Carruades de Lafite 2024

Bright ruby; delicately scented nose with floral notes, cherries, blackcurrant, blackberries; on the palate, creamy attack, precise, crisp fruit, powdery tannins, red-fruited, fresh, with white pepper and plenty of minerality on the finish. Highly elegant; an outstanding Carruades.

Rose petals and red berries on the nose, smells fresh and fragrant. Dried flowers on the nose. Gorgeous. Lovely chewy tannins strike first, with a chalky texture and soft raspberry and cranberry fruit in the back. There’s power and density but delivered well. Structured, not so demonstrative right now, but a balance of acidity, tannins and fruit. Plentiful and really quite charming with salty edges, chalky minerality and some bitter tobacco and chocolate nuances. Very clean. Slate and graphite. Ends cool and clean. 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 12% press. 3.65 pH.

Licorice, black currants, plums, and leafy tobacco nuances create the perfume. The palate is even better with its vivid display of fresh, juicy, crisp red and black fruits, lined by a fine thread of tannins down the middle that brings grace, character, and refined freshness. The finish showcases the wine’s elegance, with a touch of chalk on the back end. Give this just a year or two in bottle and it will be quite charming in your glass. The wine is a blend of 47% Merlot, 45% Cabernet, 6% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. 13% ABV. pH 3.65. Picking took place September 23 - October 7. Drink from 2028-2040. 91-93 pts

A relaxed, contemplative, zen nose, between springlike floral sap and the depth of ripe fruit. The palate charms with precision and grace, then builds in intensity: juicy, magnetic, driven by red fruit, tender and sensual.

Gorgeous deep plum colour, very juicy, extremely well handled, savoury and mouthwatering, cassis bud, roses, crayon, shorter on the finish than a typical Carruades, but this has plenty of subtle pleasure and will be ready to drink sooner than usual. Harvest 23 September to 7 October, 32hl/h yield, 47% of the harvest is in this wine, 12% press.

Deep, intense red colour. Very aromatic nose, fruity, fresh and fragrant. The palate is smooth, round, juicy and appetising, with a very classy feel. A caressing, melt-in-the-mouth whole. Lovely finish of dark fruits, with, paradoxically, a touch of liveliness that still needs to be integrated through ageing. Blend: 47% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. Alcohol: 12.9% - pH: 3.6. Yield: 32 hl/ha.