Chateau Lafite Rothschild Pauillac 2018 750ml

Château Lafite Rothschild is a First Growth in Pauillac under the 1855 classification, owned by the Rothschild family through Domaines Barons de Rothschild. Its best parcels are 50 hectares on the Carruades plateau, the highest point of the appellation, plus an old-vine parcel in Saint-Estèphe.

The 2018 is 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.5% Merlot and 0.5% Petit Verdot. Parcels are vinified separately in wood, steel or concrete, then the wine spends 15 months in new French oak from the estate's own cooperage. A very hot summer followed a wet spring, and the healthy harvest allowed strict selection. It's 13.5% alcohol.

The estate describes black and red fruit and cedar on a discreet but deep nose, with an impressive attack, harmony, power and a long, fresh finish. Decanter likens it to a fist hidden inside a velvet glove.

Against Pichon Comtesse de Lalande 2008, Lafite 2018 is a young First Growth built for decades; for a cellar centerpiece, choose Lafite.

Wine Spectator suggests drinking it best from 2030 through 2045.

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