Carruades de Lafite
WHY BUY IT ?
- Second wine of Château Lafite Rothschild, 1st Grand Cru Classé
- Features close to the Grand Vin with a clean personality linked to a higher proportion of Merlot
- A vineyard of international renown
- An alternative to Lafite’s first Grand Cru classé: this wine becomes a real institution in China
- Very good scores for the last vintages
Histoire
The historical origin of the name comes from the Carruades plateau, name of a set of parcels adjoining the rump of the castle and acquired in 1845 by Château Lafite. In the twentieth century, the Carruades are marketed separately from the distribution channel of Château Lafite Rothschild. The name of Carruades is then taken again for the second wine of Château Lafite, it is first called “Moulin des Carruades” then “Carruades de Lafite” since the 1980s.
Terroir
The Carruades enjoy a unique terroir and characteristics close to the great wine, given the refined selection of the latter for twenty years. This wine also has its own personality, linked to a higher proportion of Merlot in its composition and plots now well identified as producing Carruades. The varietals associated in the wine are 50 to 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30 to 50% Merlot and a variation that can range from 0 to 5% Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. In 2010, Lafite refined its system by building two vats consisting of several dozen small capacity vats. A merlot vat (50 to 125 hl cement vats) and a division vat (30 to 70 hl stainless steel vats) dedicated to malolactic fermentation.
Tasting
At the tasting, this second wine offers a very supple and round attack. Carruades de Lafite then presents young and lively tannins but of a beautiful quality that the time will reveal then wonderfully. A harmonious and complex nectar.
Their Team
- Technical Director: Eric KOHLER
- Oenologist and winemaker: Christophe CONGE
- Head of vineyards: Régis PORFILET
