2009 Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac, Bottle (750ml)

James Suckling | 100 Points

"This is what the Medoc is all about. The freshness and delicacy of this wine in combination with its serious concentration and firm core are totally stunning."

Decanter | 100 Points

"The 2009 Lafite was exquisite, and it spoke to me immediately as a wine of perfection, with a pronounced, forward aroma of blackcurrant and pomegranate fruit with hints of violets, spice, smoke, and earth. The texture was lush and seductive, with impressive density, balanced freshness, and enough extract to draw this to an unbelievably long finish. Oddly to me, it was not the unanimous favourite of the assembled tasters, but defending this beautiful wine is a battle I will eagerly take on."

Robert Parker | 99+ Points

"The main reason the 2009 Lafite Rothschild did not receive a perfect score is because the wine has closed down slightly, but it is unquestionably another profound Lafite, their greatest wine since the amazing 2003. Among the most powerful Lafites ever made (it came in at 13.59% alcohol), the final blend was 82.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot. The selection was incredibly severe with only 45% of the crop being utilized. A tight, but potentially gorgeous nose of graphite, black currants, licorice and camphor is followed by a full-bodied wine revealing the classic elegance, purity and delineated style of Lafite. It is phenomenally concentrated with softer tannins than the 2005, the 2003's voluptuous, broad, juicy personality, and low acidity. There are several vintages that I thought were a replay of their colossal 1959, most notably 1982 and 2003, but 2009 is also one to keep an eye on. It is still extremely youthful and seems slightly more backward than I would have guessed based on the barrel tastings, but it needs 10-15 years of bottle age, and should last for 50+.""

2009 delivered a warm, dry, close to perfect ripening conditions across the Médoc, and Lafite responded the way only Lafite can: with restraint wrapped around real generosity.

Cigar box, cedar, graphite, cassis, violets, and a thread of sweet spice sit over a frame built to outlive everyone still arguing about when to drink it. The selection was unusually severe, with only 45% of the crop making the final blend, and it shows in the concentration.

This is a fuller, more opulent expression of Lafite than the cooler vintages that bookend it, silkier and broader than the 2008 or the 2017. The tannins are dense but polished, the mid-palate plush and velvety, yet the château's aristocratic restraint still defines the architecture underneath.

Critics have called it the estate's greatest wine in decades, on a tier of its own, with the kind of integration that's rare in a wine this young.

It's already drinking beautifully, but by every account its best days are still ahead of it. If you're building a cellar around wines that reward patience, this is one you buy first and think about last.