Chateau Lafite Rothschild 2014
-
Suckling
James -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine - Decanter
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
The aromas of stones, oyster shell, blackcurrants and mushrooms are very intense. Full-bodied, dense and powerful with lots of blackberries. Great finish. Super energy and depth. Try in 2022. Fascinating.
-
Wine Enthusiast
This is a major wine. It has enormous tension, structure and a core of dark tannins. Amid all this, the wine is also packed with fruit and concentrated blackberry and black-plum flavors. It will age slowly and steadily with its enormous structure and concentration. Drink this wine from 2027. Cellar Selection
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Lafite-Rothschild, tasted with head winemaker Eric Kohler, has retained that very opulent and outgoing bouquet that dare I say actually reminded me of Mouton-Rothschild. There are layers of blackberry and boysenberry fruit, still that hint of juniper berry, certainly a more extrovert Lafite-Rothschild compared to recent vintages. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannin, very focused and quite linear, again with plenty of black fruit laced with cedar and tobacco. It begins to clam up towards the saline finish, suggesting that it will need several years in bottle, but I still have high expectations for this First Growth once afforded several years in bottle.
-
Wine Spectator
Reserved for now, but the core of cassis, bitter plum and raspberry coulis flavors is pure and energetic, while extra black tea, iron and singed alder notes fill in steadily through the finish. This has a very focused, streamlined feel overall, yet there’s serious depth for the cellar. Best from 2020 through 2035.
-
Decanter
Lovely floral nose and almost understated compared to Mouton -? just a line of clarity and fruit purity that doesn't need description. Fine tannins and that wild violet lift over a firm textured depth of fruit, all in perfect harmony.
Other Vintages
2022-
Suckling
James -
Dunnuck
Jeb - Decanter
-
Parker
Robert
-
Suckling
James -
Enthusiast
Wine - Decanter
-
Parker
Robert -
Dunnuck
Jeb
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Suckling
James -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Parker
Robert - Decanter
-
Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Spectator
Wine - Decanter
-
Parker
Robert -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Suckling
James - Decanter
-
Dunnuck
Jeb
-
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James -
Enthusiast
Wine - Decanter
-
Spectator
Wine -
Dunnuck
Jeb
-
Suckling
James -
Dunnuck
Jeb - Decanter
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Suckling
James - Decanter
-
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
-
Suckling
James -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spectator
Wine
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Suckling
James -
Wong
Wilfred -
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spectator
Wine -
Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James - Decanter
-
Spectator
Wine
-
Suckling
James -
Wong
Wilfred -
Parker
Robert - Decanter
-
Spectator
Wine -
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Parker
Robert -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Wong
Wilfred -
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine
-
Parker
Robert -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spectator
Wine
-
Parker
Robert -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine -
Spirits
Wine &
- Decanter
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Parker
Robert -
Spirits
Wine & -
Spectator
Wine
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Parker
Robert -
Spirits
Wine & -
Spectator
Wine
-
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spectator
Wine -
Spirits
Wine &
-
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert - Decanter
-
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
-
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Parker
Robert
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine -
Spirits
Wine & - Decanter
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
- Decanter
-
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine
-
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
-
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
-
Suckling
James
-
Suckling
James
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
-
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine -
Suckling
James
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
-
Suckling
James - Decanter
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
-
Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert - Decanter
-
Spectator
Wine
-
Parker
Robert
-
Parker
Robert
-
Spectator
Wine
-
Spectator
Wine
-
Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert
-
Parker
Robert
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
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.
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.
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.