Château Lafite-Rothschild 2011

It doesn’t get more true to style: very pure and straight-laced, with the compact, unvarnished tannins of great Cabernet vintages. Definitely not a sensual Lafite, but rather an intellectual one, built for long ageing.

This delivers pronounced tobacco and bay leaf notes up front, with a core of steeped plum and currant fruit and a fleshy edge through the charcoal-lined finish. There's some serious buried minerality, which should emerge with cellaring. Best from 2018 through 2031.

Developing into classical Lafite — meaning the frame comes from fine tannins, and the overall impression is of subtle complexity, still extremely young but with energy and lift. A gentle cedar smoke and liquorice edging becomes clear as it opens up, and the black fruits are savoury. The St-Estephe plot was hailed on in early September, but the fruit was already relatively ripe, so even though they harvested 15 days earlier than ideal, it was ripe enough to use in the Grand Vin, and the overall yield was 52hl/ha. Higher Merlot in the blend than you would find today (now closer to 10%).

Love the nose on this, with sweet tobacco, delicate currant, cedar and blackberry. Full body with integrated tannins and a juicy, fruity, subtle finish. The texture to this wine is beautiful. Better than I remember from barrel. Try in 2019.

The 2011 Lafite-Rothschild was impressive from barrel. It is very composed on the nose with brambly red fruit, loam, touches of sous-bois (decayed autumn leaves). After five minutes, there is a noticeable liquorice scent. The palate is medium-bodied with chewy tannins, a little soft in the middle with a fleshy, tarry, liquorice-infused finish that just tapers away. Elegant, refined, but not the First Growth's strongest effort from this period. Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting.

Produced from a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot. Spice, blackberry liqueur, licorice, earth, graphite and gravel scents lead to a full-bodied wine with supple tannins, freshness and good concentration. The wine ends with a bright, elegant cassis-filled finish. 95-96 pts

Deep dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, subtle watery rim. Wild dark berries, a hint of beeswax and nougat, candied orange zest, subtle wood spice, tobacco nuances, a hint of cassis in the background. Medium body, fine nuances of red currants, mineral and fresh, subtle hints of mint and lime, a little vegetal in a positive sense, remains animating and lively on the finish.

Delicate, almost dancing bouquet with a slight hint of green pepper, refined cassis spice, and freshly picked morello cherry. On the second pass, clearly more depth and spice emerge, with notes of cardamom and Earl Grey, plus lingonberry juice and licorice. On the complex palate there’s plenty of flash that will find its balance over the next 2–3 years; you can feel the power. Concentrated finish of black berries, growing ever longer.

80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot. Extremely dark purple with lilac and violet hues. Deep bouquet, unfortunately with very little expression at the moment. On the second nose: dark chocolate notes, malt, a touch of mahogany, cedar and a hint of tar. On the palate, a beautiful, concentrated bundle of blue to black berry fruit, licorice in the extract, showing substance and flesh with balanced astringency; only on the finish does the expected Lafite sweetness appear—not dramatic, but clearly there—lingering long, and the first 15 years won’t be a walk in the park. For me, it was ahead of all the Médoc Premiers.

(80% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot) Dense, deep, classic, elegant bouquet of black cassis, currants, tobacco, fine woods, mocha, licorice. A multilayered, dense, elegant, silky palate with a tightly woven structure, plenty of fine tannins, compressed fruit, diverse, powerful aromatics, and a very long, dense finish with excellent afterflavors. Can improve further. 18/20 2020 - 2038

A dense, tight, very elegant Lafite with prominent tannins and great length. It still needs to firm up, but the depth is there, along with a straightness that commands respect.

The bouquet of the 2011 follows the familiar logic of finesse we associate with Lafite. Beyond subtle woody nuances, it reveals aromas of licorice and black berries. On the palate, the wine stands out for its tension and mouthwatering character. It shines with energy and underscores its ability to age.

In September, the winegrowing Médoc was concerned to see that by September 21 Lafite had finished the harvest while others were only just starting the Merlots. Many professionals expected strong botrytis pressure. To that comment, Charles Chevalier, the director, simply replied calmly: it was ripe. Indeed, this wine is delicious and could prove to be the best in the Médoc at the end of ageing. A great success. Dark, intense, beautiful color. Fine, fruity, subtle, pure, fresh and floral nose. Lovely. Very beautiful, ample entry on the palate, and the wine unfolds tight, well-structured, very flavorful with a magnificent mouthfeel. Melt-in-the-mouth and powerful, it finishes savory and very long with lots of flavor. A great, elegant wine that makes the taste buds dream. Superb. Blend: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot. Alcohol: 12.7%, pH: 3.75, IPT: 71 as in 2010. Selection: 37% of the crop.

The wine shows the power typical of a Lafite but within the context of the fruity 2011 vintage. The immensely dense tannic structure gives the wine a solid feel that is lifted by so much ripe black currant and berry fruits. At the back, the wine has a more brooding, dark character that suggests great aging potential. Drink this wine from 2019.