Château Lafite-Rothschild 2024

What a bouquet—you just want to dive in and smell it forever: violets, Williams pear, cherry blossom, blackcurrant, cool smoke, a hint of almond; the entry is straight, precise, as distinguished as ever, full of tension and energy, yet with an inner calm unlike any other. Outstanding balance, great length. One of the best wines of the vintage.

Fragranced red berries and purple flowers. Vivid purple colour in the glass. Supple and generous, this has a punch of plum and cranberry fruit straight away, zingy and lively but wonderfully textured too. Chalky, a little bitter, but soft and long. Juicy but more high toned and sleek, tension is there in the live wire nature of the wine. Bright, focused, not so calm – more energy to the fore with prominent tannins but a lovely weight and plenty of fruit flavour! A vintage where Lafite excels once again. 16% press. 3.75 pH. A yield of 32 hl/ha.

Indian spices, flowers, Cuban cigars, cedar, crème de cassis, and blackberries are just the start of what you find in the perfume. One of the more elegantly styled wines of the vintage, it is marked by its cut and freshness. The wine is refined and expressive, with a silkiness to the fruits, paired with length and purity. The graceful finish lingers with its natural lift and vibrancy. The wine blends 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, along with 16% press wine. It has 13% ABV and a pH of 3.8. Harvesting started on September 27 for the young Merlot vines and finished on October 7. Yields were 32 hectoliters per hectare, and 45% of the harvest was placed into the Grand Vin. It's interesting to note that 2024 is the first vintage that's certified organic. Drink from 2030-2055. 94-96 Pts

The nose is still reserved, true to Lafite en primeur. Rocky notes and a plum core sketch a discreet first impression. On the palate, the wine lights up, unfurling its substance across the tongue like a blazing sunrise, bathing the palate in shades of pink and orange, like sunlit cumulus clouds. Vibrant and harmonious, it reveals a merino-wool texture of exquisite finesse. Then the wine builds in intensity, through to the finish, deep and magnetic, oscillating between unabashed hedonism and electric tension.

(96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot, 1% Petit verdot) Lovely spicy nose, pure, airy, voluptuous in its intensity, offering a certain finely tuned power as well as a precise, clean grain. We find notes of violet and purple plum and, more subtly, small wild red berries, with touches of graphene, Voatsiperifery pepper, small wild red fruits, a hint of maceron, cornflower, bergamot and a discreet hint of toast. The palate is nicely led, supple, delicate, airy, voluptuous, precise and forthright, offering a tangy thread, accuracy, suppleness, deliciousness, lovely definition and energy. Beautiful acidity. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of juicy/fleshy blackcurrant, juicy/fleshy purple plum and, more subtly, shiny small wild red berries, with touches of lily and red pepper as well as hints of bergamot and infusion, with a subtle resinous and iodized note. Lovely iodized mid-palate, soft and gourmand. Good persistence.

Rich texture, this stands head and shoulders above many in the vintage, with graphite, crayon and cassis bud rather than exuberant black fruits. This is precise, savoury, delineated, floral, gunsmoke, juicy, captures the effortless elegance that Lafite does so so well, and it totally delivers. Harvest 23 September to 7 October, 32hl/h yield, above the Pauillac average, 16% press wine included in the blend. Director Eric Kohler's 33rd year in Pauillac. I am giving a slightly earlier begin drinking date than usual, but I am certain this will age exceptionally well as Lafite always does.

Deep colour with black highlights. Bright nuances. A very aromatic, refined nose, fruity, subtle and floral. Precise on the attack, very fragrant on the mid-palate, the wine melts across the palate, delicate and flavoursome, with a lovely return of flavour on the finish. It’s very good. Blend: 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot. Alcohol: 12.9% - pH: 3.8.