Chateau Lafite Rothschild 2003

  • 100 Robert
    Parker
  • 98 James
    Suckling
  • 97 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 96 Wine
    Spectator
Sold Out - was $1,459.99
OFFER Take $20 off your order of $100+
Ships Fri, Apr 5
You purchased this 3/3/24
0
Limit Reached
You purchased this 3/3/24
Alert me about new vintages and availability
Chateau Lafite Rothschild  2003  Front Bottle Shot
Chateau Lafite Rothschild  2003  Front Bottle Shot Chateau Lafite Rothschild  2003  Front Label

Product Details


Varietal

Region

Producer

Vintage
2003

Size
750ML

ABV
12.7%

Features
Collectible

Your Rating

0.0 Not For Me NaN/NaN/N

Somm Note

Winemaker Notes

Deep color with very ripe red fruit on the nose. On the palate, the vintage proves to be particularly rich, intense and smooth with very rounded tannins. Long persistent finish.

Blend: 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot

Professional Ratings

  • 100
    The 2003 Lafite Rothschild comes as close to perfection as any of the great Lafites made over the past three decades (1982, 1986, 1996, 2000, 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2010). This sensational effort came in at 12.7% natural alcohol, it is made in the style of one of this estate’s great classics, the 1959. Composed of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it exhibits a dense ruby/purple color to the rim along with a luxurious bouquet of cedarwood, lead pencil shaving, white chocolate, cocoa and cassis. Fat, rich, opulent and full-bodied with low acidity and stunning seductiveness and complexity, this noble wine possesses a bountiful, generous, heady style. It is just coming into its plateau of maturity where it should hold for 20-25 years. This is one of the candidates for the wine of the vintage – make no mistake about that.
  • 98
    Spicy and rich, with a tobacco and berry character on the nose and palate I love the nose. Full bodied, with soft velvety tannins that give you so much. This goes on and on. Sexy and exciting.
  • 97
    This is a splendid wine. Yes, it is more powerful than the usual aristocratic Lafites, but it still manages to retain a special air of great elegance and presence. The fruits are black, the tannins immensely powerful, the flavors are of black figs, dates, cocoa. At the end, there is a vibrant acidity that shows through, which promises a great life for this great wine.
  • 96

    Subtle, complex aromas of berries, licorice and currants. Full-bodied, with well-integrated tannins and a long finish. Very well-integrated wine. Lovely stuff. Wonderful length and finesse.

Other Vintages

2022
  • 100 James
    Suckling
  • 99 Jeb
    Dunnuck
  • 98 Decanter
  • 97 Robert
    Parker
2021
  • 98 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 98 James
    Suckling
  • 97 Decanter
  • 96 Robert
    Parker
  • 96 Jeb
    Dunnuck
2020
  • 100 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 100 James
    Suckling
  • 100 Jeb
    Dunnuck
  • 98 Robert
    Parker
  • 97 Decanter
2019
  • 100 James
    Suckling
  • 100 Robert
    Parker
  • 100 Jeb
    Dunnuck
  • 98 Decanter
  • 98 Wine
    Spectator
2018
  • 100 Robert
    Parker
  • 100 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 99 James
    Suckling
  • 98 Jeb
    Dunnuck
  • 98 Decanter
2017
  • 99 Robert
    Parker
  • 98 James
    Suckling
  • 97 Decanter
  • 97 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 96 Wine
    Spectator
  • 94 Jeb
    Dunnuck
2016
  • 100 Decanter
  • 100 Jeb
    Dunnuck
  • 100 James
    Suckling
  • 99 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 99 Robert
    Parker
  • 98 Wine
    Spectator
2015
  • 100 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 99 James
    Suckling
  • 97 Decanter
  • 96 Jeb
    Dunnuck
  • 96 Robert
    Parker
  • 95 Wine
    Spectator
2014
  • 98 James
    Suckling
  • 97 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 95 Wine
    Spectator
  • 95 Robert
    Parker
  • 95 Decanter
2013
  • 95 James
    Suckling
  • 94 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 92 Wine
    Spectator
2012
  • 96 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 95 James
    Suckling
  • 94 Wilfred
    Wong
  • 94 Wine
    Spectator
  • 91 Robert
    Parker
2011
  • 96 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 94 Wine
    Spectator
  • 94 James
    Suckling
  • 93 Robert
    Parker
2010
  • 100 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 100 Robert
    Parker
  • 99 James
    Suckling
  • 98 Decanter
  • 97 Wine
    Spectator
2009
  • 100 James
    Suckling
  • 99 Wilfred
    Wong
  • 99 Robert
    Parker
  • 98 Decanter
  • 98 Wine
    Spectator
  • 97 Wine
    Enthusiast
2008
  • 98 Robert
    Parker
  • 97 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 96 Wilfred
    Wong
  • 95 James
    Suckling
  • 92 Wine
    Spectator
2007
  • 94 Robert
    Parker
  • 94 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 91 Wine
    Spectator
2006
  • 97 Robert
    Parker
  • 96 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 95 Wine
    Spectator
  • 95 James
    Suckling
  • 94 Wine &
    Spirits
2005
  • 100 Decanter
  • 99 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 98 Wine
    Spectator
  • 98 Robert
    Parker
  • 98 Wine &
    Spirits
2004
  • 96 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 95 Wine &
    Spirits
  • 95 Robert
    Parker
  • 93 Wine
    Spectator
2002
  • 95 Wine
    Spectator
  • 94 Robert
    Parker
  • 93 Decanter
2001
  • 96 Robert
    Parker
  • 96 Wine
    Spectator
2000
  • 100 James
    Suckling
  • 100 Wine
    Spectator
  • 99 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 98 Robert
    Parker
1999
  • 95 Robert
    Parker
  • 95 Wine
    Spectator
1998
  • 98 Robert
    Parker
  • 95 Wine
    Spectator
  • 94 Wine &
    Spirits
  • 94 Decanter
1997
  • 92 Robert
    Parker
  • 90 Wine
    Spectator
1996
  • 99 Decanter
  • 98 Robert
    Parker
  • 97 James
    Suckling
  • 96 Wine
    Spectator
1995
  • 98 James
    Suckling
  • 96 Wine
    Spectator
  • 95 Robert
    Parker
1994
  • 93 Wine
    Spectator
  • 90 Robert
    Parker
1993
  • 91 James
    Suckling
1991
  • 90 James
    Suckling
1990
  • 96 Robert
    Parker
  • 95 Wine
    Spectator
1989
  • 97 James
    Suckling
  • 95 Wine
    Spectator
  • 94 Robert
    Parker
1988
  • 94 Robert
    Parker
  • 94 Wine
    Spectator
  • 94 James
    Suckling
1986
  • 100 Robert
    Parker
  • 96 Wine
    Spectator
1985
  • 96 James
    Suckling
  • 94 Decanter
  • 93 Robert
    Parker
  • 90 Wine
    Spectator
1983
  • 96 James
    Suckling
  • 93 Robert
    Parker
  • 92 Decanter
  • 91 Wine
    Spectator
1982
  • 98 Robert
    Parker
1981
  • 91 Robert
    Parker
1979
  • 92 Wine
    Spectator
1978
  • 94 Wine
    Spectator
1976
  • 96 James
    Suckling
  • 93 Robert
    Parker
1975
  • 92 Robert
    Parker
1959
  • 99 Robert
    Parker
  • 98 Wine
    Spectator
Chateau Lafite Rothschild

Chateau Lafite Rothschild

View all products
Chateau Lafite Rothschild, France
Chateau Lafite Rothschild Chateau Lafite Rothschild Winery Image

Chateau Lafite Rothschild is one of only four classified first growths and thus the designation as 1st er Cru. The vintage rankings of the Universal Paris Exposition in 1855 officially gave Lafite the rating as “Leader among fine wines.” While the first known reference to Lafite dates to 1234 with a certain Gombaud de Lafite, abbot of the Vertheuil Monastery north of Pauillac, Lafite’s mention as a medieval fief dates to the 14th century. The name Lafite comes from the Gascon language term “la hite”, which means “hillock”. There were probably already vineyards on the property at the time when the Ségur family organised the vineyard in the 17th century, and Lafite began to earn its reputation as a great winemaking estate. Jacques de Ségur was credited with the planting of the Lafite vineyard in the 1670s and in the early 1680s. The estate achieved wide popularity in the 1750s when it became the favorite wine of King Louis XV. Thomas Jefferson was also a steadfast customer and even visited the estate. After the 1973-1976 mini-crisis that hit Bordeaux, Baron Eric’s management of the estate made strides forward with a search for excellence and the gradual addition of a new technical team. In 1985 Baron Eric began a tradition of inviting fine-arts photographers to photograph Chateau Lafite. Today, his daughter Saskia de Rothschild represents the 6th generation of the family at the head of the winemaking properties. 

Image for Bordeaux Blends content section
View all products

One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.

Image for Pauillac Wine Bordeaux, France content section

Pauillac Wine

Bordeaux, France

View all products

The leader on the Left Bank in number of first growth classified producers within its boundaries, Pauillac has more than any of the other appellations, at three of the five. Chateau Lafite Rothschild and Mouton Rothschild border St. Estephe on its northern end and Chateau Latour is at Pauillac’s southern end, bordering St. Julien.

While the first growths are certainly some of the better producers of the Left Bank, today they often compete with some of the “lower ranked” producers (second, third, fourth, fifth growth) in quality and value. The Left Bank of Bordeaux subscribes to an arguably outdated method of classification that goes back to 1855. The finest chateaux in that year were judged on the basis of reputation and trading price; changes in rank since then have been miniscule at best. Today producers such as Chateau Pontet-Canet, Chateau Grand Puy-Lacoste, Chateau Lynch-Bages, among others (all fifth growth) offer some of the most outstanding wines in all of Bordeaux.

Defining characteristics of fine wines from Pauillac (i.e. Cabernet-based Bordeaux Blends) include inky and juicy blackcurrant, cedar or cigar box and plush or chalky tannins.

Layers of gravel in the Pauillac region are key to its wines’ character and quality. The layers offer excellent drainage in the relatively flat topography of the region allowing water to run off into “jalles” or streams, which subsequently flow off into the Gironde.

LTC87574_2003 Item# 87574

Internet Explorer is no longer supported.
Please use a different browser like Edge, Chrome or Firefox to enjoy all that Wine.com has to offer.

It's easy to make the switch.
Enjoy better browsing and increased security.

Yes, Update Now

Search for ""