100 |
| JS Score | 100 |
| NM Score | 98 |
| LPB | 100 |
| VM Score | 98 |
| RP Score | 100 |
| Grapes | Bordeaux Blend |
| Style | Organic Farming |
| Vintages | 2022 |
| Sizes | 750ml |
