2021 Château Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac, Bordeaux

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Cabernet Sauvignon 96%, Merlot 3%, Petit Verdot 1%

This has one of Lafite’s highest-ever proportions of Cabernet Sauvignon (alongside 2016, 1994 and ’61). The wine is finely sculpted, with a bell-like clarity and harmony that only comes from the great terroirs. It would be wrong to call the wine powerful, yet it has an unmissable presence. Descriptions at this level are usually elusive; there are snatches of floral perfume wrapped into hints of tapenade, graphite, tobacco and much more. What truly beguiles are the extraordinary tannins, sapid and stiletto-like, that glint in every facet of the wine. They refresh as well as control the wine and are the epitome of great Cabernet. After the ebullience of recent vintages, this is a wine that makes you think, and one built to last for decades. Drink 2030-2055.

Our score: 18.5/20

Berry Bros. & Rudd, April 2022