2017 carruades de lafite, pauillac

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Why We're Buying

Carruades De Lafite is the second wine from Château Lafite Rothschild. While it shares characteristics with the grand vin, the red blend has a personality all its own. As the bridge between modern and traditional winemaking, Carruades De Lafite upholds the name and reputation of its estate.

Critics Scores

Wine Enthusiast

A classic blend with 60 Cabernet Sauvignon and 35 Merlot, this is richly structured and well concentrated. Its dark black fruit notes give both depth and a juicy character to match the structure.

Jeb Dunnuck

Brought up in just 20 new oak, the 2017 Carruades De Lafite checks in as 65 Cabernet Sauvignon, 30 Merlot, and a splash of Cabernet Franc. It has that classic Lafite-like elegance and lead pencil character as well as ripe red currants and tobacco notes, medium body, a rounded, seamless texture, and present yet ripe tannins. It's a charming, elegant second wine that will evolve for 15-20 years.

Tim Atkin

Deep purple colour. Warm coffee and nutty oak aromas, with cassis and blueberry fruit. Juicy and sweet fruit, with great depth and layered complexity. Spicy tannins, fresh acidity and ripe dry tannins. Great concentration and depth. Elegant and yet complex. No greenness. Very good.

Decanter

Lafite got to enjoy a year without excess and without frost, and this is elegant stuff. The tannins are a touch rigid at the beginning, supporting firm black autumnal fruits, classically framed and a touch austere, with cigar box smoke adding a swirl of complexity. As with many of the second wines in Pauillac this year, this is excellently put together but on the savoury side, reflecting the story of the vintage. 20 new oak. This is sure to age well and be ready to drink within four to eight years.

James Suckling

So much rich, sweet tobacco with currants and spices, as well as graphite. Full-bodied, tight and focused with oyster-shell and lead-pencil character on the palate. Tangy, spicy and peppery. Needs three to four years to soften, but already beautiful.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2017 Carruades de Lafite is a blend of 65 Cabernet Sauvignon, 30 Merlot and 5 Cabernet Franc. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it prances out of the glass with joyful notions of black cherries, redcurrant jelly and cassis plus hints of kirsch, cedar chest, pencil lead and a waft of raspberry leaves. Medium-bodied, the palate possesses bags of poise and freshness, dishing out lots of bright red and black fruits with a soft, finely grained frame, finishing long with a skip in its step.