2022 Lafite Rothschild
Buying options
Tasting notes
Ch. Lafite has been on exceptional form of late and the 2022 continues the trajectory. It is clearly one of the wines of the vintage. The natural concentration and intensity of the 2022s marries beautifully with Lafite’s restrained style. The tannins are stunningly elegant and incredibly dense, creating a millefeuille-like layering on the palate, giving the wine profound depth. There is classic Pauillac, with cool cassis fruit and graphite mineral tones and an overriding freshness that brings vibrancy and energy to the palate. It is still so compact today, but the balance is pitch perfect and this wine is going to blossom with age. It’s also a modest 13.5%, one of the lowest alcohol levels in the warm 2022 vintage. Blend: 94% Cabernet-Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot
Critic scores
Average Score
William Kelley, Wine Advocate
James Suckling
More reviews and scores
The 2022 Lafite-Rothschild has a more marine-influenced nose with multidimensional black fruit, beautifully defined, with bunches of violet emerging with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with gentle grip, layers of black fruit, intense and yet remarkably light on its feet, with a long, mineral-driven finish. Stunning. One of the great vintages in recent years, a First Growth that will mature over decades. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting in London.
In bottle, the 2022 Lafite Rothschild has turned out even better than I anticipated. Wafting from the glass with aromas of sweet red berries, minty blackcurrants, violets and cigar box, it's medium to full-bodied, velvety and suave, with a deep, enveloping core of lively fruit, beautifully refined tannins, and a long, perfumed finish. Even at this early stage, it's remarkably integrated and harmonious, and it's certainly the most elegant of the first growths this year, reminding me of a modern-day version of Lafite's magical 1953.
The 2022 Château Lafite-Rothschild is based on 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot that was harvested between the 31st of August and the 24th of September. Just sensational in its power while remaining weightless, it offers utterly classic Lafite aromatics of crème de cassis, freshly sharpened lead pencils, spring flowers, and graphite. Full-bodied, concentrated, and seamless on the palate, it has a multi-dimensional mouthfeel, off-the-charts purity, and a finish that won’t quit. It’s shockingly accessible, yet there’s no shortage of structure, depth, or concentration. Aged in new French oak barrels, this is a monumental Lafite that should evolve for 50-75+ years. If this doesn’t do it for you, I can’t imagine what would.
About the producer
Ch. Lafite Rothschild is one of the most famous wine estates in Bordeaux and the world. One of the Left Bank’s five First Growths, the Pauillac property is renowned for producing wines of finesse and elegance that age beautifully.