Lafite Rothschild 2017 has been released, making it the final First Growth to come out this year.
Lafite Rothschild 2017 is being released at an estimated price of €420 per bottle ex-negociant, down 8% on the 2016 release of €455. It is being offered by the trade at £4,870 per 12×75, a decrease of 19% in sterling terms on the 2016 release of £6,000 per case.
Critical reception
Critics have praised this year’s Lafite. Neal Martin (Vinous) scored the wine 95-97 points. In his tasting note he described the wine as “for want of a better, less cliched word, classic”.
Lisa Perotti-Brown MW (The Wine Advocate) was more generous and awarded 97-99 points. She commented that the wine was “a little shy on the nose to begin with”, but then, “POW – the paradoxically ethereal, medium-bodied palate hits you with vibrant, exhilarating black fruit and previously latent floral layers”.
Liv-ex members also enjoyed this year’s Lafite and ranked it their tenth favourite wine in 2017.
You can view more critics scores for Lafite, here.
Fair value?
Prices for Lafite are correlated to both age and score in roughly equal measures.
Prices for Lafite are 60% correlated to score. An assessment of the 2017’s price in this view suggests that today’s release represents a considerable opportunity to buyers. The 2014, 2015 and 2016 also look favourable when viewed in this context.
However, Lafite prices are also influenced by age and in Asian markets the wine has been known for selling well irrespective of critic scores.
As a result, prices for Lafite are also 55% correlated to age. Based on today’s release of £4,870 per 12×75, Liv-ex’s ‘fair value’ methodology once again places the 2017 below the trend line. It may, therefore, represent a significant opportunity to buyers.
Liv-ex members can see ongoing real time prices for Lafite Rothschild on our Fair Value analysis tool.
Correction: A previous version of this post commented that this release was first tranche.
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