2003 Château Lafite-Rothschild, 1er Cru Pauillac
Dry, Red, Still
France
Leave 2013 – 2025 
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Region Details
Bordeaux is France's largest quality wine region, indeed producing almost as much wine as Australia. Its westerly position ensures a mild maritime climate, a long growing season and mild summers; rains in the autumn are the primary threat to the harvest, dampening expectations in around one year in three. Red wine predominates - indeed many white wine vines are being uprooted today - with Merlot the dominant variety. The region is dissected by the Gironde estuary, with on the Left Bank the district appellations of the Médoc and the Graves and on the Right Bank, those of Saint-Emilion and Pomerol amongst others. Sauternes is made in the south of the region. The notable red and sweet wines were classified in 1855 according to their then status. At that time not a single Pomerol or Saint-Emilion was deemed worthy despite their historic traditions, and only a single Graves wine. In the last few decades first Saint-Emilion and then Pomerol have become intensely fashionable, their usually small production guaranteeing a premium for scarcity.
Vintage Notes
2003 - Bordeaux
The heatwave of summer 2003 experienced throughout France made the vintage in Bordeaux statistically the hottest on record. The sweltering conditions propelled many growers into an abnormally early harvest fearing dangerously high alcohol levels, fearsome tannins and feeble acidity. Fortune favoured well-located growers who stayed the course however, as refreshing rains came in mid-September followed by a fine but cooler period which allowed equilibrium to return. What could have been a disaster was turned to advantage, particularly for châteaux with Cabernet vines lying close to the Gironde estuary. Whilst there are numerous casualties of the vintage, others have succeeded magnificently, fashioning wines of monumental ripeness, heady structure and yet freshness of flavour. The upper Médoc appellations – Pauillac, St-Julien and St-Estèphe – have been particularly blessed and, on account of its 'terroir', the commune of Margaux has produced many notable wines. Elsewhere the picture is patchier, but high quality wines can still be found with careful selection. 2003 is not for the faint-hearted, nor for those who like to drink claret young; this is a wine collector's vintage, a year for long-term cellaring.
Grape Variety
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