Rating wine is a very personal experience, says Ronald Rens. A wine rating is one individual opinion of one individual taster at one specific moment and we should be modest about the outcomes. I use the traditional 20 points scale where I sometimes add some half-points or even the occasional “+” or “–” when I want to add nuance. I have been using this 20-point scale over the last 30 years and it has served me well.
Château Lafite Rothschild 2018, 1er Grand Cru Classé, Pauillac The big smile on Technical Director Eric Kohler’s face when he welcomed me said it all. The weather conditions at Lafite in 2018 were challenging at first. The summer began very late: on July 16, when conditions changed from “extremely challenging” to “unbelievable” for them in Bordeaux. The vines were saved in that hot August by the reserves of water in the ground. Lafite created beautiful classical wines and Kohler’s secret was, “Not to be overwhelmed by the weather. The terroir combined with the weather and a lot of work gave the concentration, typical for the vintage. But we had to be precise to prevent over-ripeness. A gentle extraction was paramount. This vintage gave us a lot.”
Carruades de Lafite 2018 (18.5+ points)
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