2012 Carruades De Lafite

A very good second wine from Lafite Rothschild, the 2012 Carruades de Lafite (53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot) shows dark ruby/plum/purple color, cedar wood, blackcurrants, medium-bodied, ripe tannin and a nice textured mouthfeel. It is very attractive, soft and ideal for drinking over the next 15 or more years.
89 Points
Robert M. Parker, Jr. - The Wine Advocate #218 April 2015

The second wine, the 2012 Carruades de Lafite is composed of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Soft, round, accessible and delicious, but uninspiring, it possesses a dark ruby/plum color, medium body and hints of lead pencil shavings intermixed with red and black currants and vanillin. Drink it over the next 7-8 years.

Charles Chevalier was candid in saying that the tropical heat wave, along with the poor flowering resulted in intense labor in the vineyard and during the harvest where triage was the operative word, and had to be done thoroughly and consistently. The 2012 Lafite Rothschild, a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.5% Merlot and 0.5% Petit Verdot, was the result of a harvest that took place between September 28 and October 9 for the Merlot, October 9-16 for the Cabernet Sauvignon. The small amount of Cabernet Franc included in the Carruades de Lafite was harvested on October 11 - 12. Only 38% of the production made it into the grand vin. If the 2012 fills out completely it could turn out similar to the 1998 Lafite.
89 Points
Robert M. Parker, Jr. - The Wine Advocate #206, April 2013