2021 Château Lafite Rothschild Carruades de Lafite
Type of Wine | Red |
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Country | France |
Region | Bordeaux |
Appellation | Pauillac |
Winery | Château Lafite Rothschild |
Year | 2021 |
Grape | Cabernet Franc Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Petit Verdot |
Content (Alc) | 0.75 ltr (13%) |
Drink window | 2026 - 2041 |
Available as of | Mar 31, 2023 |
AND PRIMEUR DISCOUNT VALID UNTIL 31/12/2023 - DELIVERY SPRING 2024
The Carruades de Lafite is the second wine of Château Lafite Rothschild and has similar characteristics to the Grand Vin, but with its own personality linked to a higher proportion of Merlot and to specific plots used to produce Carruades. Its name comes from the Carruades plateau, a group of parcels acquired in 1845 just next to the vines on the hilltop of the Château.
The 2021 Carruades de Lafite is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. In the glass the wine has an attractive colour, dark and deep. The nose is characteristic of this vintage - namely ripe and fresh at the same time, with notes of blackcurrant and black fruit. The attack is simple on the palate but then the wine unfolds to express all its volume. The tannins are fine and precise. The high percentage of Cabernet, both Cabernet Sauvignon (55%) and Cabernet Franc (5%), creates a lot of tension in the aftertaste. It is a rich Carruades with very good aging potential and will release its full potential in around 6 to 8 years.
The vineyard of Château Lafite Rothschild consists of three main areas: The slopes around the Château, the Carruades plateau to the west and a 4.5 hectare site in Saint-Estèphe. Its area is 112 hectares. The soil consists of fine, deeply ground mixed with windblown sand on a well-drained and well-incorporated tertiary limestone subsoil. The grape varieties grown here are Cabernet-Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
Here the first stones were laid, the winegrowers' houses were built and prepared for something unusual to happen. As the years passed, the house overlooking this hill got bigger and a wisteria vine climbed the walls of generations of families to see how preserving this ecosystem has always been the ultimate priority. 150 years ago, Baroness Betty, wife of Baron James, planted the huge oak trees that separate our vineyard from the marshes. They, their children and grandchildren, the families of winegrowers die with them, work conscientiously to protect this impeccable creation that has been bequeathed to nature. They have taken great care to preserve this microcosm of forests and marshes, flora and fauna amidst the vines of Château Lafite Rothschild thrive in this almost wild osmosis.
As the ultimate witness to this protected land, some of the vines still gracefully show off their 140 years of ungrafted life. They escaped the phylloxera which, however, spared no one else! This infallible part of the vines continues to elude the winegrowers, the same ones who form, protect and nurture it, from one harvest year to the next, trying to refine this perfect composition that amazes them time and time again. It may not be a coincidence, of course, that Lafite earned the title of "First of the First" at Napoleon III's World's Fair. Nor will it be a coincidence, if others will speak of it long after us… Each barrel is tasted individually and only the best is selected for the final blend. After blending, the wine matures for 15 months in new oak barrels. Fermentation takes place for 15 days at a controlled temperature of 18°C. Only vines older than 10 years are used for the Grand Vin Château Lafite Rothschild. While each vintage is unique, there is usually a large portion of Cabernet Sauvignon, then Merlot, with a small contribution of Petit Verdot.
Available as of | Mar 31, 2023 |
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Type of Wine | Red |
Country | France |
Region | Bordeaux |
Appellation | Pauillac |
Winery | Château Lafite Rothschild |
Grape | Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot |
Biological certified | No |
Natural wine | No |
Vegan | No |
Year | 2021 |
Drinking as of | 2026 |
Drinking till | 2041 |
Alcohol % | 13 |
Alcohol free/low | No |
Content | 0.75 ltr |
Oak aging | Yes |
Sparkling | No |
Dessert wine | No |
Closure | Cork |
Promotion | En Primeur |
Parker rating | 92 |
James Suckling rating | 95 |
Tasting Profiles | Complex, Dark fruit, Dry, Aged on wood, Powerful, Mineral, Tannines |
Drink moments | Indruk maken, Lekker luxe, Open haard |
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