The 2025 Lafite-Rothschild was cropped at 27 hl/ha between September 2 and 20. Eric Kohler mentioned that, unlike 2022, it underwent a longer maceration than usual because, after 24 days, he felt the wine was at ease with itself and there was no excess. That comes through completely on the deliriously intoxicating nose, replete with nuanced blackberry, bilberry and estuarine scents, all beautifully defined and seamlessly integrated with the 90% new oak that is made from Lafite’s own cooper. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiselled tannins. It is blessed with extraordinary harmony and it is so well balanced that you almost overlook the weight and minéralité towards the finish. Just a dab of graphite lingers on the aftertaste. This is a very succinct and refined Lafite-Rothschild that I suspect will drink earlier than the 2022, yet will age with equal grace in bottle. I admit that, upon returning to my car, it was only then that I realised what a brilliant wine the 2025 Lafite-Rothschild is destined to become.

Cuban cigars, cedar, crème de cassis, blackberries, flowers, espresso, and forest leaves set the wine's perfume. Refined, elegant, precise, and pure, the fruit tastes as if it were just pulled from the vines. Expressive, vibrant, long, and packed with blackberries, currants, Indian spices, tobacco, and marine influences, the seamless, graceful finish does not want to quit, passing the 60-second mark with ease. One of the most important parts of the growing season took place starting in June and running through July 10. Climatically, it was hot and dry. The midsummer rains following that dry period provided much-needed nourishment, aiding ripeness and contributing to the style and success of the vintage. The wine is a blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot. 12.5% ABV. Picking took place September 2 - September 20. Yields were low at 27 hectoliters per hectare. 48% of the harvest was placed into the Grand Vin. Drink from 2032 - 2075.

The 2025 Lafite-Rothschild is powerful and explosive in the glass. Dark cherry/plum fruit, graphite, new leather, graphite, licorice and lavender race across the palate. A Pauillac of mid-weight structure, the 2025 impresses with its tension and deep, layered personality. Even in the early going, the Grand Vin is so vivid, so expressive. I can't wait to taste it in finished form. 

Vivid purple colour in the glass. Cool blue fruit, graphite and wet stones on the nose. Succulent and juicy, ripe and lifted, with supple tannins barely noticeable – the focus is on the purity and refinement of the fruit with bright acidity and an undercurrent of cooling, fresh minty freshness with graphite and wet stones. You really get the spice and fruitiness. A bit more lively, energetic and upfront than Lafite can sometimes be. There’s finesse for sure but there’s also confidence here. Mouthwatering with a ton of flavour and layering but at the end such a finessed and refined finish with a wet stone grip. So balanced and harmonious. An amazing feat this year. Eric Kohler, technical director of Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite), calls 2025 a: ‘Vintage of happiness – a symphony of all the perfect parameters' and likened the vintage to '2020 but perhaps more delicate and less tannic. More immediate than 2020'. A yield of 27hl/ha. 16% press wine.

Deep plum in colour, not as inky as you might find in a vintage like 2O22. Gorgeous, sculpted, jumps out of the glass, showcasing the ability to remain Lafite through so many differing vintage conditions. A ton of depth and character, slate and rosebud, a sappy and highly drinkable Lafite. The last vintage in the old winery, next year will be in the new one (so more vats to do microvinification, and they expect to use Cabernet Franc again. 16% of press wine. Harvest started September 11, until September 20, even earlier than 2022. 27hl/h yields, very small for this estate, one of the smallest on record, but no doubt helped it resist the drought of the summer because these yields were small from the beginning. Eric Kohler winemaker, Eric Boissenot consultant.

Checking in as 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot that's resting in 90% new French oak, the 2025 Château Lafite Rothschild sports a classic, deep ruby hue as well as a complex and classic nose of cassis, spicy wood, tobacco, violets, and graphite. It's quintessential Lafite on the palate as well, with its class, medium to full body, ripe, building, yet polished tannins, and nicely integrated acidity. It checks in at 12.51% alcohol with a pH of 3.65. I love its overall balance, purity, and complexity, and I suspect it's going to continue gaining weight over the course of its élevage.

A blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2025 Lafite Rothschild unwinds in the glass with a deep and brooding bouquet of dark berries, violets, rose petals and pencil lead. Medium- to full-bodied, supple and layered, with suave tannins, good concentration and bright acidity, it checks in at 12.5% alcohol and an unusually low (by the standards of recent warm vintages at Lafite) pH of 3.65. Harvest began here on September 2, with the estate's old-vine Merlot beginning on September 3 and the first Cabernet Sauvignon coming in from September 11 (earlier than in 2022), and the harvest wrapped up on September 20. William Kelley.