2003 Chateau Lafite Rothschild - Pauillac

A genuine anomaly: 2003 brought a scorching European heatwave that tested every tenet of traditional Pauillac winemaking, and Lafite's response became one of the most singular, opulent expressions in the estate's history, often compared to the modern-day version of the legendary 1959. A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. Robert Parker called it as close to perfection as any of the great Lafites made over the past three decades, a fat, rich, opulent, full-bodied wine with low acidity and stunning seductiveness and complexity, a bountiful, generous, heady style he named a candidate for wine of the entire vintage. Expect black fig, date, and cocoa notes layered over powerful tannins, with enough acidity to maintain real freshness despite the vintage's heat. A dramatic, atypical, yet undeniably world-class Lafite from one of Bordeaux's most extreme growing seasons.