Lafite Rothschild 2005

Pauillac, First Growth

Units	Size	Case size	GBP Price:	Quantities	Buy
6	75cl Bottle	Case 6	£2,950 per Case	Case	[Add to shopping basket]

Tasting Notes
Effortless, balanced, fine elongated tannins, mouthwatering and moreish. Walking the tightrope of concentration and uplift, as Lafite does so well, and is a wonderful example of this vintage, still with decades ahead of it, delivering cassis, slate, mint leaf, sea spray, crayon and joy. 100% new oak Ignace-Joseph Vanlerberghe 1855, Baron Joseph 1868, scales on the bottle. Charles Chevallier technical director for this 2005 vintage, in the last year with Emile Peynaud as consultant. 43hl/h yield. Score: 98 Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2025-2048 01 June 2025
The 2005 Château Lafite-Rothschild is a beauty, and it has that quintessential power paired with incredible elegance and complexity that this Château does so well. Based on 89% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Merlot, it has perfumed notes of red and black fruits, freshly sharpened pencils, saddle leather, graphite, and spice. These all carry to a medium to full-bodied 2005 that has a layered, balanced mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It stays relatively focused and tight on the palate, and benefits from air. Drink bottles any time over the coming 20-30 years. Score: 97 Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com Maturity: 2024-2054 04 June 2024
The 2005 Lafite-Rothschild is a gorgeous wine, but it is also very young. Readers lucky enough to own it will find a very classic, gracious Lafite-Rothschild that still needs a few years to be at its best. Bright red-toned fruit, crushed rocks, mint and licorice open first, followed by darker aromas and flavors that develop as the wine gains volume with air. Tasted next to its peers, Lafite is so typical of itself and less marked by the year. And that is one of the signs of a truly great terroir. Lafite-Rothschild is not as showy as many other wines in this vintage, but it is so true to its own identity, and that is the highest compliment I can pay it. The 2005 is 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot, done in 100% new oak, which is not at all noticeable. At the time, the Cabernet percentage was quite high, but that has now become the norm. Tasted two times. Score: 97 Antonio Galloni, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2025-2055 01 April 2021
Tasted blind and tasted twice in the same month, this is a perplexing Lafite that as yet, has not lived up to its show stopping performance in barrel. There is more Cabernet, more graphite on the nose here with wonderful definition - just pure, unadulterated blackberry and cedar. Conservative, tightly coiled and beckoning considerable cellaring. Very smooth on the entry, no hard edges here, polished new oak, very fine tannins, great focus but I would like a little more depth on the finish. Broody, sultry and compelling. Drink 2020-2040+ Score: 96 Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2020-2040+ 01 July 2009
($1; 700-$2,300) Bright medium ruby. Knockout nose combines black- and redcurrant, minerals, graphite, licorice and lavender. Wonderfully suave and seamless, but with great purity and precision of flavor and terrific inner-palate perfume and lift. This dances over every square millimeter of the palate. Almost painfully young today, with an impression of fresh acidity serving to intensify the wine's flavors. About as austere a wine as I tasted from this vintage in April and yet it's not hard. Finishes with substantial dusty tannins and a whiplash of minerally perfume. I'd forget about this one for about 15 years. Score: 97 Stephen Tanzer, Inside Bordeaux 01 May 2008
Extremely complex and intriguing on the nose. More lifted than Duhart Milon and Carruades. Very fine-boned and minerally graphite sensation (although there is no Cabernet Franc in the final blend). Delicate - which is quite an achievement in 2005! Very subtle and very youthful. Wonderful opulence with a neat, dry finish. A gorgeous drink that may be overlooked in comparison with Latour’s greater drama but a very fine representation of both château and vintage, with, I suspect, a very long window of drinkability. Score: 19 Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2018-2040 10 April 2006

Tasting Notes

Effortless, balanced, fine elongated tannins, mouthwatering and moreish. Walking the tightrope of concentration and uplift, as Lafite does so well, and is a wonderful example of this vintage, still with decades ahead of it, delivering cassis, slate, mint leaf, sea spray, crayon and joy. 100% new oak Ignace-Joseph Vanlerberghe 1855, Baron Joseph 1868, scales on the bottle. Charles Chevallier technical director for this 2005 vintage, in the last year with Emile Peynaud as consultant. 43hl/h yield.

Score: 98

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2025-2048 01 June 2025

The 2005 Château Lafite-Rothschild is a beauty, and it has that quintessential power paired with incredible elegance and complexity that this Château does so well. Based on 89% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Merlot, it has perfumed notes of red and black fruits, freshly sharpened pencils, saddle leather, graphite, and spice. These all carry to a medium to full-bodied 2005 that has a layered, balanced mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It stays relatively focused and tight on the palate, and benefits from air. Drink bottles any time over the coming 20-30 years.

Score: 97

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com Maturity: 2024-2054 04 June 2024

The 2005 Lafite-Rothschild is a gorgeous wine, but it is also very young. Readers lucky enough to own it will find a very classic, gracious Lafite-Rothschild that still needs a few years to be at its best. Bright red-toned fruit, crushed rocks, mint and licorice open first, followed by darker aromas and flavors that develop as the wine gains volume with air. Tasted next to its peers, Lafite is so typical of itself and less marked by the year. And that is one of the signs of a truly great terroir. Lafite-Rothschild is not as showy as many other wines in this vintage, but it is so true to its own identity, and that is the highest compliment I can pay it. The 2005 is 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot, done in 100% new oak, which is not at all noticeable. At the time, the Cabernet percentage was quite high, but that has now become the norm. Tasted two times.

Score: 97

Antonio Galloni, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2025-2055 01 April 2021

Tasted blind and tasted twice in the same month, this is a perplexing Lafite that as yet, has not lived up to its show stopping performance in barrel. There is more Cabernet, more graphite on the nose here with wonderful definition - just pure, unadulterated blackberry and cedar. Conservative, tightly coiled and beckoning considerable cellaring. Very smooth on the entry, no hard edges here, polished new oak, very fine tannins, great focus but I would like a little more depth on the finish. Broody, sultry and compelling. Drink 2020-2040+

Score: 96

Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2020-2040+ 01 July 2009

($1; 700-$2,300) Bright medium ruby. Knockout nose combines black- and redcurrant, minerals, graphite, licorice and lavender. Wonderfully suave and seamless, but with great purity and precision of flavor and terrific inner-palate perfume and lift. This dances over every square millimeter of the palate. Almost painfully young today, with an impression of fresh acidity serving to intensify the wine's flavors. About as austere a wine as I tasted from this vintage in April and yet it's not hard. Finishes with substantial dusty tannins and a whiplash of minerally perfume. I'd forget about this one for about 15 years.

Score: 97

Stephen Tanzer, Inside Bordeaux 01 May 2008

Extremely complex and intriguing on the nose. More lifted than Duhart Milon and Carruades. Very fine-boned and minerally graphite sensation (although there is no Cabernet Franc in the final blend). Delicate - which is quite an achievement in 2005! Very subtle and very youthful. Wonderful opulence with a neat, dry finish. A gorgeous drink that may be overlooked in comparison with Latour’s greater drama but a very fine representation of both château and vintage, with, I suspect, a very long window of drinkability.

Score: 19

Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2018-2040 10 April 2006

Your Lists & Checkout

New Arrivals

Advanced Search

wine regions

quick links

Lafite Rothschild 2005

Pauillac, First Growth

search wines

Full wine List

RSS feeds

wine regions

join our mailing list