Chateau Lafite Rothschild 2017 tasting notes and ratings on futures and ratings “en primeur” by Ronald Rens, M.Sc., Wine Master, Bordeaux Expert
Ronald with Christophe Congé, the winemaker at Lafite Rothschild
Driving up to Lafite Rothschild is always a pleasure. One can’t fail to be intimidated to see the chateau appear in the middle of an ocean of the best vineyards of Bordeaux. I tasted the Lafite Rothschild in the new tasting room at this remarkable First Growth with Christophe Congé, the winemaker and Eric Kohler the technical director at Lafite. Both gentlemen couldn’t hide a smile when I complemented them with their very successful 2017. Modestly they credited much of the result to Lafite’s extraordinary terroir (that was completely spared from the frost).
Carruades de Lafite 2017 (18- points)
[35% Merlot, 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc]
A clear translucent sparkling color. The wine takes a while to open up on the nose with discreet red and black fruit. His wine is far from being a power-horse and shows a good freshness interlaced with crisp fresh fruit. The wine showed the signature elegance of this remarkable second wine. Beautiful balance and ripe tannins. Great length for a second wine. Different style than the 2016 but for me on the same level.
Lafite Rothschild 2017 (19,5+ points)
[96% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3,5% Merlot and 0,5% Petit Verdot]
The color is deeper than the Carruades but without this inky black extraction I have seen elsewhere. Beautiful ruby shiny color. A superb classy Lafite nose with ripe red and black fruit without any greenness at all. A different style than the previous vintages but with the typical elegant signature of Lafite. Not so much on the power but on the elegance and an exemplary freshness. Great expression of the fruit. More linear and more on the freshness and elegance but it works very well. The tannins are ripe and present but not dominant. The tannins seem to give a sort of lift on the palate at the end. Very long indeed. This is a beautiful classic Lafite. Well done! What was remarkable was the fact that this sample was so approachable. Usually the samples of Lafite are less accessible. This wine is maybe a bit less concentrated than the previous vintages but is very aromatic. The influence of the barrels is rather discreet in this stage but it is the superb balance that made us wanting to drink this sample. In a way the wine reminds me of the 2004, 2006 or even the 2008. The alcohol content of 12,6% confirms that we are returning to the pre-Parker style and I for one, I am very happy with the result.
