1st Grand Cru Classé in 1855.
Free shipping from 1000€ Tax excl (US and Europe)
It is impossible to talk about the great wines of the Médoc without talking about Château Lafite-Rothschild. A Domaine full of history whose reputation and prestige are only equalled by the legendary wines that are born there. A former medieval seigneury, the first vines were planted in the 1670's under Jacques de Ségur, a member of a family of Bordeaux parliamentarians. The wine gradually acquired an excellent reputation thanks to technical progress at the royal court of Versailles, but also across the Channel with the expansion of trade with England. Then in 1787, Thomas Jefferson, the US ambassador to France at the time, praised it in his travel notes.
The Château Lafite was promoted to the rank of Ier Grand Cru Classé in 1855 on the occasion of the Paris World's Fair, a distinction it shares with the Château Latour, Château Haut-Brion, and Château Margaux, as well as the Château Mouton Rothschild since 1973.
The rest of its rise, Château Lafite owes it to the Rothschild family, Baron James de Rothschild acquired it in 1868 and attached his name to it from that date. When Baron Eric took the reins in 1974, everything was progressively put in place with the aim of modernizing and improving performance in order to reveal the exceptional potential of the terroir. Today, it is his daughter Saskia who manages Château, always with the desire to produce wines that live up to their great terroir.
Today, Château Lafite-Rothschild is based on a vineyard of 112 hectares of vines, located on fine and deep gravelly hilltops with a limestone subsoil and facing the Gironde estuary. The vineyard is composed of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot.
The Domaine produces a Second wine that is on par with its elder, the Carruades de Lafite.
The wines of Château Lafite-Rothschild are opulently rich, racy and noble, displaying a masterful power that allows them to evolve superbly over the years.
A vintage of perfection in the Bordeaux vineyards, 2009 benefited from the right climatic conditions for the elaboration of great red wines. Following a wet spring, good weather and dryness settled in during the whole summer period. The alternation of warm days and cool nights in September and October allowed a slow and complete maturation of the different grape varieties, giving them an exceptional oenological quality, with concentration and aromatic freshness.
Blend of the 2009 vintage: 82.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 0.5% Petit Verdot.
The color is a very dark red, almost black, with beautiful ruby highlights.
The nose offers a magnificent and very complex bouquet of ripe red fruits, black cherry, licorice and Zan, supported by spices and a subtle toasted woodiness.
The attack is elegant and silky, revealing a finely chiseled tannic structure that gives the wine volume and precision. It evolves in the middle of the mouth on an almost creamy texture, with flavors of black fruits, spices and truffle. The finish is long, refined and very fresh. A very great vintage from Lafite Rothschild.
Food and wine pairing:
Chateau Lafite Rothschild 2009 will go wonderfully with a Chateaubriand with a truffle sauce, a rack of lamb from the Clavisy farm, a filet of duckling with the scent of autumn, saddle of rabbit cooked at low temperature or a veal mignon with cardamom.
For a pairing with cheese, choose uncooked pressed cheeses: Edam, Gouda, Saint-nectaire, morbier, Tomme de Savoie or Salers.
For dessert, it will be exquisite with an Opéra cake, Yann Couvreur's Caribbean entremets or a Grand Cru chocolate tartlet.
Ageing potential and tasting:
Château Lafite Rothschild 2009 is the archetypal great Pauillac for aging, which can be kept for several more years in the cellar. Its peak will be reached between 2035 and 2040.
However, it can be wonderfully enjoyed today. To do so, take care to place the bottle the night before in the serving room at a room temperature between 15 and 18°C. Open it and decant it ideally 6 to 7 hours before tasting.
The bottles should be kept in the cellar, protected from light, lying down, at an optimal hygrometric degree of 70%.
