Home
: 2000 Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac

2000 Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac

SKU #1003931 100 points James Suckling

Outer quote mark The nose is fresh, bright, and dense. With aromas of violets, minerals, spices, cool stones, mint, dark fruits, and plum skins, this is beautiful. Very much still a baby right now, it needs much more time. This is a wine for the next generation. Finesse and elegance, truly a wine that makes you contemplate life. This is not about power, there is really nothing like it. Inner quote mark (2/2011)

99 points Wine Enthusiast

Outer quote mark Perhaps of all the first growths in the totally un-classic 2000, this retains most of the classic Bordeaux. It is certainly almost black in color, while the new wood flavors are very present. But it shows an impressive restraint, leaving the power of the wine to be revealed over the years rather than immediately. This could well be the longest-lived of the Pauillac first growths. *Best of 2003* (RV) Inner quote mark (6/2003)

98 points Decanter

Outer quote mark A baby, still barely evolved at 20 years old, perhaps the slowest out of the block of all Five Firsts at this point in their lives. Savoury black fruits, elegant yet concentrated, extremely Cabernet and extremely Lafite. The power comes slowly, expanding through the palate to show graphite, pencil shavings, cigar smoke, all with firm acidities and a fantastic grip. 46% of the overall crop went into this wine in the 2000 vintage. A brilliant example of the success at Lafite under the longtime triumvirate of owner Baron Éric de Rothschild, CEO Christophe Salin and estate director Charles Chevallier. Drinking Window 2020 - 2045 (JA) Inner quote mark (7/2020)

98 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Outer quote mark Since I gave this wine a perfect score, I suppose some could see this as a downgrade. I found everything still there for a perfect rating, but I was just struck by how tight and backward the wine was. A blend of 93.3% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot, the wine still has a dark ruby/purple color and an extraordinarily youthful nose of graphite, black currants, sweet, unsmoked cigar tobacco, and flowers. The wine is rich, medium to full-bodied, but has that ethereal elegance and purity that is always Lafite. (RP) 98+ Inner quote mark (6/2010)

98 points Vinous

Outer quote mark The 2000 Lafite-Rothschild is utterly sublime. Delicate, sensual and wonderfully nuanced, the 2000 is majestic. The purity of the fruit is simply striking. (AG) Inner quote mark (11/2017)

98 points Wine Spectator

Outer quote mark This is remarkably young, with a deep well of succulent black currant, fig and blackberry fruit notes that feel 10 years younger than most peers, carried by wave upon wave of velvety tannins. Despite the density and heft, there's glorious length and finesse too, with alluring black tea, smoldering charcoal and warm paving stone notes just starting to emerge. Awesome wine. (JM, Web-2016) Inner quote mark

96 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Outer quote mark Full medium ruby. Flamboyantly perfumed aromas of cassis, graphite and tobacco, lifted by a floral nuance and stony minerality. Very young and precise but not austere or forbidding. A remarkably rich, silky, seamless Lafite with superb vibrancy for the vintage. Tannins are noble and the aristocratic finishing flavors go on and on. (ST) Inner quote mark (6/2003)

Jancis Robinson

Outer quote mark Dark ruby - same colour as Ch Margaux 2000. Very light - almost soapy - on the nose. Lots of chew and potential. Polished sinewy tanins but not nearly ready - however many bottles have already been drunk in China! Appetising but wait. Green notes at the moment. This has length and potential. (JR) 18.5/20 points Inner quote mark (3/2010)

K&L Notes

97 points, Neal Martin for Vinous: "The 2000 Lafite-Rothschild is a millennial First Growth that bided its time and let greatness come naturally. Now, as it begins to reach its drinking window, it is starting to “find its groove”. This is the best showing after half-a-dozen encounters. Youthful in color, the bouquet remains pure and well defined, with trademark black fruit, graphite and cedar, though this particular example exhibited a touch more blue fruit. Whilst the aromatics are more understated than those of the 2000 Latour, there is a sense of panache. The palate is medium-bodied with irresistible lithe tannins that are neatly interwoven into the intense black fruit with veins of graphite and fresh tobacco, the former more conspicuous towards the finish. The 2000 is utterly graceful, and although it is not what you might tag a “barnstorming” performance, it is nonetheless one heavenly Pauillac that is just up to the second of a dozen chapters. Tasted at the Lafite-Rothschild dinner at Amuse Bouche in Hong Kong." (07/2018)

Share |

2000 Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac

Price: $1,449.99

Quantity:

Real Time Inventory by location:

The item you have chosen is not in stock in our retail stores or within our main warehouse.

Product turnaround time varies by location of inventory and your chosen method of shipping/pickup. For a detailed explanation click here.

We think you’ll also like

Product Reviews:

Additional Information:

Varietal:

Cabernet Sauvignon and Blends

- Cabernet Sauvignon has come a long way from its role as a blending varietal, however dominant, in the wines of Bordeaux. Today it is the most planted red varietal in the world. Identified as a descendent of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, the late-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon needs to be planted in warmer climates to fully ripen. Its small berries can easily be identified for their distinctive blue color, thick skins and high tannins. And while the varietal has its own definitive characteristics: green pepper-like aromas and black currant flavors among them, it is perhaps most prized for its ability to convey terroir, vintage and winemaking. A relatively new varietal, Cabernet Sauvignon started making inroads into the wines of the Médoc and Graves in the late-18th century. Today it is also dominant in the up-and-coming Entre-Deux-Mers region of Bordeaux and can also be found in Southwest France. It is the companion varietal to Sangiovese in Italy's Super Tuscans and is planted all over Europe, stretching to lesser-known winegrowing regions like Russia and Lebanon. In the Americas Cabernet Sauvignon has found champions in every nook and cranny of California and among winemakers in Washington, where it complements plantings of Merlot. In South America, Cab thrives in Chile, but can also be found in smaller amounts in Argentina and even in Mexico.

Country:

France

- When it comes to wine, France stands alone. No other country can beat it in terms of quality and diversity. And while many of its Region, Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne most obviously, produce wine as rare, as sought-after and nearly as expensive as gold, there are just as many obscurities and values to be had from little known appellations throughout the country. To learn everything there is to know about French wine would take a lifetime. To understand and appreciate French wine, one only has to begin tasting them.

Sub-Region:

Bordeaux

Specific Appellation:

Pauillac

- Pauillac is probably the most famous village in Bordeaux. Located between St. Julien and St. Estephe, it has more of the top ranked chateau than the other four appellations of the Haut Medoc. This area has three of the five premier cru classe wineries: Lafite Rothschild, Latour, and Mouton Rothschild. There are two of the top second-growths (Pichon Lalande and Pichon Baron) as well as several outstanding fourth and fifth-growth chateaux including Lynch Bages. Because of the gravely soils and great drainage, Pauillac has the ideal conditions to grow great Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines from this village are some of the longest-lived in Bordeaux.