Château Lafite Rothschild Carruades de Lafite 1995

Carruades de Lafite 1995 is the celebrated second wine of Château Lafite Rothschild, offering a classic taste of Pauillac elegance at a more approachable level than the Grand Vin. From an excellent Bordeaux vintage, this wine captures the estate’s signature refinement, structure, and precision in a supple, ready-to-drink style. Blending 60% Cabernet Sauvignon with 40% Merlot, it mirrors many of Lafite’s hallmark characteristics while delivering earlier-drinking charm and accessibility.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, the 1995 Carruades de Lafite shows a deep garnet core with brick-orange reflections at the rim, a graceful sign of its maturity. The nose is immediately inviting, with notes of blackcurrant and ripe plum layered over cedar, pencil shavings, and fine-grained new oak, accented by hints of tobacco, dried violets, and a touch of warm spice. On the palate, this is a medium-bodied, finely balanced Pauillac, emphasizing finesse over power. Silky tannins frame flavors of cassis, red and black berries, and a gentle creaminess of fruit, supported by subtle vanilla, cigar box, and graphite. The wine shows excellent purity and poise, with a long, harmonious finish that underlines its classic Left Bank character. While originally projected to drink beautifully through around 2010, well-stored bottles can still offer rewarding, fully mature enjoyment today, though they should be approached as a wine at or beyond its plateau rather than for extended further aging.

Production
Sourced from the gravel-rich vineyards of Pauillac in the Médoc, Carruades de Lafite benefits from the same exceptional terroir as Château Lafite Rothschild: deep gravel soils over limestone and clay, ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot adding suppleness and charm. Grapes for Carruades are typically harvested by hand, parcel by parcel, ensuring careful selection in the vineyard. The 1995 blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot was traditionally vinified in temperature-controlled vats, followed by élevage in French oak barrels, with a proportion of new oak that lends the wine its subtle spice, structure, and polish while maintaining Lafite’s hallmark elegance and restraint.

Food & Serving
This mature Pauillac pairs beautifully with classic dishes such as roast lamb with rosemary, grilled or braised beef, duck breast, and game birds. It also works well with earthy mushroom dishes, truffle-infused cuisine, and aged hard cheeses like Comté or mature Cheddar. Serve at 16–18°C (60–64°F) to highlight its complexity without emphasizing alcohol or tannin. Given its age, decant gently for about 30 minutes to an hour to remove sediment and allow the wine to open, but avoid overly long decanting, as an older wine’s delicate aromas can fade with extended exposure to air.

Producer
Château Lafite Rothschild is one of Bordeaux’s most revered First Growth estates, with a documented history dating back to at least the 17th century and a central role in establishing Pauillac’s global reputation for great Cabernet-based wines. Classified as a Premier Cru in the 1855 Classification, Lafite has long been synonymous with grace, longevity, and aristocratic structure. Carruades de Lafite, the estate’s second wine, is crafted from parcels and selections that do not make it into the Grand Vin but still reflect the same meticulous vineyard management and cellar practices. Over the past decades, Carruades has become one of the most sought-after second wines in Bordeaux, prized for delivering Lafite’s signature style in a more approachable, earlier-drinking form.

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