2001 Lafite Rothschild

The 2001 Lafite Rothschild’s deep, saturated plum/purple color is accompanied by lead pencil liqueur-like notes intermixed with sweet red and black currants, plums, and cedar. This blend of 86.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13.5% Merlot is a classic example of Lafite. Extremely elegant, medium-bodied, with intense concentration, richness, and sweet tannin, it appears to be on a rapid evolutionary track, at least in comparison to recent Lafite vintages that have been far more backward and powerful. The classy 2001 should be at its finest between 2007-2020.

Robert Parker (Wine Advocate #153, Jun 2004)

The 2001 Lafite-Rothschild is a damn impressive follow-up to the 2000. It has a healthy garnet core, showing little sign of maturity. The bouquet offers blackberry, melted tar, cedar and a pinch of dried herbs that might not deliver the clarity of the finest Lafites, yet just seems to meliorate with aeration, offering complementary scents of iris with time. The palate is medium-bodied, with supple tannins, and a mélange of red and black fruit. I notice a touch of glycerin towards the second half, almost candied towards the precise finish of wild strawberry, graphite and a hint of black truffle. I admire the cohesiveness and crescendo of the 2001 Lafite-Rothschild. It should give drinkers 20 or 30 years of drinking pleasure. Tasted at the Lafite-Rothschild 150th anniversary dinner at the estate. www.vinous.com

Stick your nose in this and it says something--"I am special." Deep and generous aromas of blackberries, fresh tobacco and minerals. It's full-bodied, with big velvety tannins and a superlong finish. Like a fine cashmere sweater. James Suckling

Bright red-ruby. Sexy aromas of raspberry, cedar, coconut, minerals, lead pencil, chocolate and tobacco leaf. Juicy, lively and penetrating, with sharply delineated flavors of blackberry, raspberry and rose petal. Boasts the classic inner-mouth energy of this great first growth, but also grew increasingly silky with extended aeration. Finishes with tongue-coating tannins and superb lift.

Quality 955 | Brand 999 | Economics 942 | buzz brand, investment staple
Quality: Predicted life of 16 years, one of the longest drinking windows in its peer group, which averages 9 years Brand: #2 Most sought after wine globally, with 87,284 searches on Wine-Searcher per month Economics: #3 most active wine at auction, its top 5 vintages having seen 4,733 75cl equivalent bottles traded in the past year Production: Higher production than its peer group average of 151,058 bottles

- www.wine-lister.com June 2017