2012 Carruades de Lafite

The 2012 Carruades de Lafite has quite a perfumed and floral bouquet, pencil shaving and tobacco scents filtering through the brambly red fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, lighter than the Le Petit Mouton tasted alongside and just a little conservative on the finish. Tasted twice at Bordeaux Index's Ten Year-On tasting and blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.

Not in the Farr tasting. Transparent garnet with a pale rim. Rather weedy and light on the nose. Acidity pretty prominent. This was made when anything with Lafite on the label was so sought after in China that there may not have been that much incentive to maximise quality. A bit pinched on the end. Scrawny finish but decent enough balance. Horribly expensive though. (JR)

Finesse and savoury black fruits and mint leaf with gentle rosemary. It has a quiet concentation, together with layers of graphite, slate, and a mouthwating finish. Both quiet and yet powerful, it gives an insight into what makes Lafite so singular, and that is all you can really ask of a 2nd wine. Interesting also in how it differs from Petit Mouton, such a brilliant distillation of the difference between the two estates.