100
Jeb Dunnuck Tasting Note
A truly great Lafite, and maybe the wine of the vintage, the 2019 Château Lafite-Rothschild reveals a deep purple color as well as an ultra-classic bouquet of crème de cassis, lead pencil, unsmoked tobacco, chocolate, and gravelly minerality. Deep, full-bodied, and flawlessly balanced, it's a magical, heavenly bottle of wine that's going to be approachable with just 5-6 years of bottle age yet evolve for 100 years or more. It reminds me of the 2016, only with a touch more sexiness and opulence.
98
Wine Spectator Tasting Note
A very energetic wine, with wild loganberry, mulberry and black currant fruit flavors that bristle with mouthwatering bay leaf, licorice root and savory notes. The finish is tight now, with charcoal shadings and a smoldering cast-iron note, but there's additional black tea, incense and floral hints for contrast. Dense and driven, with more than enough elements to match its energy, meaning this can cruise in the cellar for a long time. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2026 through 2045.
98
Vinous Tasting Note
The 2019 Lafite-Rothschild screams Cabernet Sauvignon on the nose of intense black fruit, graphite and subtle minty aromas, supremely well-defined and revealing a hint of star anise with aeration. The medium-bodied palate is beautifully balanced, offering sappy black fruit, black pepper, graphite and just a touch of spice. This has more body, maybe even a touch more sinew than recent vintages, perhaps because of the reconfiguration of the Merlot parcels (see my note en primeur). Very persistent and almost uncharacteristically grippy on the finish, this is a gifted Lafite-Rothschild that will last 50+ years. It will certainly surpass the 2018 with continued bottle age.
100
James Suckling Tasting Note
Complex aromas of blackcurrants and lead pencil. Incredible. Graphite and tar. Stunning. It’s full-bodied, yet shows such harmony and polish. Elegance and complexity with finesse. The tannins are so integrated and endless. It goes on for minutes. 94 cabernet sauvignon, 5 merlot and 1 petit verdot.
99
Wine Advocate Tasting Note
The 2019 Lafite Rothschild is a blend of 94 Cabernet Sauvignon, 5 Merlot and 1 Petit Verdot, harvested from the 19th of September to the 7th of October. Deep garnet-purple in color, it rolls effortlessly out of the glass with compelling notions of baked black cherries, ripe blackberries and crème de cassis followed by hints of mocha, licorice, smoked meats and Sichuan pepper with a waft of eucalyptus. Medium-bodied, the palate is at once ethereally graceful and powerfully intense, featuring layer upon layer of profound smoky, savory flavors and decadently ripe fruit, framed by exquisite, silt-like tannins and just enough freshness, finishing with epic length. In terms of flavor profile, this is a surprisingly (atypically) hedonic, forward expression, with notably lower acidity/higher pH (the pH is 3.9). The alcohol is 13.4, just a tick higher than the 2018 (13.3). And yet, the tannins here are unmistakably Lafite, featuring all the tannic grace, finesse and densely pixilated poise fans will expect. What an exciting paradox for the palate—bravo!