TASTING THE 2020 VINTAGES WITH SASKIA DE ROTHSCHILD, ERIC KOHLER AND JULIETTE COUDERC OF CHATEAU LAFITE ROTHSCHILD

Over a Zoom in late April, James talked about the Bordeaux 2020 vintages from Chateau Lafite Rothschild with Saskia de Rothschild (chairwoman), Eric Kohler (technical director) and Juliette Couderc (technical manager). Juliette mentioned that they had lowered the amount of oak that the wine received to 50% from the original 70-80% in order to "keep the juiciness and acidity in the wine."James also asks about the making of the Rieussec Sauternes, to which Juliette replied that the grapes were already very mature when it came time to harvest and this influenced their decision to produce a limited bottling. They looked for the "beautiful confit from the noble rot" and a good acidic balance – a challenge that they will face again this year because of frost.In the making of the l'Evangile 2020, Saskia said that the technical managers had divided the plots to refine the selection and provide the best support for the vines. They also faced a real challenge in oaking the wine but not overdoing it in order to keep freshness and balance. James says of the l'Evangile, "I already want to drink it. That's a good sign."Check out this Zoom video for more details on why the alcohol level in Chateau Lafite Rothschild's wines doesn't rise above 13%, about the composition of the wines tasted and Saskia's thoughts on pricing.The Zoom video is available at https://www.jamessuckling.com/videos/video-tasting-interview-tasting-2020-vintages-saskia-de-rothschild-eric-kohler-juliette-couderc-chateau-lafite-rothschild/