CorkonomicsThe economics of wine production, collection, and vineyards
The numbers
Vineyard land · Pauillac≈$2,798,250 a hectare▼ down 17% on 20232024Opening price · Château Lafite Rothschild 2025≈$376 a bottle▲ up 17% on the year beforeSold at auction · Romanée-Conti Grand Cru, DRC 2019$22,917 a bottleSotheby's, Sep 2026Cost to make one bottle · Burgundy grand cru (Pinot Noir)$48–283US duty on wine from · Canada+50%since Aug 2026Everyday bottle in a US shop$13.77 a litre▼ down 1.3% in a yearSep 2026Vineyard land · Margaux≈$1,567,020 a hectare▼ down 7% on 20232024Opening price · Château Cheval Blanc 2025≈$376 a bottle▲ up 22% on the year beforeSold at auction · La Tâche Grand Cru, DRC 2018$5,417 a bottleSotheby's, Sep 2026Cost to make one bottle · Champagne prestige cuvée$26–89US duty on wine from · Australia+12.5%since Jul 2026Vineyard land · Côte-Rôtie≈$1,511,055 a hectare▲ up 8% on 20232024Opening price · Château Mouton Rothschild 2025≈$336 a bottle▲ up 19% on the year beforeSold at auction · Richebourg Grand Cru, DRC 2012$3,542 a bottleSotheby's, Sep 2026Cost to make one bottle · Bordeaux classified growth (2nd–5th)$17–61US duty on wine from · New Zealand+12.5%since Jul 2026Vineyard land · Côte de Nuits grand cru≈$7,275,450 a hectare2019Opening price · Château Palmer 2025≈$268 a bottle▼ down 19% on the year beforeVineyard land · Pomerol≈$2,238,600 a hectare2023
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Château Lafite Rothschild 2012

2012 was a good, solid year in Bordeaux, without being a standout.

Save · All vintages of Château Lafite Rothschild · Compare

Château Lafite Rothschild, Bordeaux
Jordi Muray · Adobe Stock · Adobe Stock Standard License

What to expect

Expect a pleasant, lighter wine that is usually best enjoyed younger.

20 of the 32 years we cover for this wine were rated higher.

A decanter and a glass of red wine on a white tablecloth in a panelled dining room
The year
Good
Last sold at auction for
$500a bottle · Christie's, Jul 2026
How hard to find
Still around14 years old

Other vintages of this wine

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

ExceptionalExcellentVery goodGoodMixedDifficult

What bottles sell for

At auction, standard bottles of this vintage have sold for between $458 and $500 each, across 9 sales since December 2024.

Every sale on record15 lots, each linked to the auction house
$450$460$470$480$490$50020252026USD per 75 cl bottle · 2024-12-19 · $458USD per 75 cl bottle · 2024-12-19 · $469USD per 75 cl bottle · 2024-12-19 · $469USD per 75 cl bottle · 2024-12-19 · $469USD per 75 cl bottle · 2024-12-19 · $469USD per 75 cl bottle · 2024-12-19 · $469USD per 75 cl bottle · 2024-12-19 · $469USD per 75 cl bottle · 2024-12-19 · $469USD per 75 cl bottle · 2026-07-15 · $500USD per bottle: lot price ÷ bottles in the lotSale date9 lots of 75 cl bottles sold in USD at Christie's · prices as published by each house
Sale dateHouse and saleFormatLot pricePer bottle
Jul 2026Christie'sFine & Rare Wines: Featuring The Reserve Cellar and 50th Anniversary Wines Direct From Stag's Leap Wine Cellars (sale 24555) · Los Angeles · lot 10516 × 75 cl$3,000$500
Oct 2025Christie'sFine and Rare Wines & Spirits Online: Hong Kong Edition (sale 23826) · Hong Kong · lot 26112 × 75 cl≈$5,575≈$465
Oct 2025Christie'sFine and Rare Wines & Spirits Online: Hong Kong Edition (sale 23826) · Hong Kong · lot 26012 × 75 cl≈$6,053≈$504
Sep 2025Christie'sThe Glorious Cellar of a European Connoisseur (sale 24214) · New York · lot 1556 × 150 cl$5,625$938
Dec 2024Christie'sFine and Rare Wines including Vintage Icons from a West Coast Cellar and Historic Port from the Cellars of Raby Castle (sale 23100) · Los Angeles · lot 5012 × 75 cl$5,625$469
Dec 2024Christie'sFine and Rare Wines including Vintage Icons from a West Coast Cellar and Historic Port from the Cellars of Raby Castle (sale 23100) · Los Angeles · lot 4912 × 75 cl$5,625$469
Dec 2024Christie'sFine and Rare Wines including Vintage Icons from a West Coast Cellar and Historic Port from the Cellars of Raby Castle (sale 23100) · Los Angeles · lot 4812 × 75 cl$5,625$469
Dec 2024Christie'sFine and Rare Wines including Vintage Icons from a West Coast Cellar and Historic Port from the Cellars of Raby Castle (sale 23100) · Los Angeles · lot 4712 × 75 cl$5,625$469
Dec 2024Christie'sFine and Rare Wines including Vintage Icons from a West Coast Cellar and Historic Port from the Cellars of Raby Castle (sale 23100) · Los Angeles · lot 4612 × 75 cl$5,625$469
Dec 2024Christie'sFine and Rare Wines including Vintage Icons from a West Coast Cellar and Historic Port from the Cellars of Raby Castle (sale 23100) · Los Angeles · lot 4512 × 75 cl$5,625$469
Dec 2024Christie'sFine and Rare Wines including Vintage Icons from a West Coast Cellar and Historic Port from the Cellars of Raby Castle (sale 23100) · Los Angeles · lot 4412 × 75 cl$5,625$469
Dec 2024Christie'sFine and Rare Wines including Vintage Icons from a West Coast Cellar and Historic Port from the Cellars of Raby Castle (sale 23100) · Los Angeles · lot 436 × 75 cl$2,750$458
Jun 2023Christie'sFinest and Rarest Wines & Spirits (sale 21936) · London · lot 71112 × 75 cl≈$8,268≈$689
Jun 2022Christie'sTHE VISIONARY'S SPECTACULAR CELLAR PART II: Online (sale 21208) · Hong Kong · lot 612 × 75 cl≈$8,761≈$730
May 2022Christie'sTHE VISIONARY'S SPECTACULAR CELLAR (sale 21212) · Hong Kong · lot 501912 × 75 cl≈$8,761≈$730
Prices are in the currency of each sale. Christie’s and Sotheby’s include the buyer’s fee; Hart Davis Hart shows the price before it.

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What does this wine cost to make?Our estimate: $28–$95 a bottle

We estimate it costs about $28 to $95 to make one bottle of a wine like this. The price in the shop is far higher because the land is scarce, the name is famous, and many hands take a share on the way to you.

Low estimateImputed land cost: $11.34Vineyard operations: $3.31Oak barrels: $0.56Winemaking labour and cellar work: $2.50Cellar aging: $1.20Bottle, closure, label, case and bottling: $4.90Winery overhead: $3.00Financing over the aging period: $1.61$28 per bottleHigh estimateImputed land cost: $43.88Vineyard operations: $10.24Oak barrels: $1.61Winemaking labour and cellar work: $5.00Cellar aging: $2.96Bottle, closure, label, case and bottling: $13.40Winery overhead: $7.00Financing over the aging period: $10.89$95 per bottleImputed land costVineyard operationsOak barrelsWinemaking labour and cellar workCellar agingBottle, closure, label, case and bottlingWinery overheadFinancing over the aging periodUS$ per 75 cl bottle at the winery, before any margin, tax or transport · Corkonomics cost model

See the full breakdown

Sources

  1. Château Lafite Rothschild — producer profile, The Wine Cellar Insider, 2025. Retrieved 22 September 2026. typical annual production
Last reviewed: September 2026Report an error on this page