Bordeaux 2020 En Primeur | Château Lafite-Rothschild

"A First Growth with unerring balance and harmony, unashamedly classic in style"

Neal Martin

"Fantastic length and the most stunning perfume. Magnificent achievement"

Lisa Perrotti-Brown

"A super-classic Lafite-Rothschild of grace and finesse"

Antonio Galloni

The Primeurs reach their apogee with the release of Château Lafite 2020 and its sibling, Carruades and Duhart-Milon.

Working the vineyard in Pauillac was no easy task in 2020. Success and failure were defined by the arduous decisions each winemaker had to take in order to tame mother nature's unpredictable behaviour.

The dream team at Domaine Baron de Rothschild has undoubtedly tuned in with their vines, carefully attending to their needs, responding to all the challenges in their usual stoic fashion. The results of their painstaking work of love has clearly paid off and we are blessed with a set of quintessential Pauillac of exceptional balance.

Tasting these wines make you understand why some Chateau are elevated to cult status. Each drops urges you to pause. Cerebral wines taking you for a dive in the deep waters of Fine Wine appreciation.

Chateau Lafite impresses with its 12.8% ABV, a wine of utter freshness, lithe on its feet. How the team managed to create such equilibrium in a warm vintage like 2020 still puzzles us. This might be attributed to 2020 being the first vintage worked fully organic. This Grand Vin is "unashamedly classic, with its name tattooed onto its DNA", writes Neal Martin. All components, from the precise fruit to the finely grained tannins, are in perfect harmony.
Captivating in its graceful personality. Seamless till the core. This is, and can only be, Lafite.

Coming to market along the Grand Vin, Carruades and Duhart-Milon tell us a very similar story - elegance over power. The second wine of Lafite, Carruades charges out of the gate with "gorgeous aromatic presence" (AG).

The 2020 "is shaping up to be a gem" comments Galloni, who joins Lisa Perrotti-Brown in awarding this new vintage a solid 91-93 Points.

Duhart-Millon follows suit, releasing the first vintage vinified in the new state-of-the-art facilities. The new winery allowed for a better control over the winemaking process,and quality is on the rise, right from start.

The Wine Advocate awards a barrel score of 91-93+ Points, a wine carrying "plush texture and just enough freshness, finishing long and spicy". Jane Anson finds even more quality in this new Duhart, a 95 Points for this "Elegant, precise, very Pauillac" wine.

FINE WINE TEAM
WINE SOURCE

(Please note - Balanced requests on all wines from Domaine Baron de Rothschild will receive priority during the strict allocation process.)

2020
CHATEAU LAFITE-ROTHSCHILD

First Growth, Pauillac

€ 3,429 per 6 Bottles IB
€ 3,435 per 3x150cl Magnums
€ 2,321 per 1x300cl Double Magnum
€ 4,618 per 1x600cl Imperial

Blend: 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot

96-98 Points, Neal Martin
The 2020 Lafite-Rothschild is much more intense and complex compared to the Carruades this year. This First Growth bursts from the glass with beautifully defined blackberry and wild strawberry scents laced with sprigs of wild mint and juniper berries. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins that frame the pixelated black fruit. This is quintessential Lafite in that it is not a powerful or immensely structured wine, but rather a First Growth with unerring balance and harmony, one that is unashamedly classic in style. There is just the right amount of dryness on the finish to urge you back for another sip. So Lafite it has its name tattooed onto its DNA. It will begin to soar after 10 years in the cellar. Drink 2030-2070

96-98 Points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate
Displaying a deep purple-black color, the 2020 Lafite Rothschild takes a little swirling and coaxing to unlock scents of freshly crushed blackcurrants, boysenberries and spiced plums, followed by emerging nuances of red roses, raspberry preserves, underbrush and unsmoked cigars, with a waft of cedar chest. The medium-bodied palate is an exercise in elegance and finesse, featuring tightly wound layers of red and black berries and loads of mineral sparks, framed by finely grained tannins and well-poised tension, finishing with fantastic length and the most stunning perfume. Magnificent achievement. This 2020 is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot, coming in at 12.8% alcohol and a pH of 3.9. Drink 2028-2063

95-97 Points, Antonio Galloni
The 2020 is a super-classic Lafite-Rothschild of grace and finesse. A reticent introvert, Lafite impresses with its vertical lift and palpable energy. It is a wine of regal bearing that does not feel the need to say much, and yet everything is very clearly there. Bright acids and strong, saline notes come alive in the glass as the long, persistent finish unfolds with remarkable grace. The 2020 is simply exquisite. It's a fabulous showing from the team led by Technical Director Eric Kohler. Drink 2035-2060

2020
CARRUADES DE LAFITE

Pauillac, Deuxième Vin

€ 1,239 per 6 Bottles IB
€ 1,245 per 3x150cl Magnums
€ 861 per 1x300cl Double Magnum
€ 1,698 per 1x600cl Imperial

Blend: 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot

91-93 Points, Antonio Galloni
The 2020 Carruades de Lafite is so expressive right out of the gate. Sage, mint, dried herbs, tobacco and incense grace the Carruades with gorgeous aromatic presence. A backbone of fine tannins lends energy and direction. Medium in body and impeccably refined, the 2020 Carruades is shaping up to be a gem. Drink 2027-2040

91-93 Points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate
Deep purple-black in color, the 2020 Carruades de Lafite, like its big sibling, is a little youthfully shy to begin, soon unfurling to offer notes of Morello cherries, raspberry leaves, baked blackberries and spice box, plus suggestions of pencil lead, lavender and Provence herbs. The medium-bodied palate is chock-full of juicy black fruits, framed by velvety tannins and tons of freshness, finishing long and lifted. Drink 2026-2042

2020
CHATEAU DUHART-MILON

Pauillac, 4ème Cru Classé

€ 399 per 6 Bottles IB
€ 405 per 3x150cl Magnums
€ 301 per 1x300cl Double Magnum
€ 579 per 1x600cl Imperial

Blend: 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot

95 Points, Jane Anson, Decanter
Restrained and sombre at first, but carefully constructed, with a rippling muscular texture, full of firm tannins with bright acidities underneath. Like the precision and the slightly austere cool blue fruits, pencil lead and liquorice root. Elegant, precise, feels very Pauillac in its density combined with fine tannins that have life and lift on the finish. Harvest September 9 to 29. First vintage in the new cellar.

91-93+ Points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2020 Duhart-Milon comes skipping out of the glass with vibrant notes of crushed black cherries, black raspberries and plum preserves, plus an exotic spice undercurrent of cumin seed, star anise and cardamom, with an earthy touch of black truffles. The medium-bodied palate delivers mouth-coating, juicy black fruits with a plush texture and just enough freshness, finishing long and spicy. Drink 2024-2039

90-92 Points, Neal Martin
The 2020 Duhart-Milon has a delightful, elegant bouquet, an almost equal mixture of red and black fruit laced with sous-bois, cigar box and touches of curry leaf in the background. It is a little timid at first, but it seemed to grow over the 90 minutes I observed this wine. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a slightly fleshier Duhart-Milon compared to the obdurate, tannic wines of yore. It is gentle in some ways, revealing elegant brambly red fruit mixed with cedar and mint on the finish. Fine, although I would have liked just a tad more grip and heft. Drink 2027-2050