Château Lafite Rothschild

Château Lafite Rothschild is a first growth of the 1855 classification, owned by the Rothschild family (Domaines Barons de Rothschild) since 1868. The estate reports about 112 hectares of vineyard in Pauillac, dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon. The grand vin is produced in the tens of thousands of cases; the second wine, Carruades de Lafite, in similar quantity. Lafite's prices led the Chinese-demand boom of 2008–2011 and the subsequent fall, making it the clearest case study in the modern fine-wine record.

Founded: 1868
Region: Bordeaux
Ownership: Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite)
Vineyard: 112 ha277 ac

Wines

Château Lafite Rothschild, vintage by vintage

One square for each year. The darker the square, the better the weather was for the grapes. Tap a year to read about it.

2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996

ExceptionalExcellentVery goodGoodMixedDifficult

The essentials

Economic profile

Lafite is large for a first growth — the vineyard is among the biggest in the Médoc's top tier — which is why its grand vin trades in volume at auction and on the Place de Bordeaux. Production is not published precisely; trade reporting has long put the grand vin between roughly 15,000 and 20,000 cases depending on selection and vintage. The estate farms its own fruit, ages in 100% new oak from its own cooperage, and sells en primeur through the Place.

Deep dive

Market history

Between 2005 and 2011 Lafite's secondary-market price rose faster than any other first growth's on Asian demand; the 2008 vintage, with a Chinese character on the bottle, and the 2009 and 2010 releases marked the peak. Prices of those vintages fell by roughly half over the following four years in trade reporting — the largest drawdown in the modern Bordeaux record — before recovering slowly. Lafite has since released at prices closer to the trading level of older vintages.

The detailsClassification, ownership, land and output

Founded

1868Rothschild ownership from 1868; estate documented from the 17th century

Classification

Premier Grand Cru Classé, 1855

Ownership

Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) (family)

Vineyard holdings

112 ha (277 ac)≈ 112 ha of vines in Pauillac, per the estate

First vintage made

1868

Website

lafite.com/

Grape mix (vineyard)

≈ 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit VerdotChâteau Lafite Rothschild

Second wine

Carruades de Lafite

We estimate it costs about $28 to $95 to make one bottle at an estate like this. See the full breakdown

Land-value contextWhat a hectare of vineyard sells for around here

Input	Low	High	Unit	Source
Vineyard land, Pauillac2024	1,700,000	4,000,000	EUR/ha	SAFER 2024
Vineyard land, Margaux2024	900,000	2,000,000	EUR/ha	SAFER 2024
Vineyard land, Pomerol2023	1,500,000	3,000,000	EUR/ha	SAFER
Vineyard land, Saint-Émilion2024	150,000	2,500,000	EUR/ha	SAFER 2024

Every wine in a tableBottles made, years covered and how hard each is to find

Wine	Bottles made in a typical year	Vintages covered	Great years	How rare (0–100)
Carruades de LafiteSecond wine of a first growth · Pauillac	—	24 2000–2023	10	—
Château Lafite RothschildPremier Grand Cru Classé, 1855 · Pauillac	210,000	36 1990–2025	13	37

Every year in a tableChâteau Lafite Rothschild: How each year was rated, and the price the producer first asked

Vintage	How the year was rated	Release price	How rare (0–100)	The growing season
2025	Excellent	≈$376	31	A wet winter, a very dry spring and a very hot summer, with two 'saviour rains' for…
2024	Mixed	≈$322	32	Weeks of battles against mildew from April to June, then a fine late season that let the…
2023	Very Good	≈$443	32	Rain through the spring — the estate sprayed against mildew every week in May — then two…
2022	Exceptional	≈$649	32	Hot, dry summer; small berries, low yields, high concentration.
2021	Mixed	≈$526	33	Frost, mildew and a cool summer; variable quality and small crops.
2020	Excellent	≈$532	33
2019	Excellent	≈$443	34
2018	Excellent	≈$526	34
2017	Good	≈$470	35
2016	Exceptional	—	35	Wet spring then a dry summer; a large, balanced crop widely rated with 2009 and 2010.
2015	Excellent	—	35
2014	Very Good	—	36
2013	Difficult	—	36	Cold wet spring, poor flowering, rot at harvest; small crops and severe selection at the…
2012	Good	—	37
2011	Good	—	37
2010	Exceptional	—	37	Cool nights and a dry summer gave high tannin and acidity; released at prices above 2009…
2009	Exceptional	—	38	Warm, dry, long growing season; widely described as one of the great modern vintages…
2008	Very Good	—	38
2007	Mixed	—	38
2006	Very Good	—	38
2005	Exceptional	—	38
2004	Good	—	39
2003	Mixed	—	39
2002	Good	—	39
2001	Very Good	—	39
2000	Excellent	—	40
1999	Good	—	40
1998	Very Good	—	40
1997	Mixed	—	40
1996	Excellent	—	40
1995	Very Good	—	41
1994	—	—	41
1993	—	—	41
1992	—	—	41
1991	—	—	42
1990	Exceptional	—	42

Each dot is the opening price of one bottle as reported in the trade press. A drop from one year to the next is the estate cutting its price to bring buyers back.

Release price by vintage

currency of release, per 75 cl bottle, as reportedSource: named publications, cited on each vintage page

How the years were rated

excellent7 vintages
very good7 vintages
exceptional6 vintages
good6 vintages
mixed5 vintages
difficult1 vintages

Château Lafite Rothschild — Chateau Lafite in Onehunga, Auckland, viewed from the southwest. Bjankuloski06 · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0

The regionBordeauxThe home of the classic red blend.About the region

Sources

Château Lafite Rothschild — the vineyard, 2025. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
1855 classification, Conseil des Grands Crus Classés en 1855, 2025. Retrieved 3 September 2026.

Last reviewed: September 2026Profile verified September 2026Report an error on this page