The 2011 Carruades de Lafite is composed of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Soft berry fruit, underbrush, fresh herb and bay leaf characteristics as well as soft tannins, a velvety texture, and a medium-bodied, slightly superficial, but satisfying style suggest this 2011 should be consumed over the next 10-15 years. 87-89 points

Rich garnet hue. Suave and refine nose defined by mature fruit. Mellow palate laden with fruit and taste. More aromatic then tannic body. Beautifully elegant finish. A graceful, balanced and delicious wine. A blend of 55% cabernet sauvignon, 39% merlot, 2.5% petit verdot and 3.5% cabernet franc, whose quality the estate says was almost matching that of Lafite. Alcohol content 12°7. A beauty. 88-89 points

A blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 3.5% Cabernet Franc and 2.5% Petit Verdot, the Carruades has quite a voluminous bouquet, much more rounded thanks to that Merlot with blackberry , mulberry and sous-bois. The palate is much rounder and more forward that I was expected with soft, very supple tannins...this will be an approachable Carruades to drink for pleasure rather than intellectual return. 87-89 points

Described by the château as a classic year, the 2011s at Lafite are solid rather than spectacular, partly because it resorted to chaptalisation for the first time since 2007. This is fresh and focused, if a little insubstantial, with attractive cassis fruit, less oak than usual and a slightly firm, dry finish. 5+ years. 92 points