2011 Lafite Rothschild

96 POINTS

Roger Voss - Wine Enthusiast

A powerful wine with dark and dry tannins. It has a great depth of fruit flavor, with immense and concentrated weight, and a structure that is for long-term aging. —R.V.

95 POINTS

Jeff Leve - The Wine Cellar Insider

Produced from a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot. Spice, blackberry liqueur, licorice, earth, graphite and gravel scents lead to a full-bodied wine with supple tannins, freshness and good concentration. The wine ends with a bright, elegant cassis-filled finish. 95-96 Pts

94 POINTS

Neal Martin - Wine Advocate

The 2011 Lafite-Rothschild is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot with an alcohol level of 12.6%. It has wonderful purity on the nose with blackberry, cassis, raspberry, a touch of graphite and an attractive floral note. It is feminine and beguiling. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins on the entry, crisp acidity, very harmonious and alluring with blackberry, raspberry and a saline touch towards the long caressing finish. It is a more sensual Lafite that I was expecting, with great persistency and poise. Tasted April 2012

94 POINTS

Jeannie Cho Lee MW - Asian Palate

This is classic Latour expressing the seriousness and weight of this majestic wine. With 85% Cabernet Sauvignon in this blend, the flavours lean toward blackberries, dried Chinese red dates and cedar; there is a hint of aged pu?r tea in the finish. With 20 hectares of vineyards now being farmed in the ?io?method since 2010, Frédéric Engerer attributes these subtle nuances and minerality in the wine to new farming methods. Full-bodied and generous, this is a wonderful Latour with plush, velvety tannins and a very long finish. Latour 2011 is powerful yet subtle and refined while still being concentrated. One of my top red wines of this vintage exhibiting great focus and terroir expression.

94 POINTS

James Suckling

Love the nose on this, with sweet tobacco, delicate currant, cedar and blackberry. Full body with integrated tannins and a juicy, fruity, subtle finish. The texture to this wine is beautiful. Better than I remember from barrel. Try in 2019.

94 POINTS

James Molesworth - Wine Spectator

This delivers pronounced tobacco and bay leaf notes up front, with a core of steeped plum and currant fruit and a fleshy edge through the charcoal-lined finish. There's some serious buried minerality, which should emerge with cellaring. Best from 2018 through 2031.

René Gabriel - WeinWisser

80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot. Extrem dunkles Purpur mit lila und violetten Reflexen. Tiefgründiges Bouquet, mementan leider wenig kommunikativ. Im zweiten Nasenansatz dunkle Schokonoten, Malz, Mahagonitouch, Zedern und etwas Teer. Im Gaumen ein wunderschönes, konzentriertes Paket an blau- bis schwarzbeeriger Frucht, Lakritze im Extrakt, zeigt Stoff und Fleisch und eine ausgeglichene Adstringenz, erst im Finale kommt dann die erwartete Lafite-Süsse, nicht dramatisch, aber doch ist sie da, klingt lange nach. Hatte unter allen Médoc-Premiers die Nase vorn, aber die ersten 15 Jahre werden kein Spaziergang. 2025-2060 19/20

Bettane & Desseauve - TAST

Le caractère du terroir est parfaitement dessiné avec des arômes de cèdre et de graphite d'une inimitable élégance mais la bouche, beaucoup plus stricte et tendu que celle des Carruades, laisse imaginer une évolution beaucoup plus lente en bouteille. Grand vin de garde dont il faudrait mieux reparler dans douze à quinze ans, ce qui ne sera hélas pas son destin majoritaire... 18-19/20