2005 Chateau Lafite Rothschild Premier Cru Classe, Pauillac 1x750ml

Robert Parker 96

Having tasted the 2005 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild several times both blind and non-blind, it comes across as a First Growth politely requesting more time to “settle”. Here, from an ex-chateau bottle tasted in Bordeaux, it delivers that graphite, pencil-box bouquet that unfurls gradually in the glass, biding its time, graceful but not intense. Parallel to some of its fellow 2005s, it is developing a little more spice, namely thyme and sage, than I recall. The palate is medium-bodied and beautifully balanced, to wit, a sophisticated Pauillac that priorities elegance and poise over intensity of fruit-in keeping with Lafite Rothschild’s style. You come away with the sense that it will take its time and decline, giving away a great deal in its primacy, even if it is still more approachable than the 2005 Latour for example. Therefore, I would be inclined to set this aside for several more years. Tasted November 2014. [Neal Martin, 28/09/2017]

Anticipated maturity: 2022-2050