First Grand Cru Classé in 1855
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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.
Very beautiful nectars were born during the 2002 vintage, which owes its success to the radical change in climatic conditions that proved favorable as the harvest approached. The month of September was indeed superb with beautiful sunny conditions, which allowed the ripening process to be in full swing and to offer berries of great quality.
Blend of the 2002 vintage: 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9.5% Merlot, 3.5% Cabernet Franc.
The robe is a very pretty intense red color with an elegant tint.
The nose reveals a very nice bouquet mixing very ripe forest fruits, blackcurrant cream and black olives, followed by nuances of blond tobacco, cocoa and clove.
The attack is meticulous, revealing a fleshy, dense and melting body with an airy dimension. The tannins are still finely chiseled, making it precise and balanced. Particularly fruity, with flavors of cooked fruit and black cherry, it blossoms gracefully on a long and racy finish.
Food and wine pairing:
Château Lafite Rothschild 2002 is a wonderful match for a mature rib of beef cooked on Medoc vine shoots, sliced venison with boletus, roast rack of lamb or boneless duck stuffed with foie gras and gingerbread.
For a pairing with cheeses, choose uncooked pressed cheeses such as morbier with truffles, Saint-Nectaire, cantal and matured mimolette.
Finish it off with a delicious chocolate dessert: a praline crunch, a chocolate-raspberry bavarois or Pierre Hermé's carrément chocolat.
Ageingpotential and tasting:
Château Lafite Rothschild 2002 in magnum can still wait 10 years in the cellar to reveal its full potential, the large capacity of the bottle indeed giving it more aging potential.
It can nevertheless be fully appreciated today, by opening the bottle the day before in the tasting room so that it can acclimatize to the room temperature.
The bottles will be kept in the cellar protected from the light, lying down, at an optimal hygrometric degree of 70%.
