Château Lafite Rothschild 2022

The 2022 blend is 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot. Cabernet Sauvignon gives the wine its commanding line, dark-fruited core, and unmistakable graphite character; Merlot adds flesh and quiet generosity, while Petit Verdot contributes a final degree of colour and spice. The wine opens with cassis and other dark berries, then reveals cigar box, lilac, crushed stone, and subtle earthy detail. Its concentration is substantial, yet Lafite's signature is restraint: the palate remains poised, tensile, and multidimensional rather than heavy. Very fine, firm tannins hold tightly knit layers of fruit, minerals, and florals, while vivid freshness carries the wine into a long, saline, perfumed finish. This is a youthful, intellectual expression whose power is delivered through precision. It can be approached with a long decant, but its architecture and integration point clearly toward decades of development.

With air, its authority appears through length and definition rather than force, each layer arriving with unhurried precision.

Serve around 16–18°C in a large Bordeaux glass and give a young bottle several hours in a decanter. Roast lamb, beef tenderloin, côte de boeuf, venison, or duck with a restrained savoury jus can meet its depth without obscuring its finesse. Blackcurrant, cedar, and graphite notes work beautifully with mushrooms, lentils, celeriac, rosemary, thyme, and gently roasted shallots. Avoid sweet glazes, aggressive chilli, and heavily smoked sauces. Mature Comté, Gruyère, or aged Gouda can follow the main course. The most rewarding service is slow: pour modestly and allow the wine's cassis, floral detail, mineral tension, and extraordinary length to unfold over the meal.

Lafite lies at the northern edge of Pauillac, bordering Saint-Estèphe. Its most celebrated terroirs extend across the elevated, well-drained Plateau des Carruades, where clay-rich gravel regulates water and gives Cabernet Sauvignon ideal ripening conditions. A further 4.5 hectares in neighbouring Saint-Estèphe include some of the estate's oldest vines and regularly contribute to the Grand Vin. The 2022 harvest ran from 31 August to 24 September. In a warm and concentrated year, the estate produced a wine of unusual amplitude while retaining the refinement, freshness, and aristocratic composure that distinguish Lafite.

That plateau remains central to Lafite’s identity, giving its Cabernet the drainage, depth, and mineral line behind the château’s celebrated restraint.

Store unopened on its side in a cool, dark, temperature-stable cellar. Protect from heat, sunlight, vibration, and rapid temperature changes. Serve around 16–18°C and decant generously while young. Contains sulphites.