Lead-pencil aromas with currants and plums, too. Full body, silky tannins and a focused and very refined finish. It's the tannins that drive things. An excellent second wine of Lafite. Needs two or three years to soften. Start drinking in 2021.

The second wine of the legendary Château Lafite, Carruades traditionally provides the style and character of the Grand Vin in a more approachable build. Very tightly coiled, quite muted. Giving off caramel, black cherry, damson and chalk. Supple, richly-fruited palate with quite firm structure and vibrant acidity which gives real lift. This could be some wine in time. (57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc.)

The second wine of Lafite Rothschild is the 2015 Carruades De Lafite and is a beautiful wine in its own right. Based on 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc brought up mostly in used barrels, it has classy notes of cassis and lead pencil shavings as well as a medium to full-bodied, elegant, beautifully balanced style on the palate. It’s not a massive wine by any stretch, yet it exudes class and elegance, and is already a joy to drink.

A blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc and aged for 18 months in barrels, 10% new, the 2015 Carruades de Lafite is medium to deep garnet-purple colored and just a little closed at this youthful stage, revealing delicate notes of red and black plums, black cherries and dried herbs plus touches of pencil lead, cedar chest and beef drippings. Medium-bodied, refreshing and with a well-played chewy texture, although just a baby in terms of evolution, it has an accessible structure, finishing long and savory. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Interim Issue Mid-February 2018, The Wine Advocate

The 2015 Carruades de Lafite has developed a little more energy since I tasted it in bottle, with blackberry, bilberry fruit and that slate-like note tucked in just underneath. It feels quite unchanged since I encountered it from barrel. The palate is well balanced and actually shows more energy and tension than the 2015 Duhart at the moment. Crisp tannin, quite edgy and certainly with a healthy dash of white pepper, it opens up nicely toward the finish, with commendable precision and length. It is one of the best Carruades that I have encountered in recent vintages. Anticipated maturity: 2020 - 2034. - February 2018 

Warm plum, fig and black tea notes mix here, with a charcoal frame and a smoldering tobacco accent running through the finish. The velvety and slightly rugged textures are intertwined, showing a nice tug of earth at the end. Best from 2022 through 2030. 20,000 cases made. JM

The 2015 Carruades de Lafite is terrific. Pliant, supple and inviting, the 2015 offers notable radiance and suppleness, with pretty Cabernet Sauvignon aromatics to play off the racy fruit. Red plum, licorice and dried flowers lead into an effortless, pliant finish that adds to the wine's considerable appeal. vinous.com, February 2018

Medium-bodied, forward, fresh, elegant and refined, you can always find secondary development with its tobacco, herb and herbal nuances. The fruits show sweet ripe, red berries with good purity, You can always enjoy this soft, elegant Pauillac. Tasted Oct 2018

57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc.
Relatively light crimson. Light, rather timid nose. Drying tannins on the end. Very pretty and polite but not at all dramatic!
Drink 2023-2031