95-98

Antonio Galloni

Vinous

The 2023 Lafite-Rothschild races out of the glass with notable textural intensity. Explosive and deep, with striking balance, Lafite dazzles in this vintage. The 2023 is a somber, virile Lafite endowed with remarkable depth and tons of sheer character. Plum, blackberry, gravel, pencil shavings, graphite, mocha and lavender build into the intense, palate-staining finish. The blend is 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot. 04/2024

95-97

Neal Martin

Vinous

The 2023 Lafite-Rothschild was picked September 7 to 29 at 45hL/ha and matured in 90% new oak. This is more discrete on the nose—one of the tropes of this First Growth—even when compared to the more immediate Carruades. This takes time to unfurl in the glass, slowly revealing black fruit laced with pencil box and just a touch of pressed violet. There’s wonderful precision here. The palate is medium-bodied with a cashmere texture, very pure (again) with a judicious dab of cracked black pepper. The finish is very sleek, thanks to its almost filigree tannins, seeming to glide across the palate. It's not a grippy or sinewy Pauillac, and on reflection, it is technically perfect. Yet, I find myself searching for a bit more…soul. Perhaps a few rough edges would captivate the emotions. This is a delicious Lafite-Rothschild no doubt, but I want it to move me once in bottle. Maybe it will. 04/2024

97-99

William Kelley

Robert Parker/Wine Advocate

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. Medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, it's vibrant and refined, with a deep core of fruit, plenty of sweet structuring tannin and a compelling marriage between energy and plenitude. It's a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot that reminds me of 2019's tannins combined with 2016's unimpeachable classicism. 04/2024

95-97

Jeb Dunnuck

Jeb Dunnuck

The 2023 Château Lafite-Rothschild is based on 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, resting in 90% new French oak, with the balance in once-used barrels. It's another deeply hued barrel sample that has thrilling (and classic Lafite) aromatics of darker currants, freshly sharpened pencils, leather, flowers, and graphite. These all carry over to the palate, where the wine is medium to full-bodied and has a seamless, layered, elegant mouthfeel and ultra-fine tannins. I don’t see it hitting the heights of the 2018, 2019, or 2020, but it's an incredible wine in the vintage and is going to be an ultra-classic beauty from this château that will evolve for decades. The alcohol is a respectable 12.9% and the pH is 3.78. (Lafite always tends to have a higher pH.) 05/2024

97

Jean-Marc Quarin

Jean-Marc Quarin

Couleur noire et intense. Nez très aromatique et de suite complexe. Nuances de fruits noirs. Touches de réglisse et goudron. Profond. Charnu en entrée de bouche, avec de suite beaucoup de goût au milieu et de la classe dans le toucher, le vin gagne du gras dans son déroulé. Il monte vers une finale riche en parfums et délicatement tramée. C'est délicieux. Assemblage : 93 % cabernet sauvignon, 6 % merlot, 1 % petit verdot. Degré d'alcool : 12°8 - pH : 3,7 - IPT : 70. Rendement : 45 hl/ha. 04/2024

97-98

James Suckling

James Suckling

The purity of cabernet sauvignon is so evident here. It mesmerizes you with aromas of black and red currants, cedar, tobacco and bark. It's full-bodied yet there's very impressive weightlessness and agility, as well as subtlety and focus. Some iron and terra-cotta. Cedar and sandalwood undertones. Juicy and plummy at the end. 12.9% alcohol. 3.75 pH. A blend of 60% cabernet sauvignon and 40% merlot. 04/2024