Carruades de Lafite 2018

Bordeaux Red Blends
  • 97 James
    Suckling
  • 94 Jeb
    Dunnuck
  • 94 Robert
    Parker
  • 93 Decanter
4.8 Fantastic (6)
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Carruades de Lafite  2018  Front Bottle Shot
Carruades de Lafite  2018  Front Bottle Shot Carruades de Lafite  2018  Front Label

Product Details


Varietal

Producer

Vintage
2018

Size
750ML

Features
Collectible

Your Rating

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Somm Note

Winemaker Notes

Château Lafite Rothschild’s second wine, Carruades de Lafite presents similar characteristics to the Grand Vin, but with its own personality linked to a higher proportion of Merlot and to specific plots that are used to produce Carruades. The name comes from the Carruades plateau, a group of plots acquired in 1845 just next to the vines on the Château hilltop.

Professional Ratings

  • 97

    Exquisitely fine tannins to the currant, lead-pencil and chocolate character. The palate is full, yet very refined and linear with a long, lingering finish. Such polish and tension. The tannins are intense, yet so fine, giving almost a powdery texture. So Lafite-like. Best Carruades ever? 56% cabernet sauvignon and 38% merlot, the rest cabernet franc. Drink after 2026.

  • 94

    While a lot of estates' second wines can have a distinctly different style than their Grand Vins, that's not the case with Lafite. Their 2018 Carraudes De Lafite has a beautiful Lafite-like elegance and sense of nuance that's always present in the Grand Vin. Based on 56.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, its ruby/purple-tinged hue is followed by a beautiful nose of cassis, lead pencil, black cherries, tobacco leaf, and forest floor. With medium to full-bodied richness, it has a layered, elegant mouthfeel, ripe yet present tannins, flawless balance, and a great finish. This juicy, textured, balanced 2018 can be drunk today or cellared for 15-20 years or more.

  • 94
    The 2018 Carruades de Lafite is composed of 56.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot and 5.5% Cabernet Franc. The Merlot was harvested September 17-24, the Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested September 25 to October 5, and the Cabernet Franc was harvested September 24. Deep garnet-purple colored, it reveals a very serious nose of pencil shavings, black tea, violets and dark chocolate with earthy wafts of underbrush and mossy bark over a core of warm cassis, blackberry preserves and black raspberries. Medium to full-bodied, the densely packed, black-fruited palate is laced with loads of compelling mineral sparks with a firm, grainy frame and beautiful freshness to lift the long, earthy finish.
    Barrel Sample: 92-94
  • 93
    This has rich fruit notes with exotic spices, a silky texture and a seductive approachability that clearly translates the higher than usual amount of Merlot in the blend this year, as with Petit Mouton. It’s a wine that is bound to make a lot of people happy but also means that whereas Lafite is archetypal Lafite, this is perhaps a less classic Carruades.

    It still has the tannins of Pauillac, and as so often is the case this year the first time you taste feels easy then they steal up on you and start to layer but this is flexible and approachable, with a menthol finish.
    Barrel Sample: 93

Other Vintages

2022
  • 97 James
    Suckling
  • 94 Decanter
  • 93 Robert
    Parker
2021
  • 95 James
    Suckling
  • 92 Decanter
  • 91 Jeb
    Dunnuck
  • 91 Robert
    Parker
2020
  • 96 James
    Suckling
  • 95 Decanter
  • 95 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 94 Robert
    Parker
  • 93 Jeb
    Dunnuck
2019
  • 96 James
    Suckling
  • 96 Jeb
    Dunnuck
  • 94 Robert
    Parker
  • 93 Decanter
2017
  • 94 James
    Suckling
  • 93 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 91 Decanter
  • 91 Robert
    Parker
  • 91 Jeb
    Dunnuck
2016
  • 94 Jeb
    Dunnuck
  • 94 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 93 James
    Suckling
  • 92 Robert
    Parker
  • 91 Decanter
2015
  • 94 James
    Suckling
  • 94 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 92 Jeb
    Dunnuck
  • 91 Decanter
  • 91 Robert
    Parker
  • 91 Wine
    Spectator
2014
  • 94 James
    Suckling
  • 94 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 93 Wine
    Spectator
  • 92 Decanter
2011
  • 92 James
    Suckling
  • 91 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 90 Wine
    Spectator
2010
  • 95 James
    Suckling
  • 93 Wine
    Spectator
  • 92 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 92 Robert
    Parker
2009
  • 95 James
    Suckling
  • 93 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 93 Robert
    Parker
  • 92 Wine
    Spectator
2008
  • 92 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 91 Robert
    Parker
  • 91 James
    Suckling
2006
  • 93 Decanter
  • 90 Robert
    Parker
2005
  • 93 Decanter
  • 91 Wine
    Enthusiast
2003
  • 91 Robert
    Parker
2001
  • 92 Wine
    Spectator
2000
  • 93 Robert
    Parker
  • 93 Wine
    Spectator
1998
  • 90 Robert
    Parker
1988
  • 91 Wine
    Spectator
Carruades de Lafite

Carruades de Lafite

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Carruades de Lafite, France
Carruades de Lafite Technical Director Eric Kohler Winery Image

Carruades is the second label wine produced by Chateau Lafite-Rothschild. After fermentation and maceration, the wines are tasted, selected and put together according to their different qualities. This step is very important because this is where we make the difference between the great "Lafite" and the second wine "Carruades de Lafite". The wines are drained off into oak barrels. We use 100% new barrels for the ageing of Lafite. The year after, these same barrels will be used for the Carruades.

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CVB520367_2018 Item# 520367

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