Carruades de Lafite is the finest 'second' wine in Bordeaux.

Carruades de Lafite is the second wine of Château Lafite-Rothschild, and bears the same quality hallmarks of this grand Bordeaux château of the Haut-Médoc, but with a little more Merlot used than Lafite itself. According to James Lawther MW: "There's an element of the Lafite elegance, but this is a more supple wine for early consumption."

The wine gets its name from the Carruades plateau where some of Lafite-Rothschild's vineyards are sited and cared for with no application of chemical fertilisers and very sparse use of organic fertiliser.

"[Carruades 1996] is a beautifully made wine with a subtle dosage of toasty new oak, an appealing texture, and excellent length…A very intense, expressive nose of blackberry, espresso and an animal quality. Good definition, almost Rhone-like. Smooth entry, full-bodied. Blackberry, coffee, huge tannins. Muscular." eRobertParker.com