Château Lafite-Rothschild 1999
Pauillac, 1er cru classé
10 bottles per lot

ABOUT THE WINE
The name Lafite comes from the Gascon language term "la hite", which means "hillock". The estate is situated at the northern end of Pauillac, close to Cos d'Estournel which is just over the border in St.-Estephe. The vineyard consists of three major areas: the hillsides around the Château, the adjacent Carruades plateau to the west, and 4.5 hectares in neighboring Saint Estephe (which is entitled to the Pauillac appellation).The estate is run by a team overseen by Technical Director Charles Chevallier. Only minimal interventions of fertilizers are used. Yields are kept low and harvesting is done by hand in approximately 12 days by up to 350 pickers. Grapes are sorted in the vineyard before being brought in to the two reception bays where different plots are vinifed separately. Fermentation takes place half in traditional oak vats which are equipped with computerized temperature control with maceration on the skins for between 18 and 25 days. Malolactic fermentation also takes place in vats before the wine is transferred into 100% new oak barriques (the estate produces its own barrels in their cooperage) where it remains for between 18 to 20 months until bottling after regular rackings and fining with egg whites. Lafite is renowned for its finesse and subtlety and is often considered as more accessible young than a Château Latour or Mouton Rothschild, as Stephen Brook in his book, The Complete Bordeaux summarized; "for elegance choose Lafite."