Chateau Lafite Rothschild

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In the glass

Aroma: creme de cassis, lead pencil shavings, unsmoked tobacco, cedar, graphite, dark cherries

Palate: crème de cassis, blackberries, violets, cigar box, warm spices, gravelly minerality

The archetype of Pauillac first-growth: Cabernet-dominant, with penetrating lead pencil and cassis aromatics, precise fine-grained tannins, and a finish that evolves over decades.

What it pairs with

• Roast rack of lamb with herbs de Provence The wine's grippy tannins and cassis core cut the rich fat of lamb while the herbal notes find an echo.More wines for lamb →
• Aged Comté or Mimolette The crystalline salt of aged hard cheese amplifies Lafite's cedar and pencil shaving register.More wines for aged hard cheese →
• Roasted Pauillac lamb (agneau de Pauillac) The local AOC lamb is classically paired with first-growth Pauillac; the wine's structure mirrors the lamb's sweet, fine-grained flesh.More wines for lamb →
• Truffle-crusted beef fillet Black truffle's earthy depth resonates with Lafite's mushroom and graphite tones in mature vintages.More wines for truffles →

With cheese

Ossau-Iraty Our pick These Pauillac reds are Cabernet Sauvignon-led, full-bodied, with firm to high tannin, high acidity and blackcurrant fruit. INAO describes the cheese as firm and melting, salted without excess. Its syndicate suggests structured reds, naming South-West ones such as Madiran.

How to serve Chateau Lafite Rothschild

Allow 95 minutes from open to pour.

1. Open and decant. Open 90 minutes before serving and pour into a decanter to aerate.
2. Serve at 16-18°C. Cellar temperature (16-18°C) is the band for this style. Warmer pushes alcohol forward; colder dampens aromatics.
3. Glassware. Use a large Bordeaux-style glass. The bowl shape rewards the wine's structure.
4. Pair with. Roast rack of lamb with herbs de Provence, Aged Comté or Mimolette, Roasted Pauillac lamb (agneau de Pauillac). Match the wine's structure to the dish's fat and salt.

History

Records of Lafite Rothschild winemaking stretch to the 17th century; the estate was already renowned at Versailles in the 18th century. The Rothschild family acquired it in 1868. The oldest surviving confirmed bottle dates to 1797. The grand vin is one of five original Premier Cru Classe wines in the 1855 Medoc classification.

1. 1855Classified as one of four original Premier Cru Classe in the Medoc classification (alongside Latour, Margaux, and Haut-Brion)
2. 1868Purchased by Baron James Mayer de Rothschild at auction
3. 2024Estate achieves full organic certification (Ecocert) across all 112 hectares under Saskia de Rothschild

Facts

Producer

Chateau Lafite Rothschild · visiting guide

Grapes

Cabernet Sauvignon (87%), Merlot (8%), Cabernet Franc (3%), Petit Verdot (2%)

Classification

Pauillac AOC, Premier Cru Classe (1855 classification)

Oak

18 to 20 months in 100% new French oak barriques

ABV

13.5%

Price

$700-1200 at retail

Drinking window

10-50 from vintage

First vintage

1797

Organic

ECOCERT

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