1981

Château Lafite Rothschild

AOC Pauillac, Bordeaux, France

The vintage

We had a relatively mild winter, a beautiful and dry April and a rainy May. The summer was dry and hot. Ripening took place in excellent conditions. The first storms in mid-September were beneficial as the vines were beginning to feel thirsty. Finally, October was relatively fine, with a night wind that dried the dew, and was favourable to the harvest.
Harvesting began on 1 October with very ripe grapes and ended on the 16th of the month. But the harvest period was marked by some rain.

Location

Pauillac is located on the left bank of the Gironde estuary, approximately 40km North of Bordeaux. With the tempering influence of the estuary and a great diversity of soils originated from both the Massif Central and the Pyrenees, Pauillac boasts exceptional climatic and geological conditions to make outstanding wines.

Terroir

Chateau Lafite Rothschild is located to the north of the appellation, bordering Saint Estèphe. Lafite's best terroirs stretch on the 50ha Plateau des Carruades to the west of the Château. This plateau, which is the highest point of the Pauillac appellation, is well-drained and enjoys optimal sun exposure. Its clayey gravel soils offer excellent water regulating abilities, and provide optimal ripening conditions for the Cabernet Sauvignon.
Some 4.5 ha planted in the neighbouring Saint Estephe appellation, count amongst the oldest vines of the property and provide year after year grapes of outstanding quality for the Grand Vin.

Winemaking

While many vats finished their fermentation without problems, some were lazy at the end of the run, requiring intensive care to avoid accidents. In the end, the whole thing ended well, with some malolactic processes being carried out "in the nick of time", as soon as the wines were run off. The 1981 vintage has an intense ruby red colour and a very marked fruity flavour.