PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Lafite Rothschild is a First Growth of Pauillac, and its wines are known less for power than for elegance, perfume, and longevity. The 2023 is a nearly pure Cabernet Sauvignon expression of that style, 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, aged in 90% new French oak, with the balance in once-used barrels. The yield was 44 hectoliters per hectare, pH 3.78 (high pH is a Lafite signature), and alcohol was a modest 12.9% to about 13%. The press wine was a significant part of the blend, at around 12 to 17%, and harvest ran from September 7 to 29. The wine was bottled slightly earlier than usual, in July, because of the extensive construction work underway at the estate.
Critics tasted this as a classic, “very Lafite.” James Suckling scored it 98 Points: “Very perfumed, with currants, orange peel, strawberries, cedar and lead pencil. Medium-bodied, with ultrafine tannins that are completely integrated into the wine, giving a graceful and seductive finish. Weightless. It’s so long and caressing, making you smile with each sip.” Decanter also scored it 98. Vinous’s Antonio Galloni scored it 98, calling it “a rich, heady wine,” with “a rush of dark-toned fruit, cedar, leather, incense, grilled herbs, tobacco, and chocolate,” “powerful and quite tannic,” “decidedly somber and brooding,” that will need a few years to come into its own. Neal Martin scored it 97 after bottling (February 2026), calling it “a very succinct First Growth” that “politely declines to sprint out of the blocks,” with “very pure black cherries and light blueberry fruit, violet petal, hints of humidor,” “exquisite balance, chiseled tannins, fresh and saline,” and a prolonged finish, with an anticipated maturity of 2030 to 2070. The Wine Advocate’s William Kelley gave 97-99 and called it “the finest of the first growths this year,” with “deep and incipiently complex aromas of cassis, pencil shavings, lilac and violets mingled with hints of cigar wrapper and mint.” Jane Anson gave 98-100, describing “hidden power, where nothing is too much and yet everything is concentrated.” Jancis Robinson scored it 18/20: “as always, elegant and refined.”
This is a collector’s wine and a wine for a milestone: a First Growth from a highly regarded vintage, to be cellared for 15 to 20 years or longer before opening.
Château Lafite Rothschild 2023 is produced at Château Lafite Rothschild in Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, a First Growth (Premier Cru Classé) in the 1855 classification. The 2023 is a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, aged in 90% new French oak and 10% once-used barrels. Yield 44 hl/ha. Bottled in July 2025, a touch earlier than usual. About 13% ABV, 750ml.
James Suckling — 98 Points:
“Very perfumed, with currants, orange peel, strawberries, cedar and lead pencil. Medium-bodied, with ultrafine tannins that are completely integrated into the wine, giving a graceful and seductive finish. Weightless. It’s so long and caressing, making you smile with each sip.”
Decanter — 98 Points
Antonio Galloni, Vinous — 98 Points:
“The 2023 Lafite-Rothschild is a rich, heady wine. A rush of dark-toned fruit, cedar, leather, incense, grilled herbs, tobacco, and chocolate makes a strong opening statement. Powerful and quite tannic, the 2023 is going to need a few years to come into its own. Today, the Grand Vin is decidedly somber and brooding.”
Neal Martin, Vinous — 97 Points (February 2026):
“The 2023 Lafite-Rothschild, which was bottled in July, is a very succinct First Growth and politely declines to sprint out of the blocks. That is Lafite’s style. But these aromas unfurl with each swirl of the glass: very pure black cherries and light blueberry fruit, violet petal, hints of humidor in the background. Superb delineation. The palate boasts exquisite balance, chiseled tannins, fresh and saline, very focused with a judicious touch of cracked black pepper toward the prolonged finish. Just an outstanding Lafite-Rothschild that will vie against the ‘22.” Anticipated maturity: 2030–2070.
William Kelley, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate — 97-99 Points (en primeur, April 2024):
“The finest of the first growths this year appears to be the 2023 Lafite Rothschild, a terrific effort that unwinds in the glass with deep and incipiently complex aromas of cassis, pencil shavings, lilac and violets mingled with hints of cigar wrapper and mint.”
Jane Anson — 98-100 Points:
“Hidden power, where nothing is too much and yet everything is concentrated, once again proving that the terroir at this particular spot has its own personality that stands out every year.”
Jancis Robinson — 18/20:
“As always, elegant and refined.”
Nose
Deep color. Cassis, lead pencil, cedar, violets, and lilac, with black cherry, cigar wrapper, mint, and orange peel.
Palate
Medium- to full-bodied and elegant, with pure black cherry and currant, fresh, saline, and chiseled, with ultrafine, integrated tannin.
Finish
Long, caressing, and saline, with a touch of cracked black pepper, built for decades.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Appellation | Pauillac, Médoc, Bordeaux, France |
| Classification | Premier Cru Classé (First Growth), 1855 |
| Blend | 93% Cabernet Sauvignon · 6% Merlot · 1% Petit Verdot |
| Vintage | 2023 |
| Producer | Château Lafite Rothschild |
| Aging | 90% new French oak, 10% once-used |
| ABV | ~13% |
| Critics | James Suckling 98 · Decanter 98 · Vinous (Galloni) 98 · Neal Martin 97 · Wine Advocate 97-99 · Jane Anson 98-100 · Jancis Robinson 18/20 |
| Drinking Window | Anticipated maturity 2030–2070 (Neal Martin) |
| Style / Identity | A classic, elegant, Cabernet-driven First Growth with great longevity |
| Aromas & Flavors | Cassis, lead pencil, cedar, violets, cigar wrapper, black cherry |
| Bottle Size | 750ml |
Best cellared for 15 to 20 years or more; if opened earlier, decant for several hours.
Bottle Size: All bottles are 750ML/700ML unless otherwise noted.
21 and Over: Adult Signature Required
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