Ch Lafite Rotschild has just been released today. The 2024 is accessible in its youth and is expected to generate interest towards newcomers in the wine market. Offered at 27% less than last year, "This is an early drinking, accessible Lafite for a new clientele" as Saskia de Rothschild puts it.
"this is not only a wine for newcomers and experts alike, but if this vintage turns out to be anyone's first sip of this famous First Growth, it is a cosmic place to start." – 19+/20, Matthew Jukes
"captures the effortless elegance that Lafite does so so well, and it totally delivers." – Jane Anson
Why get the 2024 Ch Lafite Rothschild?
This first growth is one of the most collectable wines in the world
Bordeaux's most awarded 100 pts rating after Petrus
Fairly priced against market price for back vintages
Pricing
£857 per 3 x 75cl in bond
£1,713 per 6 x 75cl in bond
£1,718 per 3 x 150cl in bond
£1,172 per 1 x 300cl in bond
£2,324 per 1 x 600cl in bond
£1,733 per 12 x 37.5cl in bond
2024 Vintage
The 2024 vintage was challenging right from the beginning. Winter was the wettest in record since 2000 with warm temperatures. This meant early budding which increased the risk of mildew and frost. Spring looked more promising at first with a generous flowering. Many young plots of vines produced a remarkable fruit set but, overall, it was cooler and rainier than usual and translated in an uneven berry setting. Summer finally arrived at the end of June lasting until late August. Skins and tannins began to ripe but September turned out to be the rainiest in years. Grapes were highly selected to maintain quality and the yield are much lower than 2023.
Critics Scores
A blend of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2024 Lafite Rothschild offers up aromas of minty blackcurrants, violets, incense, loamy soil and cigar box, followed by a medium-bodied, pillowy and open-knit palate built around tangy acids and powdery tannins, concluding with a discreetly herbal finish. Harvest began on September 24 and concluded on October 4, delivering a Lafite in something of a throwback style, nodding to the wines made here in the 1970s. – 91- 94 points, Robert Parker
Rich texture, this stands head and shoulders above many in the vintage, with graphite, crayon, cassis bud rather than exuberant black fruits, this is precise, savoury, delineated, floral, gunsmoke, juicy, captures the effortless elegance that Lafite does so so well, and it totally delivers. Harvest 23 September to 7 October, 32hl/h yield, above the Pauillac average, 16% press wine included in the blend. Director Eric Kohler's 33rd year in Pauillac. I am giving a slightly earlier begin drinking date, but I am certain this will age exceptionally well as Lafite always does. Slightly earlier starting date for drinking than usual, eight years following harvest. - 95 points, Jane Anson
Additional information
Located in Pauillac, Lafite Rotschild 's112 hectares of vines are planted on fine and deep gravel soil known for their excellent drainage capacity. This is one of the five emblematic 1er Grand Cru Classé and probably the most recognisable brand from Bordeaux. Well-loved in the British market throughout the 17th century, the estate has been under the ownership of the Rothschild family since 1866. They played a major role in building the reputation of the wines which are known for their precision, complexity, and effortless grace.
95 points Jane Anson | 19+/20 points Matthew Jukes | 92.5 points Robert Parker
Aged in new French oak barrels for up to 18 months.
Drinking window: 2026-2040
15,000 to 25,000 cases produced
