2005 Château Lafite Rothschild Château Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France
| Country | France |
|---|---|
| Region | Bordeaux |
| Appellation | Pauillac |
| Producer | Château Lafite Rothschild |
| Vintage | 2005 |
| Type | Red (Dry) |
| Grape Variety | Red Bordeaux Blend |
| ABV | 12.5% |
| Format | 1x600cl |
| Packaging | Original Wood Case |
| Duty Status | In Bond |
| Provenance | Purchased by Liquid Assets from a UK-based merchant; securely stored in a climate-controlled bonded facility |
| Stock | 2 cases (in stock and available immediately) |
96 Neal Martin, The Wine Advocate (July 2016)
Having tasted the 2005 Château Lafite-Rothschild several times both blind and non-blind, it comes across as a First Growth politely requesting more time to "settle". Here, from an ex-château bottle tasted in Bordeaux, it delivers that graphite, pencil-box bouquet that unfurls gradually in the glass, biding its time, graceful but not intense. Parallel to some of its fellow 2005s, it is developing a little more spice, namely thyme and sage, than I recall. The palate is medium-bodied and beautifully balanced, to wit, a sophisticated Pauillac that priorities elegance and poise over intensity of fruit—in keeping with Lafite Rothschild's style. You come away with the sense that it will take its time and decline, giving away a great deal in its primacy, even if it is still more approachable than the 2005 Latour for example. Therefore, I would be inclined to set this aside for several more years. Tasted November 2014.
97 Stephen Tanzer, Vinous (May 2008)
Bright medium ruby. Knockout nose combines black- and redcurrant, minerals, graphite, licorice and lavender. Wonderfully suave and seamless, but with great purity and precision of flavor and terrific inner-palate perfume and lift. This dances over every square millimeter of the palate. Almost painfully young today, with an impression of fresh acidity serving to intensify the wine's flavors. About as austere a wine as I tasted from this vintage in April and yet it's not hard. Finishes with substantial dusty tannins and a whiplash of minerally perfume. I'd forget about this one for about 15 years.