Château Lafite-Rothschild 2003

The 2003 Lafite Rothschild comes as close to perfection as any of the great Lafites made over the past three decades (1982, 1986, 1996, 2000, 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2010). This sensational effort came in at 12.7% natural alcohol, and it is made in the style of one of the estate’s great classics, 1959. Composed of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot and the remainder Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it shows a dense ruby/purple color to the rim along with a luxurious bouquet of cedarwood, pencil shavings/graphite, white chocolate, cocoa and cassis. Fat, rich, opulent and full-bodied with low acidity and stunning seductiveness and complexity, this noble wine has a bountiful, generous, heady style. It is just entering its plateau of maturity, where it should hold for 20–25 years. This is one of the candidates for wine of the vintage—make no mistake about that. These are two great successes in this vintage that have aged well and surprised me with their intensity and overall complexity.

Subtle, complex aromas of berries, licorice and currants. Full-bodied, with well-integrated tannins and a long finish. Very well-integrated wine. Lovely stuff. Wonderful length and finesse. Best after 2012. 20,000 cases made.

Spicy and rich, with a tobacco and berry character on the nose and palate. I love the nose. Full-bodied, with soft, velvety tannins that give so much. This goes on and on. Sexy and exciting right now, but leave this for five or six years. Find the wine

Deep smudgy garnet. Aromas of sweet fruit and spice and a touch of mocha. Some dark toffee and liquorice too over the plummy fruit. Texture drier than I expect but not out of balance. Some grip but the fruit is there to balance. Perhaps just starting to dry a little on the finish. It might live longer but I think the pleasure is to be had sooner rather than later. (JH)

The 2003 Lafite-Rothschild has an attractive perfumed bouquet with touches of camphor infusing the blackberry and bilberry fruit. There is a mahogany bureau hint. The palate is medium-bodied with a spicy opening. The sharp acidity slightly jars against the sweet candied black fruit, with blood orange and white pepper toward the mocha-tinged finish. It's missing a bit of sustain on the aftertaste, hence my more parsimonious score. It does cohere in the glass, so decanting will help. Tasted at the Académie du Vin dinner from ex-château magnum.

It had been several years since I last tasted this wine, and time has been kind to it. Now, it is supple, ostentatious, showy, and rich, with layers of ripe red berries, cedar, herbs, tobacco leaf, and spice. The wine is full, deep, and concentrated, with an opulent finish that is drinking beautifully today.

Dark ruby garnet, deep color core, purple reflections, brightening to rim. Sweet, attractive roasted aromas, exotic oak influence, hints of cedar, vanilla, coffee, licorice, plus cassis and candied purples. On the palate multi layered, dark berry fruit, vivid but silky tannins, richly structured but finessed. A highly elegant wine full of youthful charm, pleasant caramel notes on the finish, tremendous length, already very inviting, with good forward potential.

Somewhat closed Cabernet bouquet, dark-spiced with still pronounced toasted notes, cassis, smoke, dried black berries, fine pralines and precious woods. On the palate, extraordinarily tightly knit, typically Lafite with great nobility and a powerful presence. In the mid-palate, concentrated sweetness, dark berries and regal breed, somewhat reminiscent of the 2022. In the 2003 version it also shows clearly more roasted notes than Mouton, with a slightly astringent finish. In a way, both Lafite and Mouton are a reflection of the likewise hot but different 2022. In any case, they reminded me, each in their own style, of the 2022 en primeur tasting. The two Rothschild estates thus remain true to themselves.

04: Barrel sample: This is the first time I’ve awarded a barrel sample of Lafite the maximum score. This wine of the century is made up of the following components: 86% Cabernet Sauvignon (harvested from September 15 to 24), 9% Merlot (harvested from September 8 to 12), 3% Cabernet Franc (harvested on September 16) and 2% Petit Verdot (harvested on September 16 and 23). It showed the deepest color of all three Domaine wines presented (Carruades & Duhart); very dark garnet with black highlights. Pure black-berried, smoky, truffle, teakwood, Darjeeling – I have never experienced a Lafite with such nasal concentration and depth! On the palate, perfect, showing a dreamy Cabernet sweetness within the mouth-filling astringency, ripe, slightly dried plum skins, dried bananas, a hint of coconut and dark pralines, radiating that immense concentration again on the long finish. Could this be one of the very best Lafites I have ever tasted? In any case, in a few decades this wine will offer an experience perhaps akin to what the ’59 does today. (20/20). 06: In December at the Coburg in Vienna. Restrained bouquet, plenty of smoke, fine woods, truffle, noble and lofty. On the palate, compact, lots of peppery sweetness in the tannins, with plenty of cassis at the core, concentrated finish. A powerhouse Lafite at the very highest level. 08: Deep, dark purple with violet sheen. Comfortingly warm Cabernet terroir bouquet, umami and malt notes, leather, tobacco, currants and black berries, expansive with nobility. On the palate, sweet, full, showing lots of charm, dark pralines, cassis and Tahitian vanilla pods, malty finish with hints of rum, simply intoxicating and full of harmony! Illogically, already offering a first wave of pleasure. Or is it just a temporary high? At its core, clearly a wine of the century. Current rating: 19/20. Potential: 20/20. 13: Deep ruby-garnet with violet highlights. The nose is both beguiling and soothing, roasted almonds, café au lait, cassis, Damassine plums, a floral shimmer with an intoxicating blossom perfume. On the palate, infinitely many nuances, the tannins are tender and melt away over the elegant, very long palate flow. It was unquestionably the very best wine of this unforgettable Frutt wine weekend. I set the bottle aside for photographing and also… to pour myself a lovely second sip. Thank you Ruedi. With this experience you’ve set the bar quite high for the still young wine year. (20/20). 17: Magnum. The color is almost black. That may also be because – thanks to the magnum – there was quite a lot of wine in the Gabriel Gold glass. The nose releases a lot of power, smoke, licorice, pumpernickel, ribwort plantain. If Lafite hadn’t been on the label, I would have pegged it as Latour on the nose. On the palate, perfect, showing a mix of concentration and finesse, ground black pepper, vanilla pods, enormously concentrated extract, gigantic length. A dramatic wine that one might not necessarily classify as a great Lafite. Nor a typical Pauillac and certainly not a Bordeaux. But it definitely deserves one distinction: world-class! (20/20). 18: Medium-dark garnet, gently lightening at the rim, but showing no maturity tones yet. The bouquet is still black-berried and thus very fruity; at the same time, fine first terroir spice notes push in as cedar nuances and summer truffles into the multi-layered nose. It shows great olfactory stature. On the palate, elegant, very fine, accompanied by a black-berried fruit (blackberries and cassis). When you slurp it, it develops the autochthonous Lafite perfume. The finish is long and very concentrated and thus impressively persistent. Compared to other 2003s, it seems almost a little discreet at first. For a Lafite, however, this is not a flaw but a classic advantage. I was blown away during the tasting and couldn’t bring myself to spit this wine out. Well swallowed is somehow also spat! Lifetime guarantee: 40 years+. (20/20). 20: Deep garnet-purple, dense in the middle. From the very first nasal contact, this beautiful Pauillac delivers an enormously sweet parade. Sandalwood, fairground almonds, sultanas, light malt, caramel and a fruit presentation from blue to black berries. Due to the high ripeness of the grapes, you also find raisins and an almost buttery feel. The palate is Burgundian. Inside you notice the concentration but also the heat of this “tropical” Bordeaux year. The finish is beguiling and extremely sweet. An intoxicating, drug-like Lafite. Here you don’t quite know whether to wait. It can’t be such a bad idea, since it shows many parallels to its own 1959. (20/20). 21: Deep wine-red with a black core. Stunning power bouquet; cassis, licorice, smoke, truffle, fine woods and Dominican tobacco. On the second approach, it seems perfumed and shows a remaining hint of coconut, vanilla and sandalwood. Already on the nose a moving experience. I treated myself to several “rhino inhalations” before bringing the wine to the palate. On the palate, sheer complexity, balanced, already quite charming and yet still demanding astringency. The balance is superb. The finish, which tastes of dark caramel, rock candy, black berries and Earl Grey, echoes on endlessly. A Pauillac delicacy with juice and power. Beguiling, expansive, unforgettable. The day after, I had the chance to have Lafite 1959 in the glass. I believe it will resemble it quite closely at some point. When this might happen seems beyond my life expectancy. (20/20). 22: Deep purple with black highlights. Astonishingly sweet bouquet. Initially compote-like with manifold fruit aromas such as cherries, plums, honey, Málaga raisins, coconut and gianduja chocolate. An olfactory intoxication like no other. On the one hand showing the typically hot 2003 aromas. On the other hand, one hopes for what is to come that still lies beneath. On the palate, it flows over the tongue like a Chambertin, soft, silky and elegantly full. The finish gathers with dramatic complexity and impressive length. Has there ever been more Pauillac eroticism in the glass? With Mouton, certainly often. But with Lafite – in this brilliant form – never yet! (20/20).

Concentrated, complex, velvety, elegant, dark bouquet, cassis cream, plums, fine woods, black tea, mint. Concentrated, multi-layered, elegant, superb palate with plenty of fine tannins, dense, elegant, sensational structure, dense dark fruit, concentrated aromatics, very long, dense, multifaceted finish. 20/20 drink - 2050

A texture of evident nobility, great length, complex tannins, sumptuous finish, showcasing the measure of the vintage in Pauillac.

Logo on the cork: issue Dark, intense color with slight development. Very beautiful, intense nose: subtle, noble, and complex. Nuances of fruit, coffee, and cocoa. Delicate on the palate, melting and airy as it unfolds, highly fragrant, yet the wine loses intensity on the finish. A configuration quite similar to that of château Margaux 2000.

This is a splendid wine. Yes, it is more powerful than the usual aristocratic Lafites, but it still manages to retain a special air of great elegance and presence. The fruits are black, the tannins immensely powerful, the flavors are of black figs, dates, cocoa. At the end, there is a vibrant acidity that shows through, which promises a great life for this great wine. Imported by Diageo Chateau & Estates.