2025 Château Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac

2025 Château Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac

Clocking in at just 12.5% alcohol, this is a contemporary classic. Showing excellent definition with so much intensity, notes of graphite and sandalwood spice gently waft from the glass. There is a fluid quality to the wine, that flows across the palate from start to finish with a levity and focus. Saline and pure with a fine, yet unrelenting web of tannins like cashmere over the dark berry fruit. A true modern classic, this is full of elegant, noble, silky Pauillac intensity that almost catches you off guard with its finesse.Sinewy, elegant power, this is irresistible.

Critic score
97.5/100 info
Pricing
info
Case, 6 Bottles
En primeur info
In stock
£2,082.00
Bottle
En primeur info
In stock
£347.00

Wine details

  • Region & country
    Pauillac, Médoc, Bordeaux, France
  • Grape
    70% Cabernet Sauvignon
    25% Merlot
    3% Cabernet Franc
    2% Petit Verdot
  • Maturity
    Young 2032 - 2060info
  • Colour
    Red
  • Sweetness
    Dry
  • Style
    Still
  • Unit Volume
    Bottle (75cl.)
  • ABV
    12.5%
  • Classification
    Premier Cru

Tasting notes

The 2025 Lafite-Rothschild was cropped at 27 hl/ha between September 2 and 20. Eric Kohler mentioned that, unlike 2022, it underwent a longer maceration than usual because, after 24 days, he felt the wine was at ease with itself and there was no excess. That comes through completely on the deliriously intoxicating nose, replete with nuanced blackberry, bilberry and estuarine scents, all beautifully defined and seamlessly integrated with the 90% new oak that is made from Lafite’s own cooper. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiselled tannins. It is blessed with extraordinary harmony and it is so well balanced that you almost overlook the weight and minéralité towards the finish. Just a dab of graphite lingers on the aftertaste. This is a very succinct and refined Lafite-Rothschild that I suspect will drink earlier than the 2022, yet will age with equal grace in bottle. I admit that, upon returning to my car, it was only then that I realised what a brilliant wine the 2025 Lafite-Rothschild is destined to become.

Neal Martin, vinous.com (May 2026)
(98—100)/100

Deep plum in colour, not as inky as you might find in a vintage like 2O22. Gorgeous, sculpted, jumps out of the glass, showcasing the ability to remain Lafite through so many differing vintage conditions. A ton of depth and character, slate and rosebud, a sappy and highly drinkable Lafite. The last vintage in the old winery, next year will be in the new one (so more vats to do microvinification, and they expect to use Cabernet Franc again. 16% of press wine. Harvest started September 11, until September 20, even earlier than 2022. 27hl/h yields, very small for this estate, one of the smallest on record, but no doubt helped it resist the drought of the summer because these yields were small from the beginning. Eric Kohler winemaker, Eric Boissenot consultant.

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux (May 2026)
97/100

A blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2025 Lafite Rothschild unwinds in the glass with a deep and brooding bouquet of dark berries, violets, rose petals and pencil lead. Medium- to full-bodied, supple and layered, with suave tannins, good concentration and bright acidity, it checks in at 12.5% alcohol and an unusually low (by the standards of recent warm vintages at Lafite) pH of 3.65. Harvest began here on September 2, with the estate's old-vine Merlot beginning on September 3 and the first Cabernet Sauvignon coming in from September 11 (earlier than in 2022), and the harvest wrapped up on September 20.

William Kelley, robertparker.com (April 2026)
(95—97)/100

The 2025 Lafite-Rothschild is powerful and explosive in the glass. Dark cherry/plum fruit, graphite, new leather, graphite, licorice and lavender race across the palate. A Pauillac of mid-weight structure, the 2025 impresses with its tension and deep, layered personality. Even in the early going, the Grand Vin is so vivid, so expressive. I can't wait to taste it in finished form.

Antonio Galloni, vinous.com (April 2026)
(97—99)/100

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