A legend in the making, Lafite’s 2018 vintage is all about finesse and quiet power. With Cabernet at its core, it shows off deep, dark fruit, graphite precision, and Lafite’s signature elegance. Reviews from across the board point to its purity, polish, and long aging potential—this one’s built for the long haul, but already impossible to ignore.

The Wine Advocate | RP 100
Published: Mar 31, 2021
Drink: 2028-2068

The 2018 Lafite Rothschild is blended of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.5% Merlot and 0.5% Petit Verdot and has 13.3% alcohol. Deep purple-black in color, it needs a fair bit of swirling to unlock intoxicating scents of blackcurrant cordial, baked plums and black cherry compote with an undercurrent of dark chocolate, licorice, cast-iron pan, cedar chest and fertile loam, plus a waft of pencil lead. The delicately crafted, medium-bodied palate is dripping with class, featuring layers of mineral-laced black fruits and exquisitely ripe, singularly Lafite tannins, finishing with epic length and depth. This simply stunning, delicately crafted expression of 2018 with its singularly evocative imprint of Lafite will require a good 7-8 years in bottle, then should continue to inspire awe over the following 40+ years. 

Jamessuckling.com | JS 99
Published: Jan 20, 2021

Wow. The aromas are so intense and refined at the same time, offering gorgeous blackcurrant, lead-pencil and orchid character. Such purity of fruit. Sleek and finely polished with a fine cut to the tannins that provide such grace and glamor. Yet, it’s got the power and structure to age for decades. On and on. Try after 2029.

Decanter | D 98
Published: Oct 26, 2024
Drink: 2030-2068

Perfumed on the nose with menthol, blackcurrant, liquorice, and creamy prunes, it is juicy and mellow on the palate, with chocolatey tannins. The relatively high alcohol (13.5%) reflects a hot and dry summer. Gentle yet powerful, the wine showcases an incredible concentration of black fruits, cedarwood, and roasted black coffee, leading into cassis. There is a soft grip towards the finish; it is ripe yet effortlessly elegant, like a fist hidden inside a velvet glove. The pure dark fruits linger endlessly. Tasted from magnum.
Closure: Natural Cork
Alcohol: 13.30%
Body: Full
Grapes: 91% Cabernet Sauvignon 8.5% Merlot 0.5% Petit Verdot

Wine Spectator | WS 97
Published: Mar 31, 2021

Very pure, with a sleek and extremely focused beam of cassis, black cherry puree and blackberry preserves streaming through, lined along the edges with savory, sweet bay leaf and black tea details. Those extra notes assert themselves through the finish, but without intruding too much on the fruit, letting it play out over a long iron spine. Hums with precision. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2030 through 2045.

Jancisrobinson.com | JR 18
Published: Jan 20, 2022
Drink: 2032-2055

Tasted blind. Savoury, deep. With some exotic notes. Relatively dry for a 2018. But sturdy and pretty impressive! Very youthful. Went down in the glass. 

Lafite.com

- 2018 -

Blend: ~91% Cabernet Sauvignon, ~8.5% Merlot, ~0.5% Petit Verdot · Alcohol: 13.3% 

Appearance & Nose:
Deep purple-black in color. Opens with intense aromas of crème de cassis, black cherry compote, black truffle, graphite, tobacco, cedar, licorice, and fertile loam—touches of pencil lead add classic Pauillac depth. 
Palate:
Medium-bodied yet layered, with mineral-backed black fruits, impeccably ripe, textured tannins, and polished structure. The palate is seamless, building steadily and laced with elegant freshness. 
Finish:
Epic length and depth, with lingering, spicy mineral notes and a refined, lingering grip.