2010 Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) Reserve Speciale Pauillac

Réserve Spéciale: A 2010 Lafite to Drink Today While the Others Sleep

The 2010 vintage in Bordeaux remains the most extraordinary of our lifetimes — in our view, outpointing even 1949, 1959, 1961, 2005, and 2009. Dozens of Left Bank châteaux crafted what Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate rated among their greatest achievements of the last century. Among the superstars of Pauillac, few outperformed the châteaux of Lafite Rothschild.

Lafite Rothschild had a field day in 2010, turning out two colossal Pauillacs.

The first was the flagship, Château Lafite Rothschild. First tasted from barrel in April 2011 by The Wine Advocate, the 2010 Château Lafite Rothschild earned 98-100 points, as Parker described “extraordinarily dense color, an unctuous texture and sweet black currant fruit intermixed with graphite, charcoal and truffle notes.”

Drinking window? 2021-2071.

Price? $2,000.

Next was Duhart-Milon-Rothschild, which is a stone’s throw away from Lafite Rothschild. The château pulled out all the stops, crafting a wine Parker described as “fabulous, a dead ringer for Lafite in a great vintage.” The 96 points from Parker is the second-highest score the estate has ever received from The Wine Advocate.

Drinking window? 2016-2046.

Price? $120.

There’s nothing wrong — and everything right! — with those 2010 treasures. If you have the money and especially the time to wait, go on and enjoy both bottles of Bordeaux brilliance. But if you’re looking for something with a shared pedigree made for drinking NOW, keep reading.

In 2010, Lafite Rothschild also made a wine that is comprised primarily of grapes grown at the above two châteaux. The 2010 Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) Pauillac Réserve Spéciale is made with reverence to the family’s name and its legendary history in Bordeaux. It’s made in the same style as the châteaux wines but for more immediate drinking.

Drinking window? NOW.

Price? $45 (case price) — BEST PRICE IN USA!

Deep purple to the rim, infused with sumptuous aromas of crushed black and red fruits, sweet spice, and underbrush. Lilac and violet aromas lead to a beam of pure cassis and black cherry pâte de fruit. A sleek iron edge frames the finish. This textbook Pauillac should age well in the near term. Best from 2014 through 2020.

30 wooden cases — not a bottle of which has moved an inch from these Bordeaux cellars since bottling — are up for grabs.

• ABV 13.50%
• Enjoy right away
• % Bordeaux Blend