Small special parcel of the excellent 2005 vintage by the Chateau where it has been aging gently in their cellars for the last 18+ years and will be in perfect condition with new labels and wooden cases. This adds considerable value to the wine as it also guarantees its provenance.
2005 was one of the great vintages in Bordeaux and especially at Chateau Lafite where it was lauded by the critics with exceptional scores.
‘Absolutely marvellous wine…truly glorious’ – 19.5/20 Jancis Robinson
‘The palate has such freshness and density, with perfectly polished tannins. Slightly leathery, like a wonderful Hermes bag’ – 100 points James Suckling.
“An incredible nose, so subtle with red fruits, mint, minerals, and all sorts of flowers give way to Cohiba cigar tobacco. The palate has such freshness and density, with perfectly polished tannins. Slightly leathery, like a wonderful Hermes bag” 100 points. James Suckling
For the third year in a row, Bordeaux experienced drought. In other words, not a drop of rain from May to October. As always, however, our good vines, faithful and strong, adapted and overcame these difficult moments. The summer temperatures remained reasonable, and ripening was slow, calm and very complete. The grapes remained small and concentrated. Small quantities, high degrees, a perfect state of health. The most demanding of winegrowers was content. A famously perfect year throughout the growing season. This was the star of the tasting for pure, inherent quality – a truly glorious wine that will presumably continue to impress those lucky enough to taste it for many decades to come. Very dark, shaded crimson. The most gorgeous panoply of aromas on the nose – not yet knit but just starting to integrate. Exceptionally promising. Absolutely marvellous wine that was extremely difficult to spit. Fresh but ripe with great life and energy. The density of fruit covered the considerable charge of tannin. Such verve! So healthy. Some pure stoniness on the mid palate. 19.5/20 Jancis Robinson
“Waves of saffron, truffle, black tea and earth set the pace for a remarkably balanced and aromatically-complex wine. This is still a baby at 17 years old, but has reached the level of Lafite character when all is elegance and finesse – the perfect example of how in Bordeaux they don’t need excess to deliver something extraordinary. As things relax, you get a luscious, more concentrated core of cassis and bilberry fruit, with cedar, charcoal, violet, raspberry leaf and slate. Fine tannins hold it all in place, you could give this a long carafe to drink now, but the real magic needs another decade or so. Charles Chevallier technical director, and this was the last year with Emile Peynaud as consultant, before Jacques Boissenot took over in 2006. A pair of scales was chosen to decorate the bottle neck to reflect the balance of the vintage”. 98 points Jane Anson
