Château Lafite Rothschild 2021

Château Lafite Rothschild is a prestigious winery located in the Pauillac appellation of Bordeaux, France. The estate has a long and rich history, with its origins dating back to at least the 17th century when it was owned by the Ségur family. In 1868, the estate was purchased by Baron James de Rothschild, a member of the famous Rothschild banking family, and it has remained in the Rothschild family ever since.

Château Lafite Rothschild is known for producing some of the world's finest and most expensive wines. The estate's vineyards cover about 112 hectares (276 acres) and are planted with primarily Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as smaller amounts of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. The vineyards are situated on well-draining gravel soils, which are ideal for producing high-quality grapes.

Baron Eric de Rothschild, chairman of Domaines Barons de Rothschild (DBR), described Château Lafite Rothschild as a viticultural tour de force with the power to, “turn bare earth into heaven.” 

After managing the portfolio of family wine estates for 42 years and overseeing significant expansion across the globe (including new vineyards in Chile, Argentina, and China), Baron de Rothschild transitioned the leadership of the family business to his daughter, Saskia de Rothschild, in 2017.  The château has been owned by the same branch of the Rothschild family since 1868. 2018 marks the family's 150th anniversary as owners.  With over 150 years steeped in rich history, Lafite Rothschild is a place where man and nature work together in perfect harmony to produce wine that continues to captivate wine drinkers around the globe.  

The late American president Thomas Jefferson was reported to have visited the estate and been a lifelong consumer of its great wines.  As a President, he had a penchant for the finer things in life and spent $10,000 on his wines one year -- that's the equivalent of 1 million dollars today.  A hefty amount of that purchase consisted of wines from Château Lafite Rothschild and the other great First Growth, Château Haut Brion.  Naturally, his extravagent lifestyle led him into debt and towards the end of his life he was practicaly penniless.  His biggest regret? That he couldn't drink the wines from Château Lafite Rothschild anymore.

Lafite Rothschild has an illustrious past, with references to its exalted wines that date back to as early as 1234.  The chateau rose to prominence in the 17th century, largely due to contributions of Marquis Nicolas Alexandre de Ségur.  Known as, “The Wine Prince,” the Marquis de Ségur improved the viticultural techniques at Lafite and introduced the wines to royalty at the court of Versailles.  The excellence of the wine was undeniable, and soon Lafite Rothschild’s Grand Vin became known as the wine of kings.  

Lafite Rothschild cemented its reputation when it was recognized as one of the First Growths of the 1855 Classification, earning it much-deserved prestige on a global scale.  As the years progressed, new innovations improved the viticultural process on the estate.  Dairy cows were introduced to organically fertilize the property, and the estate built its own cooperage for making barrels to age the wines to perfection.  At Lafite Rothschild, tradition marries artistic innovation and the result is great wine for generations.

The winemaking process at Château Lafite Rothschild is carefully controlled to ensure the highest possible quality. Grapes are harvested by hand and fermented in oak barrels, with the wine then aged in oak for 18-20 months before being bottled. The resulting wines are known for their elegance, complexity, and aging potential, with some vintages known to improve for decades.

Château Lafite Rothschild winespossess an excellence that transcends beyond their pedigree.  The strength of these wines lies in their versatility.  They are highly sought after by collectors and wine enthusiasts around the world, and they command some of the highest prices of any wines in the world. The estate produces several different wines, including the flagship Château Lafite Rothschild, as well as Carruades de Lafite, which is a second wine made from younger vines or grapes that do not meet the high standards of the main wine.

Back to the Roots

Romain Gary said that “renewal has always been first and foremost a return to the roots.” There couldn’t have been a finer revelation this year, from what we know how to grow best on the mythical plateau of Lafite: great Cabernets which have, without a doubt, dominated the tastings from the écoulages. Freshness and density were already there, in a balancing act that we have grown used to from our great terroirs. This year, they are the ones who spoke their voice more clearly than ever. The dice were therefore loaded against the Merlots from the start, and they paled in comparison: only half a vat from Pointon Gravette, a plot on our legendary Carruades plateau, went into the blend.  A first wine with almost 100% Cabernet.

Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon 96%, Merlot 3%, Petit Verdot 1%

Budburst: 31 March

Mid-Flowering: 6 June

Mid-Véraison: 9 August

Harvest: from 22 September to 8 October

"The 2021 Lafite-Rothschild is every bit as exceptional as it was from barrel. The high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon comes through loud and clear. All the elements are so well balanced. The 2021 is dark, racy and full of Lafite sensuality, all kicked up by the natural intensity of the year. Dark red/purplish fruit, mint, lavender and rose petal are all on display. It’s not a showy wine, and it will need quite a bit of time to fully reveal its charms." - Antonio Galloni, Vinous, (02/28/2024), Ratings: 97

"Surely a contender for wine of the vintage, certainly on the Left Bank. Vibrant and explosive, what a wine in 2021. Graphite, black chocolate, black pepper and blackcurrant aromas but also with floral edges - so intense! Supple and racy on the palate, this is a firecracker of a Lafite, so much energy and acidity that you get this rush of red and black fruits then the stoney minerality and then the spice. It's sharp and racy with the length that goes on and on. You get it all here but so well delivered, real refinement and elegance in terms of fruit precision and clarity but it's just so energetic and bright. This puts you squarely in Bordeaux with the lively and balanced freshness with these gorgeous powerful and structured Cabernet aspects telling you it's from Pauillac, ending with liquorice, stone, graphite and toasted spice from the one block of old-vine Petit Verdot that went into the blend this year. Vibrant and explosive - an absolute thoroughbred - albeit a young one! Made with 96% Cabernet as opposed to a usual amount between 80-85%. A yield of 33hl/ha. The first year of full organic farming also in 2021." - Georgina Hindle, Decanter, (04/01/2022), Ratings: 97

"One of the wines of the vintage, as it was En Primeur, and delivers grip and character, laced with slate, graceful cool blue and black fruit. Finessed tannins opens to show waves of sage, liqourice root, cloves and forest floor. Almost entirely Cabernet Sauvignon, with the Petit Verdot slice from 100 year old grapes. 34hl/h yield, harvest September 22 to October 8, 90% new oak for ageing. A long-ageing wine within the context of the vintage, and a reminder that this is a wine that takes all kind of weather conditions in its stride. 1st year organic conversion." - Jane Anson, (01/26/2024), Ratings: 96, Drink: 2028-2044

"I loved the Grand Vin 2021 Château Lafite-Rothschild, and if anyone is going to excel in a cooler, elegant vintage like 2021, it will be Château Lafite. Based on 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, is has a brilliant perfume of pure crème de cassis, spring flowers, graphite, gravelly earth, and sandalwood, which will turn toward more classic Lafite cedar pencil with age. Medium-bodied on the palate, it has supple, elegant, yet substantial tannins, great balance, and a beautiful finish. Like most wines from this estate, it has a classy, regal, incredibly impressive style." - Jeb Dunnuck, (06/02/2022), Ratings: 94-96

"To my palate, the 2021 Lafite Rothschild has emerged as the finest of the Pauillac first growths this year. Wafting from the glass with aromas of dark minty berries mingled with notions of iris, licorice and cigar box, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a velvety attack that segues into an elegantly dense and structured mid-palate that's nicely framed by sweet but abundant tannins, concluding with a long, penetrating finish. 96+" - William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (02/22/2024), Ratings: 95