2022 Ch Lafite Rothschild 1er Cru, Pauillac

A classical Lafite that reminds me of something like the 1986, with its blackcurrant and tobacco character with cedar and hazelnut, but it's so today with its purity and precision. It's really about being Lafite here. Terroir gives great elegance with strength.

99-100 points jamessuckling.com

A blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2022 Lafite Rothschild unwinds in the glass with aromas of dark berries, cassis, sweet soils tones, cigar box and lilac. Medium to full-bodied, it's the most tensile of the first growths this year, with a layered, concentrated but youthfully introverted mid-palate, lively acids and a long, saline finish. It checks in at a rather high pH of 3.85, which belies its incisive profile, from a harvest that extended from August 31 to September 24.

95-97+ points WK robertparker.com

The 2022 Château Lafite-Rothschild is based on 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot that was harvested between the 31st of August and the 24th of September. It's a richer, more opulent wine compared to the more classic 2020 (although the pH is higher in the 2020) and has a deep, full-bodied, concentrated profile as well as classic Lafite aromatics of spicy red and black fruits, freshly sharpened pencils, graphite, and tobacco. Deep, rich, and concentrated, it nevertheless stays pure and flawlessly balanced, with ample, ripe tannins and a great finish. It's going to have some up-front appeal by Lafite standards but should still require a decade of bottle age. Director Eric Koher compares this to the 2005, but this modern-day clone of the 1959 is one of the most powerful, concentrated Lafites I've tasted.

97-99 points jebdunnuck.com

Saturated inky colour, with intense ruby reflections. This is a classically constructed Lafite, with clear power to the tannins and intense spice, a little more upfront and concentrated than you find in many En Primeur vintages at this property but it exemplifies balance and confidence. Fully in control, delivering estate signature with finesse and understatement, with pulses of graphite, slate, bitter almond and cocoa bean. Takes its time to uncurl in the glass, leaving you plenty of time to admire its architecture. Give it a good decade at least. 17.5% of press wine, 3.85ph, 41% Lafite of overall production. Harvest August 31 to September 24, earliest since 1893. 100% new oak, Eric Kohler techincal director. Potential upscore in bottle.

97 points janeanson.com

Composed of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2022 Lafite Rothschild is deep garnet-purple in color. The nose is almost impenetrable to start, needing a lot of shaking to wake up delicate scents of crushed red and black currants, raspberry leaves, warm plums, and boysenberries, followed by hints of crushed rocks, damp earth, lilacs, and Jasmine tea, with just a hint of orange peel. The palate is classic great Lafite, featuring incredibly tightly knit layers of black fruits, minerals, and floral notes bound with a rock-solid structure of exquisitely fine, very firm tannins and bold freshness, finishing with epic length and depth. This is an intellectual triumph, but don't think about touching it for 10-15 years. pH 3.85.

“The vintage was hardest for the Cabernet Sauvignon on the deep gravel,” said Eric Kohler from Château Lafite. “We had to make a first harvest of the dehydrated berries and those of struggling vines, which was about 10% of the total production of Lafite. This did not go into the grand vin. We also did this in 2016. We can call this the suffering selection. When we did this in 2016, the wine was undrinkable. This year, it was actually pretty good. We used a little in the Carruades. This is what we picked at the end of August. Then we picked young vines on the 1st and 2nd of September. The great Merlot we began to pick on the 5th of September. This year we were so careful not to pick the Merlot too late. We began the Cabernet Sauvignon for Lafite on the 13th of September and finished on the 23rd of September. This year, the highest alcohol came from the Cabernet Sauvignon, usually it is the Merlot.”

As for winemaking practices, apart from extra-gentle extraction, Eric commented, “We used a lot of press wine. The maximum we ever used. 15% for Duhart Milon, 16% for Carruades, 17.5% press juice for Lafite—it’s a record.”

98-100 points LPB robertparker.com

Deep and cool, this wine doesn't exude a trace of heat from the glass, mineral undertones with delicate fruit, red and dark berries, violets, iris, even a hint of orange blossom, intriguing. Lean on the palate, super elegant, light as a dance and yet dense, the wine almost has a Burgundian elegance, dances over the tongue, the tannins are finely interwoven with the fruit, incredibly energetic and at the same time calm in person. Long, red fruity finish. Pure finesse. 2030-2060+ 

98-100 points AvV vvwine.ch

A wonderful example of restraint and delicacy in a year where it was easy to overdo. Sharp and straight, you feel the acidity as soon as this enters the mouth, alive, pulsing, bright and shining. Aromatically so expressive after a few minutes. Delicate almost, such a fine tapestry of tannins, present and at the fore but like taffeta or finely woven silk. It has power but you don't feel it, not instantly anyway, the focus is on the beautiful texture with edges of cool red and blue fruits, flint, graphite, liquorice and tobacco nuances with high acidity that all help build a layered and well constructed mid palate. The structure then focuses and narrows to a mineral, fresh finish. Has bite and succulence, gently muscular with tons of vibrancy. This is definitely one of the less showy wines that really grows on you. A delicious, defined, poised, refined and finessed Lafite. Calm, collected and incredibly charming already. Earliest harvest in over a century, 31 August to 24 September. 17.5% press wine. 3.8pH. 64IPT. 41% grand vin production.

98 points GH decanter.com