Chateau Lafite Rothschild 2024

It’s always lovely to taste with Saskia de Rothschild, and her fabulously chilled-out comment, “This is an early drinking, accessible Lafite for a new clientele”, is certainly accurate, although I am sure old duffers and even middle-aged wine connoisseurs will be queuing up for this vintage, too. Whispers abounded that the Lafite family of wines would be endeavouring to attach CPR pads to the notion of En Primeur purchasing by coming out early and with eye-catching prices. Let’s hope this is borne out because this is not only a wine for newcomers and experts alike, but if this vintage turns out to be anyone’s first sip of this famous First Growth, it is a cosmic place to start. Linear, lithe, cool, chiselled and dynamic, this is a long, pure, pristine wine with hints of sea spray, fresh-picked blueberries and thrillingly carnal new leather nuances among the glorious summer pudding core. There is musicality, levity, grace and direction here, and the very first words at the top of my tasting pad were ‘modern Lafite for a new era’! The control and beauty found are effortless and sensationally well-balanced. The tannins and acidity lose nothing in translation, balancing the medium-weight fruit with trueness and thrilling sense equilibrium. Forget vintage reports, the various trials and tribulations and Lafite’s own running theme of battling through the elements while rounding Cape Horn on a galley; this is quite simply as ‘Lafite’ as any vintage I have tasted in a long while, and the fact that it tastes so singular, identifiable and delicious, makes me love it more. I am awarding a QP here on rumour alone. Let’s hope I don’t delete it in post-production!

• Reviewer Name: Matthew Jukes