CRITIC REVIEWS
Neal Martin
The 2016 Lafite-Rothschild underwent three days of pre-harvest selection to pick out the clusters that you could see through, where the grapes had little pulp because of retarded maturation during the growing season. This tank represented 3% of the volume that did not even make it into the Carruades because it would have detracted from the precision. It has a beautiful bouquet, one of the most seductive in recent years, offering pure blackberry and boysenberry fruit, hints of pressed violet and India ink that emerges with time. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, quite saturated tannin that belies the backbone, and a rondeur that I was not anticipating. Referring back to my notes, it s clear that this first growth has developed greater amplitude and perhaps sensuality in barrel. It has a sense of approachability, although it clearly has the substance to last for many years.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown
The 2016 Lafite Rothschild is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot, with 15% of the press wine contributing to the blend this year. Deep purple-black in color, it slowly reveals the most gorgeous perfume of kirsch, lilacs, black raspberries and warm blackcurrants with underlying nuances of cigar box, rose hip tea, cloves, licorice and pencil lead plus a waft of garrigue. Medium-bodied and built like a brick house with a firm yet beautifully ripe, finely pixelated tannic backbone and seamless freshness supporting the amazing intensity of black fruits and floral layers, it finishes very long and provocatively perfumed.
JancisRobinson.com
Tasted blind. First bottle: Big, burly, mulberry nose. Then a little tart on the end. Big and bold. More concentrated than the Second bottle: Similar rather glorious but possibly OTT nose and then polished tannins and less tart on the end. Very voluptuous. I m sure no one else in the world would demand a second bottle of this; it s just that the Southwold crew are subjecting all these 2016s to such scrutiny. Slightly salty.