Château Lafite-Rothschild 2016

A particularly restrained, classic, unadorned Lafite with tightly knit tannins of great freshness and an elegant finish.

This offers the best of both sides of Pauillac, with a deep, deep well of dark currant, fig, blackberry and black cherry paste flavors forming a lush side while a series of I-beams made of graphite and iron provide the rigid structure. The two sides meld, pulling in extra sweet tobacco, smoldering cast iron, juniper and savory notes on the finish, leaving a mouthwatering feel. A real stunner. Best from 2025 through 2045. 16,000 cases made.

What I love about the 2016 Lafite is that the sweetness of the fruit comes through even at this early stage. Sweet, ripe blackberry and cassis pulse through the palate behind the tight construction of tension and classicism given by high acidity and plenty of tannins. It has ripeness and a sense of promise but, as is often the case with a young Lafite, it's not giving a lot away and we can expect it to age for many decades perfectly comfortably. Extremely accomplished, one to cherish. Matured in 100% new oak.

Graphite, cherries, tobacco and cedar on the nose. Medium- to full-bodied, subdued and elegant, showing harmony, refined fruit, freshness and tannins that are polished and focused in the finish of generous, polished fruit. A beautiful, elegant, balanced Pauillac. Drinking exceptionally well now, but it will go on and on. Drink or hold. 10 Years On retrospective.

Tasted blind. Blackish crimson. Pretty broad and full-on in its appeal. Sweet and seductive with a medicinal note. Some heat on the end. The finish is not quite as complete as some of its peers. Slight char. (JR)

Blackberry, black cherries, flowers, tobacco leaf and smoke open the perfume. The palate is even better with its balance between refinement, elegance, and concentration. Long, expansive, intense, and pure, you can enjoy this now though it’s still primary, or age it for decades. This is just a superb wine in every sense of the word. Drink from 2030-2075.

Deep dark ruby, opaque core, subtle brightening on the rim. Inviting dark berry fruit, ripe cherry, sweet spice, candied orange zest and tobacco notes. Powerful and juicy on the palate, red berry fruit, taut, supporting tannins, freshly structured, red cherry, minerality, already showing good length with ripe cherry on the finish.

Beautiful purity with layered aromas of cassis, tobacco, bright dark fruit, a gravelly minerality with just a little hint of oak underneath. Very dense dark fruit flavours with an abundance of very fine tannin adding lift and length, big concentration balanced by a bright acidity. Very grippy, nuanced and long finish with splendid purity of fruit.

On another level and one of the greatest young Bordeaux I’ve ever tasted, the 2016 Lafite-Rothschild is composed of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot raised in new oak. It takes the classic elegance and class of Lafite and turns the dial up to 11, offering a massive, heavenly array of blackcurrants, cedar pencil, graphite, tobacco, and incense aromas and flavors that soar from the glass. Deep, full-bodied, and flawlessly constructed, with perfectly integrated fruit, acidity, and tannins, this is legendary stuff all the way. It will be drinkable in 7-8 years and keep for 50-75 years or more. Along with Mouton, it’s the wine of the vintage from the Médoc. Hats off to director Eric Kohler.

92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot. Opaque purple with a dense core. What a perfume of ripe blackberries and morello cherries, so dense, so refined, with blueberries, thyme and violets in the background. On the palate, powerful yet silky, with ripe tannic structure, a concentration I have never experienced before! Beguiles on the back palate with blueberry, licorice and elderberry, followed by a never-ending finish with a blueberry inferno! For me, the best Pauillac this year.

Kunz barrel sample 17: (92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot) Concentrated, profound, complex, elegant bouquet, small black berries, black currant, mint, dark tobacco, fine licorice, black cassis. Balanced, concentrated, elegant, tightly woven palate with a concentrated, delicate, finely muscular structure, compact sweet aromatics, a lot of fine tannins, velvety fruit, very long, aromatic finish.

(92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot) Concentrated, profound, complex, and elegant bouquet with small black berries, black currant, mint, dark tobacco, fine licorice, black cassis. Balanced, concentrated, elegant, and tightly knit palate with a concentrated, delicate, finely muscular structure, compact, sweet aromatics, plenty of fine tannin, velvety fruit, and a very long, aromatic finish. 20/20 2027 - 2060

Full-bodied, still tight and firm in its tactile sensations, with noticeable new oak, racy but not exactly charming, requiring long cellaring.

Raw class. The 2016 is of an absolutely fantastic pedigree. Granted, it is still impenetrable, but the sense of power it exudes, and above all its persistence, are unmistakable. It’s a legend.

The bouquet shows great depth and complexity. It reveals many nuances ranging from licorice, tobacco leaf, graphite, blackcurrant and mint… among others! As the minutes pass, the bouquet increasingly highlights its endless resources. On the palate, the wine has extraordinary density, with tannins as precise as they are powerful, shining in their attention to detail within such an imposing framework. Paradoxically, all signs point to not drinking it yet. It is certainly brilliant, but far too young! A compact, deep and persistent wine. Patience is still required.

Dark, intense, beautiful, and deep color. Very fine, intense nose, subtle and nuanced. Hints of cold fireplace, ink, and black cherry. Very pure. Silky on the attack, with an ultra-refined touch mid-palate, the wine unfolds meltingly, very flavorful, complex, and noble. It soars into a deep, irresistible finish on airy, delicate tannins. A delight.

Almost entirely Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine beautifully sums up the density and the richness of this variety in Pauillac. It is impressive, made even more so in this vintage by the ripeness of the tannins, the beautiful, plush fruit and enormous promise. Drink this wine from 2026. Its aging potential is enormous.

Classically styled, beautifully raised and expressive Lafite: layers upon layers of pencil lead, slate, graphite, cigar box, grilled earth, campfire, then raspberry, blackcurrant, and redcurrant. This is the kind of wine that makes adjectives pour forth, and you’ll be very, very happy if you get your hands on a bottle. Brilliant—a glorious Lafite that can easily age for decades. 100% new oak. Eric Kohler, Technical Director.