2010 Château Lafite Rothschild Pauillac 750 ml

Decanter says it “epitomises why the vintage is so good,” and a decade into its life, this bottle is just starting to show its potential. It’s got the seamless architecture to go 50 years, but with a long decant, it will deliver spectacularly in the short term. Of course, the dream scenario would be to witness the evolution of this world-class bottle, decade by decade. 

Lafite is known for combining Pauillac’s innate power with an aristocratic elegance, and this wine thrills on both a visceral and an intellectual level. Aromas of cassis, graphite, macerated black cherries, white flowers, Tahitian vanilla, cocoa, and cigar box swirl in the glass, reaching parts of our brains that we forgot wine could touch. On the palate, there’s no extra fat, but plenty of power, along with endlessly fascinating layers of flavor. It’s the Platonic form of Left Bank Bordeaux, with a long, long life ahead of it.

Lafite has been one of the iconic wines of France since Louis XV and Thomas Jefferson both sang its praises in the 1700s, and remains one of the most collectible wines in the world. That status means the winery can afford to reinvest in quality like few others, from intensive vineyard management all the way to the cellar.

Lafite has their own cooperage, a rare luxury that allows them to tailor each barrel to its specific vineyard block. Combine that with various sizes of wood, stainless steel, and concrete fermentation tanks and you have a recipe for nearly unmatched precision in the vinification and aging of their wines.

2010 was characterized by a dry summer and fall, which allowed for perfect ripening of small, concentrated berries. Wine Spectator thinks it’s the best ever in the Left Bank, awarding the vintage a 99-point score, and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate has it tied with 1990 and 1982—two of Bordeaux’s all-time-great years.