95-
96
JAMES SUCKLING: "A savory and juicy Carruades with softness and notes of ripe berry, cedar and dried tobacco. Like Lafite from the 1980s but more precise. Round and pretty. It really grows on the finish with such sweetness of fruit and length. Pointed, fine tannins at the end. Very long. A blend of 60% cabernet sauvignon and 40% merlot."
18+
WEINWISSER: "60 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 40 % Merlot. Dicht verwobenes Bouquet, zarte rotbeerige Konturen, rein und präzise, frischer Schattenmorellensaft, Johannisbeernektar, helles Graphit und Blutorangenzeste. Am tiefgründigen Gaumen mit seidiger Textur, engmaschigem reifem Tanningerüst, energiegeladener Rasse und komplexem Körper. Im konzentrierten langen Abgang Waldhimbeere, tiefschürfende Terroirwürze und ein erhabenes Finale – hier ist alles am richtigen Platz – hat mich noch nie so überzeugt wie in diesem Jahr. Kann noch zulegen."
95
FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Zarte Kräuterwürze, reife Kirschfrucht. Stoffig, reife rote Frucht, elegant, straffe, integrierte Tannine, mineralisch-salzig im Abgang, bleibt gut haften, zitroniger Touch, ein finessenreicher Speisenbegleiter, dynamisch, frisch und delikat im Nachhall."
94
DECANTER: "Quite a strong and intense nose, dark fruits, bramble, liquorice and dark chocolate. Some hints of perfume at the back. Lovely firmness and sense of youth, bright and buzzy, so much energy and liveliness. High acidity, piercing and direct gives this a sharpness but with bounce too, so it’s not too straight or too hard. The opposite of serious. Almost tart but then expands and with the powdery tannins giving weight towards the finish ending on a slightly herbal, spiced note. Vibrant with punchy red fruits; cranberry and strawberry. Energy but controlled and directed with good persistence, all in balance and harmonious. A great second wine. 12% press. 3.7pH. No Petit Verdot in the blend this year."
93
VINUM: "Zum ersten Mal mit nur zwei Traubensorten, 60% Cabernet, 40% Merlot. Verführerischer Duft, charmant am Gaumen, feingliedrig, gradlinig, druckvoll, zeigt Würze im rotfruchtigen Finish. Wird früh Spass machen, kann reifen."
92-
94
JEB DUNNUCK: "The second wine of this reference point château, the 2023 Carruades De Lafite is based on 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot, resting in 50% new French oak. Crème de cassis, graphite, wildflowers, spicy wood, and lead pencil notes all define the aromatics, and it's medium-bodied, with a focused, classic Lafite elegance, ample mid-palate depth, and ripe tannins. I love its overall purity, balance, and length."
92-
94
LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "The 2023 Carruades de Lafite is deep garnet-purple in color. After a swirl or two, a beautiful perfume of rose oil and lavender is released, opening out to a classic core of cassis, fresh plums, and pencil lead with a touch of red, iron-rich soil. The light to medium-bodied palate is delicately styled, with compelling vibrancy and nice, ripe, fine-grained tannins supporting the black fruits, finishing long and fragrant. This is very pretty! The blend is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot, with pH 3.70. The alcohol is 13.2%."
92-
94
THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Spicy, floral, and fruity in the nose, with its red, black, and blue aromatics, you quickly move to the soft, silky, elegant, fragrant, medium-bodied palate. This is a bright, fresh, charming wine that even though it does not feel weighty, it is sneaky in its length, as it lingers on the palate, with fruit, as well as freshness. The wine is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 40% Merlot. It is interesting to note this is the first vintage in ages, if not ever, with only 2 vintages in the blend. 13.2% ABV, 3.7 pH. The wine consists of roughly 35% of the harvest.15% press wine. Drink from 2027-2042."
91-
93
THE WINE ADVOCATE: "A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot, the 2023 Carruades de Lafite is lovely, bursting with aromas of minty blackberries, cassis and cigar box, followed by a medium to full-bodied, fleshy and layered palate that's creamy and textural, its generous core of fruit largely concealing its powdery structuring tannins, concluding with a long, resonant finish."
17
JANCIS ROBINSON: "Crunchy, gourmand fruit allied to a suave, velvety texture. Dense and well structured with a certain tension on the finish. Drink 2030 – 2042"
