Lafite Reserve Speciale Pauillac is a red Bordeaux wine made by Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) from grapes grown in the Pauillac wine-growing appellation of Bordeaux. It is made using grapes harvested from younger vines at Château Duhart Milon and Chateau Lafite itself. The wine is made with the same attention to detail that Lafite use for their Grand Vin.
Chateau Lafite is located in the northern tip of the Pauillac appellation, just below its boundary with St Estephe. The gravelly soils here are paticularly suited to Cabernet Sauvignon and the vineyards are planted with 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. The concept for the Lafite Reserve Speciale Pauillac of wines was created to offer Lafite’s their consumers a taste of different Bordeaux wines from the five major appellations in Bordeaux: Bordeaux Rouge, Bordeaux Blanc, Médoc, Saint-Emilion and Pauillac.
Lafite Reserve Speciale Pauillac is created with the greatest possible respect for tradition, in a similar style to the Châteaux wines, but for more immediate drinking. The structure is less concentrated than the Grand Vin or Carraudes it offers earlier drinking and a taste of the famous Lafite terroir at a fraction of the cost. An Indian summer in 2014 produced optimal ripening conditions for the vines and the grapes reached a balance between sugar, acidity and phenols worthy of a great vintage. The Cabernet Sauvignon benefited from the superb late season and offered excellent quality in 2014. Lafite Reserve Speciale Pauillac is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot aged for 3 to 9 months in vat, 40% in oak.
