2015 CARRUADES DE CHÂTEAU LAFITE Pauillac, Lea & Sandeman

CARRUADES DE CHÂTEAU LAFITE

2021 Pauillac

Grapes Cab Sauv, Merlot, Cab Franc
Colour Red
Origin France, Bordeaux
Other Practising Organic
Sub-district Haut Médoc
Village Pauillac
ABV 12.5%

The Carruades this year was a pleasure to taste. Dark and brooding with a delightfully juicy feel. There is a good frame here, a Lafite-like tautness at the core, but the tannins are supple and easy. All round, its a surprisingly generous style for Carruades. Very suave, with real push and easy glide. Fresh lift to the finish speaks of this grand terroir. Much of the fruit, particularly the Merlot, would normally make it to the Grand Vin. Declassified this year to Carruades, it really bolsters the mid palate. Definitely a Lafite wine, but with a shade less graphite and firmness than in some years. 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot 36%, Petit Verdot 4%, Cabernet Franc 5%. L&S (May 2022)


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55 Cabernet Sauvignon, 36 Merlot, 5 Cabernet Franc, 4 Petit Verdot | 12.9% alc. This is a focussed, superbly clean and refined Carruades and the sleek lines and narrower chassis make it incredibly refreshing and balanced. The Cabernet dominance is apparent only on the nose because the palate is a perfect assemblage of the quartet of ingredients. The colour is definitely on the red, as opposed to the black, side of the fence. I am slow to the Carruades party, but as the years tick by and I taste this wine more regularly, I sense that something very special is happening. In 2021 this finely-tuned creature developed a genuine sense of poise and grandeur, which is reflected in my score.Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Jun 2022)

Soft and attractive character to this wine, showing a polished-tannin frame and a juicy center-palate. Medium body with medium, velvety tannins. Juicy. 55% cabernet sauvignon, 36% merlot, 5% cabernet franc and 4% petit verdot. Rating: 94-95 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2022)

The 2021 Carruades de Lafite is a classic blend built around 55% Cabernet Sauvignon. Eric Kohler commended the quality of the Cabernet Franc this year, which after being considered for the Grand Vin, in the end found itself being blended into the Deuxième Vin. This year it represents 40% of the total volume. It has a fragrant bouquet with blackberry, briar, pencil shavings and a touch of black olive. Fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly grainy tannins. Quite an insistent grip here with plenty of sapidity towards the finish. A bit of chewiness on the close, but overall, a very decent Carruades. Drinking range: 2026 - 2042 Rating: 89-91 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2022)

Château Lafite

1855 classification - Premier Grand Cru Classé The long history of Château Lafite includes a period in the 17th and 18th century when it was owned by the Ségur family, who also at the time owned Latour and who's name lives on at Calon-Ségur and Phelan-Ségur. By the time of the 1855 classification which rightly recognised the reputation of Lafite, the estate was under a complicated ownership arrangement which inevitably unravelled, and Lafite was sold to Baron James de Rothschild, largely it would seem to keep uo with his cousin Nathaniel Rothschild who had recently purchased Brane-Mouton (later to become Mouton Rothschild). He died a couple of months later, but his descendents own the estate to this day. Baron Eric, who took control during the 1970's, returned Lafite to its rightful place at the top of the Bordeaux hierarchy with a programme of investment, improvement and modernisation. There are 103ha of land under vine at Lafite, facing Cos d'Estournel across the Jalle du Breuil which marks the border between Pauillac and Saint Estèphe. Indeed, Lafite own a small parcel of vines over the border in Saint Estèphe. Just over 70% is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon with 25% Merlot and smaller portions of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Vines for the grand vin average around 40 years old with none less than 10. Wines are aged in barrels from their own cooperage for aound 18 months. The second wine is Carruades de Lafite which usually features a higher proportion of Merlot in the cuvée.

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