Chateau Lafite Rothschild Premier Cru Classe, Pauillac 2009

This wine is stunningly impressive but almost the opposite of the 2010 vintage. The year offered a warm, wet spring followed by a hot, dry summer and cool nights in September, giving a riper, more generous impression. A bit of smoke and spice on the initial attack with a ripe, plummy fruit character that is more black than red and a supple, dense richness on the palate that lingers sumptuously on the finish. 

This vintage will drink sooner than the 2010, yet it should easily last as long. The finished wine blends 82.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and a half-per-cent Petit Verdot. Picking began in mid-September for the Merlot and early October for the Cabernet, with 45% of the fruit going into the grand vin.

Drink 2032 - 2082