On the eve of the celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of the acquisition of Château Lafite by the Rothschild family, our teams faced major challenges due to the capricious weather conditions. From December to July, unremitting rain increased the risk of mildew and hail. The summer only really started in mid-July with very high, sometimes extreme heat, which helped to restore the vines’ health and set us on the path to a great vintage.
After the exceptionally challenging start to the growth cycle, our fears turned to joy during the final weeks as we saw 2018 developing the qualities of a magnificent vintage. When it came to the harvests, we were able to focus solely on obtaining optimal ripeness. The perfect health of the grapes enabled us to apply rigorous standards to the quality of our Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, which proved to be exceptional.

After a rather mild winter, there were two nights of severe frost in the spring, on 26 and 27 April, which inflicted major damage on Bordeaux’s vineyards. Miraculously, Lafite emerged unscathed.
Conditions then became excellent, with higher than usual temperatures and balanced, well-spaced rainfall. Flowering was early, and by mid-June the fruit had set almost two weeks earlier than usual. After some quite heavy rain at the end of June, temperatures remained slightly below average for the rest of the summer. This enabled a slow, steady ripening of the grapes from “mi-véraison” (the middle of the period when the grapes change colour) to mid-September when the harvests began. A final rainy spell from 10 to 20 September disrupted the otherwise perfect weather, without impacting the quality of the grapes. The wines confirmed great potential, revealing a fairly classic character.

2016 was characterized in Bordeaux by a very uniform climate, resulting in a good quality vintage for the entire region. Bud break occurred around the normal time, although the spring was rather rainy and cold. June was particularly overcast and cool, but flowering nevertheless took place in good conditions. The summer was hot and very dry, almost too dry at the beginning of September, with ripening becoming hindered in some cases due to water stress. Lafite’s superb terroir was perfectly able to cope with these conditions, and we were able to wait without undue concern for the very welcome rain on 13 September. This created optimal conditions for the final ripening of the grapes, which were able to reach exceptional levels of maturity.

A recurring phenomenon in recent years, the beginning of the winter was mild and dry, and it was only at the end of January that beneficial colder temperatures arrived, accompanied by rain. Bud break began in early April as usual, and the vines then grew quickly, as they had ample reserves of water and the weather was mild. In June, flowering was early and uniform, which is always a promising sign.
The influence of the Atlantic ocean and the Gironde estuary helped to reduce the effect of a somewhat hot summer with high temperatures. Water stress was high, but rain in August brought the freshness required for the grapes to change colour and then to ripen perfectly. Conditions were ideal during the harvests, enabling us to obtain optimal ripeness for each plot.

Significant rainfall from November to February restored groundwater reserves, which had already been substantially replenished by average or higher than average rain in 2012 and 2013.
Temperatures remained above normal and the vines missed the hearty winter frosts; what we really wanted were about two weeks of crisp mornings with beautiful sunshine, dry cold and no wind. But you cannot control nature! Bud break was early, followed by uniform flowering during the first week of June, spurred on by a rise in temperatures.
As always, the impact of the weather on the vineyard was our primary concern, and our teams worked throughout the year to ensure that the grapes reach maturity in perfect health. The onset of ripening occurred over two periods, first in late July and then again after 15 August, creating differences in the ripeness of the bunches on the same vine.
Some “juggling” was therefore necessary when it came to the harvests, in order to make the best choices; the pickers and sorters were under strict orders to only keep the very best quality red grapes, suited to the production our Pauillac grand vins.

The very wet, cold winter resulted in work in the vineyard being considerably delayed; bud break was late, and flowering was three weeks later than the average for the last 50 years; the changeable weather resulted in some flower abortion and uneven grape size, and therefore in lower potential yields than usual. Then at the end of June, the weather suddenly changed, and it was if we were in the middle of the summer with no transitional period; there were however several localized storms (on 27 July and 2 August, depending on location).

The situation became somewhat challenging from 15 September: there was rain, sun and a long wait for the grapes to fully ripen, even though they had partially caught up from the late start; things then became more delicate at the end of September, when it became clear there was a risk of “explosive” growth of botrytis! It was like a race with no time to warm up, and we had to find all the pickers we could to go as quickly as possible. Fortunately, the sorting teams were very efficient despite the difficult harvest. The usual picking sequence for the red wine grapes had to be adjusted in order to minimize the impact of the botrytis and to take into account the potential to make the first or second wine.

2012 was characterized by difficult weather conditions in the Bordeaux region.
After a relatively mild winter, the spring was mostly wet and rainy, especially April, with a hail storm on the 24th. Such conditions hampered fertilization, leading to fears of reduced yields. Work in the vineyard was as vital as ever.
June and July alternated heat and humidity. The weather became more stable from the beginning of August, enabling the healthy grapes to finish ripening in good conditions.
Nevertheless, there was considerable variation in their degrees of ripeness and a great deal of sorting work was carried out by our teams from the end September.

The weather conditions for the 2011 vintage were unusual and required all of our technical teams’ vigilance and expertise.
This was a very early vintage, with an exceptionally hot spring, low rainfall at the beginning of the year, but then more in the summer, and a persistent threat of powdery mildew (a vine disease that is usually quite rare in the Bordeaux region). Finally, just as we were getting ready to harvest, a huge hail storm in the north of Pauillac and Saint Estèphe on 1 September obliged us to reorganize the picking schedule. The plots that had been affected had to be picked first; fortunately, as a result of the conditions, the grapes had ripened early, and quality was not compromised.

The vineyard cycle began with a cold, relatively wet winter, resulting in a slightly later bud break than in 2009, in mid-April. Growth was then boosted by dry, sunny weather for the rest of the month. May and June were characterized by alternating periods of rain and sunshine. June began with a cold spell that complicated the flowering of the Merlot, resulting in flower abortion and uneven grape size.
Fortunately, July was very dry (less than 20 mm of rain) with relatively high temperatures, which helped the vines to catch up from the delayed flowering. August and September were very dry, with beautiful daytime temperatures and cool nights creating ideal conditions for the grapes to slowly reach optimal ripeness.

The beginning of the growth cycle was a tricky period due to a rather warm, very wet spring. The teams had to be particularly vigilant in order to protect the vines.
Fine, stable weather returned in June and continued throughout the summer. In fact conditions became drought like, interspersed in July, August and September with welcome periods of light rain. Plenty of sunshine, with temperatures that were high without becoming scorching, and fairly cool nights enabled slow ripening that pushed the start of the harvests back to the end of September. Exceptionally favourable weather conditions, crowned by harvests in the sun, made for a vintage that was certain to be outstanding.

The growing season was closely monitored, coming after a severe winter and some spring frost. Flowering was not very productive, constant humidity favoured disease and the summer was moderately warm. Fortunately, September was fine and so it was possible to wait for the grapes to fully ripen, with late harvests.

Plentiful rain during the winter replenished the groundwater levels; the end of the cold damp winter was marked by a very early bud break. Temperatures in March and April were quite high, which was good for growth. From then until August the weather was grey and mild, without extremes. Luckily from the beginning of September the weather was fine and stable, which enabled the grapes to ripen in peace. Complete ripening for the sugars, tannins and skins was only reached 125 days after flowering – a longer than usual growth season in a year with 13 lunar cycles.

The winter was colder and wetter than in other recent vintages. This was followed by a rather warm spring through to July that led to an early change in the grapes’ colour and good ripening. August was then colder but September was sunny, except for a stormy spell in mid-September which accelerated the harvests.

2005 was the fourth consecutive year to have a deficit in rainfall, but the drought began very early, at the end of May, which allowed the vines to adapt by reducing their leaf area. The very hot weather in June and July gave way to progressively cooler weather in August and the cool nights allowed good acidity levels to be maintained, resulting in slow steady ripening. A year of atypical weather but in the end ideal for the production of healthy, very ripe grapes with wonderful freshness.

After a rainy winter and a cold spring, June and July were dry and warm. August was mild and in September the weather was good without being very warm, which led to slow ripening and the harvests being pushed back to the end of September. Patience was needed to wait for the grapes to become perfectly ripe.

2003 will always be a memorable vintage due to the heatwave in the Bordeaux region and in the country generally. A two-week period spell of scorching heat suddenly arrived in August, with temperatures rising above 40°C. Rainfall was very low throughout the vines’ cycle (555 mm between October 2002 and September 2003, compared to an average of 850 mm) but the soil remained relatively cool and the vines did not suffer from a lack of water.
Our work in the vineyard had to be adapted to deal with these exceptional conditions. Leaf removal operations were thus reduced in order to protect the vines from the scalding effect of the heat.
Fortunately, water reserves in the soil and more moderate temperatures from the start of September enabled the ripening process to be completed. weather in 2003 saw an exceptional heat wave in the first half of August with temperatures exceeding 40°C, together with low rainfall throughout the growth cycle.

The early bud break due to a warm, dry winter was followed by a rather cold, rainy period during flowering which led to coulure (flower abortion) and millerandage (poor fertilization with mixed size berries). From the beginning of June, the yield was expected to be low. The rather cool July and August brought the same unexceptional weather as the preceding months. However, this did not stop the grapes changing colour and slowly ripening.
The weather was excellent as the harvests approached; September was superb, sunny and dry with a north-east wind which accelerated the ripening process.

After a very damp winter and very mild temperatures, bud break was early. The vines flowered uniformly during the usual period. The summer was alternately warm and cloudy until the harvests – July was rather cool, August rather warm and September cool again with some rain. Ripening was fairly uniform and the harvest took place in very good conditions.

A relatively early growing season with above average temperatures and normal rainfall. Rain at the end of May and early June made the vines vulnerable to mildew, but our technicians were diligent in protecting the vines. The end of summer was beautiful, and the hot, dry weeks in August and September resulted in very ripe grapes.

The winter was mild, as has been the case for most of the decade, followed by a fine spring and early flowering. From July until mid-August, humid days with partly sunny skies raised the threat of rot and botrytis, which can come on quickly and ravage the vines. Fortunately, the weather was scorching hot from 15 August until the harvests. These were conducted in record time in rainy weather.
This was a gamble: we needed to harvest ripe grapes in the minimum amount of time. This vintage was made with four grape varieties, which is rare, but also happened in 1996 (Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot are rarely used together in the Grand Vin). 

We were concerned that a rainy harvest might dash our high hopes founded on the early bud break, uniform flowering, dry spring and scorching August. But very fortunately there was no rain until the harvests had already begun. The grapes were moistened but not harmed, in what was perhaps a case of divine intervention.

The secateurs were brought out on 8 September to snip off the first bunches of Merlot: this early harvest came after ideal winter and spring weather. However, the summer turned out to be rather rainy. Fortunately, like the year before, a glorious September enabled us to pick the grapes in the sunshine.
This was one of the longest harvests ever to take place at Lafite. Very careful sorting was carried out to ensure that only healthy bunches were selected. 

The growing season was excellent in 1996, with optimal conditions for the initial part of the growth cycle. August was then difficult, cold, and rainy; drenching the winegrowers’ spirits. Fortunately this was followed by a gloriously sunny September.

A very sunny year with a dry summer. Early in September, we had some light rain that was good for the grapes. The harvests began at the normal dates with well-ripened grapes. 

The harvests took place in excellent weather conditions. At the beginning of the winemaking process, the grapes showed tremendous potential with exceptional results after maceration.

The harvest was conducted under overcast skies, with alternating rain and sun, but ending on a sunny note. 

A difficult year, in terms of weather. The harvests took place on the usual date, accompanied by overcast skies and some rain. The grapes were nonetheless in fine shape at the end of the harvest, giving us an excellent surprise at the completion of fermentation. 

A classic harvest with alternating rain and sun, but all the properties had already suffered the worst frosts in decades.

The yield was abundant and of outstanding quality. Excellent weather conditions for the harvests.

No winemaker had seen such early harvests: the earliest since 1893. Beginning at the end of August, the grapes were ripe and extraordinarily sweet. While early ripening does not always lead to the best wines, we were sure that, for the reds, this would be an excellent vintage, and the wines that it produced are truly delicious. 

The terrible battle in June against mildew was won thanks to the progress that has been made in the use of fungicides; this was followed by a hot, dry summer and September that enabled the grapes to fully ripen. 

A hot, dry summer was followed by heavy rain which lasted throughout the harvests, resulting in low yields. The final result was nonetheless very satisfactory. 

At the dawn of the 1986 harvests, after half a decade of success, the winemakers and wine enthusiasts were sceptical of yet another fine vintage. Yet a fine vintage it was: excellent spring weather followed by a dry summer with occasional light rain, led to a very abundant, high-quality yield. The wines are almost black in colour, very concentrated without being heavy, with distinguished, dominant tannins.

The 1985 vintage signals a return to excellent quality. The same weather conditions as in 1982, i.e. continuous sunshine from July to September, produced similar results: grapes with thick skins, with condensed, supple tannins and intense aromas. These grapes have produced full-bodied, velvety wines, with complex bouquets, possibly even more elegant than the 1982 vintage. Ideal weather in September made 1985 an exceptional vintage, even recalling the Médoc’s fabulous wines of 1953.