2001 - Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac

A classical vintage that is tasting exceptional right now - as it did last time I tasted it back in 2019. A perfect illustration of how Lafite embodies finesse and mouthwatering drinkability. White truffles and cold ash on the aromatics, just so much finesse and melted tannins on display. In its drinking window now, but going nowhere, begging to be savoured and shared with a very few close friends. Autumnal blackberry and loganberry fruits, violet and peony florals, with a generosity and depth that grows and expands in the glass. Charles Chevallier technical director, Baron Eric de Rothschild owner.

The 2001 Lafite-Rothschild has a little more precision on the nose compared to the millennial Lafite. It’s vivid and focused, featuring blackberry, briar, cedar and mint, and a touch of cola in the background. The palate is well balanced and svelte in texture, building beautifully with aeration to a gorgeous, truffle-tinged finish that is a little spicier than three years ago, when I last tasted this vintage. Maybe it just tails off toward the finish when compared to the 2000. Still, this is an elegant, blue-blooded Lafite-Rothschild that exudes class.

From magnum. Firm dark ruby. More sweet and perfumed than many other vintages of this wine. Some savoury notes on the palate but not the ethereal quality of many other vintages. Some delicacy. This is already readable – more evolved than the other 2001 first growths. (JR)