2006 Wine and Port Vintage

The vineyards of Chateau Lafite Rothschild are found at the northern tip of the Pauillac appellation. The current owners, the Rothschilds of the famous banking dynasty, bought the property in 1866, but this is a different branch of the family from that which purchased Chateau Mouton-Rothschild.

With a base largely of gravel, the vineyard is unsurprisingly dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon (71%) with the balance comprising Merlot (25%) Cabernet Franc (3%) and Petit Verdot (1%). Grapes are hand-harvested and vinified. The Grand Vin volume varies greatly according to the vintage, but is frequently less than half the total crop, and is usually no more than 20,000 cases. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel vats, after which the wine is run off into barrels, 100% new for Lafite itself.

Throughout the 20th century Lafite was dogged by periods of inconsistency, often producing sublime wines but failing to live up to its billing in other years. However since 1994, under the control of Charles Chevallier, Lafite has achieved an admirable level of consistency with some remarkable wines often vying for the title of “Wine of the Vintage”.

In style, Lafite wines are often described as having a perfumed elegance and finesse, to contrast with the more masculine power and structure of Latour or the more exotic and intense flavours of Mouton. In great years the wine has the ability to age for at least 50 years, often longer. Vintage Summary and Recommendations:

Welcome to Vintage Wine and Port's 2006 wine page. Read on for our summary of the 2006 vintage, our top recommendations and region reports. Scroll down to see all of our wines currently available. If you cannot find what you are looking for please call us on 01425 837177 or Contact Us. We would love to help you with your wine choice!

Overall, the 2006 vintage was a little bit of a mixed bag. However, for drinking now, look no further than Italy, the Rhône Valley and the sweet wines of Sauternes and Tokaj. Any of these wines would make a fabulous 19 year old wine gift for an Anniversary or birthday.


Our Wine Expert currently recommends the following wines for this year:

Palmer 2006 Colheita Port

Burmester 2006 Colheita Port

Chateau Leoville Barton, 2006

Nuits-Saint-Georges, 2006

Visit our 2006 Wine and Port Offer Page

 
This Year in History: Fun Fact: The Nintendo Wii was the big new games console on the market.
Eurovision Winner: Finland with the song " Hard Roack Hallelujah" by Lordi
Top Grossing Movie: Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest
 
Bordeaux: This vintage produced somewhat hard and tannic wines; whilst they do not have the flesh or ripeness of 2005 or 2003, they will have longevity. In time the 2006 vintage may turn out to be a more classic vintage like 1996 - but with less ripeness.
 
Italian: In Piedmont, a coolish summer became an Indian summer punctuated by two bouts of rain, but the grapes were healthy enough to withstand them. The wines produced are promising. Tuscany produced a very promising vintage with a steady, prolonged growing season and well balanced wines.
 
Portugal: The 2006 Port Vintage was a year that produced good Single Quinta Vintage Ports. Heavy winter rains replenished the drought-exhausted water table following the very good but dry 2005 vintage. Good weather followed, and flowering took place during the hottest May in 40 years. Temperatures steadily increased until a severe hailstorm hit vineyards in the Pinhão valley in the middle of June. Several vineyards lost up to 30% of the crop. A hot July followed, superseded by a cooler August and some much needed rain. More hot weather late August and early September caused some raisining and crop reduction in exposed vineyards. Picking began mid-September just ahead of a rainy spell.
Yields for 2006 were down at least 15% below average.

 

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