Carruades de Lafite 2019

Characteristics and tasting advice for Carruades de Lafite 2019

Tasting

Color
Dark and deep color.

Nose
Typical nose of the vintage, both ripe and fresh, with aromas of blackcurrant and black fruits.

Palate
Direct attack, followed by a beautiful amplitude revealing the full volume of the wine. The fine and precise tannins bring structure to the palate, while the cabernets provide a marked tension in the finish.

Service and aging

This wine can wait in cellars until around 2027.

A second wine from Pauillac of great purity

The property

First among the classified growths of 1855 in Bordeaux, the Château Lafite Rothschild is a lord on its gravel lands. Carrying a long viticultural tradition initiated in 1620, it has asserted itself over the centuries as a true standard-bearer of the Pauillac appellation on the left bank of the Bordeaux region. Indeed, from Cardinal Richelieu to the then President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, the great personalities of this world have fallen under the charm of these great wines with a unique soul and unparalleled refinement.

The vineyard

Château Lafite Rothschild benefits from an exceptional location with a vineyard divided into three major areas. The Carruades plateau is located to the west of the estate on fine gravel and sandy soils over limestone subsoils.

The wine

Second wine of Château Lafite Rothschild, Carruades de Lafite is a great Pauillac wine.

The vintage

The vintage begins under a mild and dry winter, favoring an early vegetative start. However, a cool and dry spring in April and May slows growth, leading to capricious flowering marked by coulure and millerandage at the end of May. After a rainy and cool start to June, a short heatwave reminiscent of 2003 occurs, but the vine resists better than in previous years. On July 26, a saving rain of 45 mm triggers the veraison. August, moderate in temperature, experiences some showers that raise fears of botrytis, but a dry end of summer allows for a serene approach to the harvest in mid-September.

Vinification and aging

Alcoholic fermentation in wooden, cement and steel vats, accompanied by gentle pumping over. Maceration of about 20 days. Malolactic fermentation then racking of the wines in French oak barrels made by the Tonnellerie des Domaines in Pauillac. Aging of about 16 months.

Blend

Cabernet Sauvignon (68%)
Merlot (27%)
Cabernet Franc (5%).