The 2017 Carruades de Lafite is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it prances out of the glass with joyful notions of black cherries, redcurrant jelly and cassis plus hints of kirsch, cedar chest, pencil lead and a waft of raspberry leaves. Medium-bodied, the palate possesses bags of poise and freshness, dishing out lots of bright red and black fruits with a soft, finely grained frame, finishing long with a skip in its step.
After escaping the frosts with minimal damage, Lafite Rothschild’s winemaker Eric Kohler commented, “Most of the rest of the vintage was excellent.” He went on to confess, “Unfortunately, 10-20 September, we had some rains. This was toward the end of harvest. Harvest finished on 30th September. If we hadn’t had the rains, the wines would have been more concentrated. But the slight dilution was great for balance.” Then he mentioned what is the critical point here, that the grapes were ripe when the rains came. “If they weren’t, things would have been difficult.” As for the winemaking, “This year, what was important was maceration—the effect was spectacular in the mouth and the analysis. Sixteen percent of press wine was used this year—which is a high percentage!” Commenting on the very high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the grand vin this year, he said, “When you have Cabernet Sauvignon of this level, you don’t want to use anything else—it can look like the Merlot is already blended in. For us, I believe 2017 was even better than 2015.” Kohler summarizes, “If I have one word for all the wines, it’s ‘harmony’.” In fact, this 2017 Lafite is a bit atypical. It has more Cabernet Sauvignon than usual—the fourth-highest percentage ever, according to Kohler. The result is a beautifully ripe, elegantly expressed, incredibly pure expression of Cabernet. Stunning.
