- Château Lafite Rothschild has been released for £7,140 per 12×75.
- ‘One should not doubt its long-term potential’, said Neal Martin who scored it 96-98 points.
- Buyers looking for value might want to consider the 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021 vintages.
As part of this year’s Bordeaux En Primeur campaign, Lafite Rothschild 2022 has been released at €580 per bottle ex-négociant, up 23.4% on the 2021 release (€470).
It is being offered by the international trade for £7,140 per 12×75, a 23.1% increase on the 2021’s opening price (£5,800 a case).
The new release is one of the most expensive vintages on the market. Buyers looking for value might be interested in the 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021. See more pricing analysis below.
Liv-ex members ranked Lafite the second-best wine of the vintage in this year’s En Primeur Survey, coming in behind Cheval Blanc.
Critics’ scores
Neal Martin (Vinous) scored the wine 96-98 points and said ‘perpetually the most deceptive of First Growth, one should not doubt its long-term potential’.
Several critics were quick to compare 2022 to Lafite’s greatest vintages. James Suckling awarded the wine a barrel range of 99-100, celebrating this vintage’s similarity to 1986 and its ‘purity and precision.’ In his words: ‘It’s really about being Lafite here.’ Similarly, Lisa Perrotti-Brown scored this vintage 98-100, calling it an ‘intellectual triumph’ that is ‘classic great Lafite.’
William Kelley (Wine Advocate) gave Lafite a barrel range of 95-97+, deeming it the ‘most tensile of the first growths this year.’
Fair Value analysis
There is no significant correlation between Lafite Market Prices and Neal Martin scores – the chosen critic for Liv-ex’s ‘Fair Value’ methodology.
That said, Lafite Rothschild prices are 73% correlated to Wine Advocate scores. Based on the chart below, buyers looking for value in back vintages might want to consider the 2019 vintage. With a perfect score of 100 from Wine Advocate, it is available at a slight discount to the 2022.
The 2017 and 2020 vintages might also be of interest. Both wines received 97 points from Wine Advocate and sit below the Fair Value line. They are available at discounts of 9.0% and 8.9% respectively to today’s release.
The 2021 vintage is also one to consider. It holds a score of 96 from Wine Advocate and is available at a relatively fair Market Price of £5,800 (an 18.8% discount to today’s release).
Our Bordeaux En Primeur 2022 page contains everything you need to know about this year’s campaign. You can also sign up for our daily En Primeur email alerts using the form below.
Liv-ex analysis is drawn from the world’s most comprehensive database of fine wine prices. The data reflects the real-time activity of Liv-ex’s 630+ merchant members from across the globe. Together they represent the largest pool of liquidity in the world – currently £100m of bids and offers across 16,000 wines.
