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Carruades de Lafite (2nd wine of Ch Lafite) 2017

Pauillac, Second wine

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Tasting Notes

Just as it was from barrel, the 2017 Carruades de Lafite is ample and rich on the palate. Succulent dark cherry, lavender, spice and plum all fill out the wine's frame effortlessly. In 2017, Carruades is especially resonant and creamy, with notable richness and volume. I expect the 2017 will drink well with just a few years in bottle.

Score: 92

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2022-2032 01 March 2020

The 2017 Carruades de Lafite has a pleasant bouquet with brambly black fruit intermingling with damp earth and light tobacco aromas. Maybe it would benefit from a little more precision. The palate is well balanced with a saline tang on the entry. This is a little "chunky" at the moment, maybe missing the finesse of the 2016, although I appreciate the briny influence that surfaces towards the finish. Fine, although not the best second wine that I have tasted from this First Growth.

Score: 89

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2021-2032 01 February 2020

The medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Carruades de Lafite is composed of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc and opens with expressive notes of espresso and dark chocolate over a core of cassis, wood smoke and tilled soil plus touches of truffles and black olives. Medium-bodied, very fine-grained and refreshing, it has great poise and a long, savory finish.

Score: 90 - 92

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 27 April 2018

Deep crimson. More lifted and fragrant than the Duhart-Milon just tasted. Dark-red fruit and graphite freshness. Richer and sweeter fruited on the mid palate than the Duhart, a little more generous. Very soft texture but not lacking backgrounded structure. Elegant, and an attractive minerally, dark-fruited finish. Subtle. Understated.

Score: 16 - 17

Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2025-2037 27 April 2018

The second wine of the estate is certainly no slouch in the vintage either. The 2017 Carruades de Lafite offers a similar perfume of cassis, scorched earth and lead pencil shavings, and is medium-bodied, seamless, and silky on the palate. As with the Grand Vin, the tannin quality is terrific, it’s perfectly balanced, and shines for its purity of fruit.

Score: 91 - 93

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com 23 April 2018

A bright Carruades with cedar and tobacco character. Medium to full body and medium chewy tannins. Very pretty center palate.

Score: 92 - 93

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 06 April 2018

The 2017 Lafite Carruades (second wine), is a 60/35/5 Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc blend. It shows nice refinement, with red and black currant fruit allied to a racy graphite note, with flickers of tar, bay leaf and savory throughout. Fresh acidity drives the finish, with ample underlying grip as well. It's very fresh and showing some charm already.

Score: -

James Molesworth, Wine Spectator 04 April 2018

Lafite got to enjoy a year without excess and without frost, and this is elegant stuff. The tannins are a touch rigid at the beginning, supporting firm black autumnal fruits, classically framed and a touch austere, with cigar box smoke adding a swirl of complexity. As with many of the second wines in Pauillac this year, this is excellently put together but on the savoury side, reflecting the story of the vintage. 20% new oak. This is sure to age well and be ready to drink within four to eight years.

Score: 91

Jane Anson, Decanter.com Maturity: 2024-2038 01 April 2018