2004 Château Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac, Bordeaux

Red • Full Bodied • Cabernet Sauvignon,Merlot,Cabernet Franc

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Code: 20040600750008008857

Description

The 2004 Lafite is indisputably a classic claret with its blackcurrant fruit and hints of eucalyptus, cedar, leather and wood smoke. The texture is supple, elegant, and almost ethereal, and the combination impressed many of the tasters, although I took it down a peg for an apparent lack of concentration. The group rating, however, was just behind the Haut-Brion, and it is undeniable that this will be a long-lived wine and should age gracefully for decades to come.
93/100, Charles Curtis MW, Decanter (March 2024)>B>

Colour

Red
Vintage

2004
Alcohol

12.5%
Grape

Cabernet Sauvignon,Merlot,Cabernet Franc
Body

Full Bodied
Producer

Château Lafite Rothschild

Critics reviews

Julia Harding MW

18/20

Deep garnet. Marked and attractive herbaceous freshness on the nose. Even a touch of capsicum. Very little tertiary character showing. Similar on the palate, really quite cedary and herbaceous – not unripe but quite the opposite of super-ripe. But all this adds up to great freshness, tannins that are fine and dry, and a long, dry yet rather gentle persistence.

Drink 2016 - 2030

Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com (March 2014)

Neal Martin

95/100

The 2004 Lafite-Rothschild appears to be another late-bloomer in the sense that this 12-year-old bottle is the best I have tasted, implying an upward swing in quality. It has a wondrous bouquet, very sensual and pure with blackberry, graphite and cedar - all the hallmarks of Pauillac, delivered with great panache. It is more opulent than I recall.

The palate is medium-bodied with silky tannins, pitch-perfect acidity and a beautiful structure. There is a regal sense to this Lafite, understated compared to the other First Growths and yet the persistence on the finish deserves a round of applause, especially in the context of the vintage.

This is superb and could possibly turn out to be the pick of the Firsts.

Drink 2020 - 2050

Neal Martin, Vinous.com (March 2017)