Château Lafite Rothschild

2018, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France

Released in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Rothschild family’s acquisition of Château Lafite in 1868, the Château Lafite Rothschild 2018 is bottled with the playful addition of a hot-air balloon on its familiar label. The estate’s leader, Saskia de Rothschild, saw the balloon as an apt symbol for the house. In 1868 it was cutting-edge; today it’s a kind of slow but still magical journey. As she says, it represents “just what we have been doing at Lafite for 150 years: steadily standing the test of time as we head toward the future”.

After a spring described by the chateau as “capricious”, the late summer of 2018 yielded perfect ripening conditions for a vintage that is considered excellent by wine critics across the board. Made with 91 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.5 per cent Merlot and a splash of Petit Verdot, the 2018 exhibits flavours of blackcurrant, blackberry, baking spices and a touch of mint wrapped in rich tannins. This should be cellared until at least the end of the decade, but if you don’t open it for another 30 years, your taste buds will still be wowed by the wine’s elegance and finesse.