Chateau Lafite Rothschild 2018

Chateau Lafite Rothschild is one of the world's most iconic Bordeaux wines, celebrated for its extraordinary elegance, precision, and longevity. Aromas of blackcurrant, cassis, cedar, graphite, violet, cigar box, and fine spice unfold into a seamless palate with silky tannins, exceptional depth, and a remarkably persistent finish.

Food Pairing: Pair with beef Wellington, roast lamb, venison, duck breast, truffle dishes, or aged Comte for an unforgettable First Growth Bordeaux experience.

100 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2018 Château Lafite Rothschild is blended from 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.5% Merlot and 0.5% Petit Verdot and has 13.3% alcohol. Deep purple-black in color, it needs a fair bit of swirling to unlock intoxicating scents of blackcurrant cordial, baked plums and black cherry compote with an undercurrent of dark chocolate, licorice, cast-iron pan, cedar chest and fertile loam, plus a waft of pencil lead. The delicately crafted, medium-bodied palate is dripping with class, featuring layers of mineral-laced black fruits and exquisitely ripe, singularly Lafite tannins, finishing with epic length and depth. This simply stunning, delicately crafted expression of the 2018 vintage, with its singularly evocative imprint of Lafite, will require a good 7–8 years in bottle, then should continue to inspire awe over the following 40+ years.

99 Points - James Suckling

Wow. The aromas are so intense and refined at the same time, offering gorgeous blackcurrant, lead pencil and orchid character. Such purity of fruit. Sleek and finely polished, with a fine cut to the tannins that provides such grace and glamour. Yet it’s got the power and structure to age for decades. On and on. Try after 2029.

98 Points - Decanter

This stood out during en primeur, not just for itself but also in comparison to so many estates around it. While several properties had an unusual vintage, where their personalities were subverted by the weather conditions, Lafite just continued being Lafite—a true mark of its character and terroir. This is still, of course, extremely young, keeping its cards close to its chest; the power for now is hidden, waiting, and will slowly unveil. This is going to be a beautiful Lafite in the future, a brilliant wine with bilberry, slate, pencil lead and eucalyptus mint character.

98 Points - Jeb Dunnuck

Checking in as a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.5% Merlot and 0.5% Petit Verdot, the 2018 Château Lafite Rothschild is one of those magical Lafites that offers an already upfront, complex, nuanced style yet has the class and balance to evolve for 40–50 years. As always, this wine is never about sheer power, and the 2018 offers a full-bodied, incredibly elegant and weightless style that carries textbook blackcurrant fruit, lead pencil shavings, green tobacco, cedarwood and camphor aromas and flavors. I compared this wine to a more elegant version of the 2016 from barrel, and I think that comparison still holds. Incredibly upfront and charming, and already drinkable with sweet tannins, it will unquestionably pick up more complexity and nuance over the coming 4–6 years. It should hit maturity around age 10 and evolve for 75 years or more given its perfect balance. This is a beautiful, quintessential Lafite that exudes elegance and charm.

97 Points - Wine Spectator

Very pure, with a sleek and extremely focused beam of cassis, black cherry purée and blackberry preserves streaming through, lined along the edges with savory, sweet bay leaf and black tea details. Those extra notes assert themselves through the finish, but without intruding too much on the fruit, letting it play out over a long iron spine. Hums with precision. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2030 through 2045.

93 Points - Wine Enthusiast

Named after a hamlet on the Lafite estate, this new creation from Château Lafite Rothschild comes from selected parcels of the vineyard. It is a rich wine, worthy of both the vintage and the estate. Balancing elegance with ripe black currant fruit, the wine is restrained and has good aging potential.