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| Community Tasting Notes (average 94 pts. and median of 94 pts. in 147 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by tbabes on 5/16/2024 & rated 96 points: Double decanted two hours before service; fill was base neck and the cork was sound. Deep garnet with some bricking at the rim. Regal and complex bouquet, with notes of dried black fruits, black truffle, roasted herbs, cigar box and earth. Medium bodied, with a savory character, great depth, incredible balance, and excellent delineation and focus on the long finish. Impressive, if just a notch behind the best bottles of ‘88 Haut Brion. (176 views) | | | Tasted by Dionysos55 on 4/8/2024 & rated 95 points: Tout comme Figeac regoûté ce we,ce 88 a révélé les mêmes saveurs que la dernière fois.Véritablement pas de différence notable par rapport à mon commentaire précédent.Toujours les mêmes arômes de cassis,réglisse,menthol,café...Toujours la même élégance,le même raffinement et le léger manque de peps pour toucher au sublime. (481 views) | | | Tasted by Sean Tay on 2/24/2024 & rated 98 points: Decanted for 3 hours. Showing beautiful with notes of tobacco, toast, earth, leather, spices. Medium+ acidity and medium+ tannin. At its peak and still have long way ahead. (820 views) | | | Tasted by Jeff Leve on 2/4/2024 & rated 94 points: Proving leopards can change their spots to some extent, while still on the firm side, some of its previous austere character has abated. Now, you find a charming, though firm, strict, medium-bodied, crisp, chewy wine with an herbal edge. Classic in nature, but in a good way. Drink from 2024-2048. (1508 views) | | | Tasted by sdr on 1/27/2024 & rated 92 points: Whole Lotta Lafite; 1/26/2024-1/27/2024 (Wine Watch, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida): This Lafite did not taste of the austerity for which this vintage is famous. Actually surprising hints of sweetness which along with cassis, tobacco and dirt make for an interesting drink. But only medium intensity at best and seems older than it is. (1099 views) | | | Tasted by justintime97 on 9/8/2023 & rated 95 points: Ripe backbone despite the maturity and tertiary. Really well balanced. Delicious, precise, and elegant. (1886 views) | | | Tasted by jgh123 on 9/3/2023 & rated 94 points: Beginning ot fade but still terrific. Maybe just this bottle. Will try another in a couple of years. (1555 views) | | | Tasted by Jeff Leve on 8/4/2023 & rated 93 points: Firm, old school, classically styled wine with a lean to its weedy, leafy, tobacco, mint, and crisp red berry side. It tries to soften, but it remains crisp, austere and lean. Drink from 2023-2038. (2913 views) | | | Tasted by siewguowei on 6/21/2023 & rated 95 points: The 1988 Chateau Lafite is showing impressively.
Deeply ruby-coloured, the wine is medium plus in acid and contains grippy ripe tannins. Some primary fruit on the nose and palate remains, including that of sour cherry, cranberry and raspberry. It has secondary and tertiary notes of barnyard, smoke, game, dried flowers, dried herbs. The nose is intense and pungent, with the aromas lingering in the glass long after the wine has been drunk. Long finish on the palate.
Despite its impressive concentration, it lacks a harmonious core and precision of flavours that would have taken this wine from great to legendary.
Drinking impressively now, I expect the wine can age another 8 to 10 years. (1718 views) | | | Tasted by GuWin on 5/25/2023 flawed bottle: BYO Litteraturhuset "Best Wine": Et svakt korkpreg satte denne i skyggen av Lafite 1990. Ikke forferdelig korket, men det er lite frukt her og smakskurven er kort. Velger å ikke score. (1853 views) | | | Tasted by Dionysos55 on 4/10/2023 & rated 95 points: Robe encore bien alerte malgré son grand âge.Bouquet prioritaire de cèdre et de cassis,quelques nuances de menthol,réglisse et café.Bref une belle complexité olfactive qui pourrait cependant être plus intense.La bouche est raffinée,très élégante,plus en dentelle qu'en puissance,signe caractéristique du château en comparaison avec ses pairs premier cru.Cela se boit tout seul la longueur est tout à fait satisfaisante pour son pédigrée sans pour autant livrer d'envolée majestueuse.Belle bouteille mais pas le meilleur Médoc bu récemment.... (1329 views) | | | Tasted by sdr on 2/18/2023 & rated 92 points: BD bottle. With Lafite I expect a degree of elegance which this wine lacks. Concentrated, minerally and slightly coarse and rustic as usual with this vintage. One of the less common vintages of Lafite that really needs food to tame it. But on its own terms it is complex and interesting and holds up very well. (1675 views) | | | Tasted by N.Bonaparte on 1/31/2023 & rated 95 points: This benefitted from 2 hours in the glass. This is primarily subdued upfront bright fruits. The tannins are nearly resolved but no secondary notes at this point. This is in its prime but will drink well for a couple decades. Revisit 2027 (1745 views) | | | Tasted by LW31 on 12/25/2022: Not a vintage I’ve had before and not particularly heralded though many suggest Lafite is the wine of the vintage. Tonight it was quite regal and a bit austere but lovely classic expression of Lafite. An intellectual and thoughtful wine. I’d say though that it doesn’t have quite the complexity of some vintages. (1580 views) | | | Tasted by CHINACAT on 11/30/2022 & rated 93 points: Light ruby color. Lovely floral bouquet. Primarily red fruit, lean and elegant, some mineral and floral notes, plenty of remaining acidity, decent length. Has lost some fruit and depth, but still has some remaining life. (1593 views) | | | Tasted by Wine Canuck on 9/13/2022 & rated 95 points: This pours medium ruby in the glass with medium bricking toward the rim. The nose is lovely old, mature bordeaux showing just a little of the cooler vintage character. Aromas are of old worn leather, cedar, tobacco, charcoal, dark cherry, plum, celery seed, and dried black currant. The palate enters on the lovely dried currant fruit and features lovely fruit considering it's age. Tannin is medium minus and acid is medium. The finish lingers nicely replaying the dried currants and tobacco of the nose. I really dig this very gorgeous old bottle of Bordeaux and one of the better 1988s I've had. (2590 views) | | | Tasted by Musigny1955 on 6/2/2022 & rated 96 points: {Tasted with EB, TS, AW; bought on release; decanted x 5 hours and strained immense sediment deposit out} Huge, mulberry fruit and long long palate, graphite texture to the perfect tannins. Forever length. At times hit 98 points. (1188 views) | | | Tasted by dcwino on 5/4/2022 & rated 94 points: Lafite Rothschild vertical (Taberna del Alabardero, Washington D.C.): Expressive nose displaying subtle red fruit, strawberry and cherry, also a hint of crème de cassis, strong cedar, spearmint, cabernet mineral dust, sweet spices and mineral. There is a hint of green/bell pepper which is not bothersome. Very good concentration, nicely layered red fruit, silky, bright acidity and strong mineral, very noticeable slightly coarse tannins, bright acidity and a medium long subtle red fruit driven finish with lead pencil and green at the end. This seems slightly disjoined and angular at the moment. A bit masculine expression. (3511 views) | | | Tasted by sdr on 4/23/2022 & rated 94 points: My first experience with this vintage of Lafite and I am impressed. I mistakenly thought it would be too lean, too mean, too austere, but instead it emitted a beautiful perfume of the darkest possible berries. Maybe a bit of charcoal too. Very persistent. Long, moderately tannic and minerally. The impression is one of a deeply concentrated firm wine wine which is mature but with plenty of life and a good future. Better than the disappointing ‘82 and not as charming or soft as the nineteen-ninety. Impressive. (2474 views) | | | Tasted by jviz on 4/2/2022 & rated 93 points: This wine was closed on opening. A perfect cork and fill in an otherwise sound bottle. No hint of TCA, this was just one where the aromatics really weren’t popping.
Initially served a little cool in Zalto BDX glasses, it did open up a little after some decanting time and as it warmed, however, over about 3 hours the wine never fully blossomed. Even so, you had some aromas of dark cigar wrapper, scorched earth, blackberry confit, plenty of tertiary development. Fine tannins persist at this point. I see this experience as a less than stellar bottle but expect a luckier pull would have 10 or more years on its peak (2603 views) | | | Tasted by levicn on 1/30/2022 & rated 93 points: 醒酒一小时，闻香有brett的动物皮毛，石墨气息，李子的果香和人参一类的陈年后复杂的植物性香气，入口酸度高，酒液细腻如粉，酒液咸鲜，矿物感清晰，收口微甜。咸橄榄一般的香气和口感，人参一类植物香气，后段回甘，余味是细腻木质香气，香料感和胭脂水粉。酒体不重，细腻优雅。一支完全陈年的酒，状态一流，以三类香气为主，它是如此鲜美，让我瞬间想起上周刚喝的81年白马 (2692 views) | | | Tasted by AndrewWill on 12/24/2021 & rated 96 points: Upon opening, the nose was tight and dusty. There was some concern about it being a flawed bottle, but that changed within 30 seconds. The nose transformed into an amalgam of stewed cherry, cinnamon, forest floor, and Connecticut broadleaf tobacco. Kinda like Prince Albert’s cherry pipe tobacco.
The initial palate was silky, some primary fruit still in play, but taking a back seat to the earthy, mushroomy flavors. This was my first Lafite (and oldest), and I expected more "power." Instead, this wine was pure elegance. It honestly reminded me more of red Burgundy than a hefty LB Bordeaux. Brighter acidity than I anticipated. But it doesn’t overpower. Everything about this wine is aligned. I can only compare it to an orchestra, with each section playing its part beautifully.
If you've got some, open now--even just for the nose. 95/96 points. (2548 views) | | | Tasted by AFM87 on 12/14/2021 & rated 97 points: From magnum reconditioned at chateau in 2011. Decanted for about 90 mins. Initial smoky notes that subsided towards the end; core of dark fruit, incl. black currant and red cherries; notes of cedar and leather. Very long finish. Fantastic. In peak drinking window now but could easily keep for many more years (2065 views) | | | Tasted by jgh123 on 9/4/2021 & rated 96 points: My wife and I were married in 1988 and I bought 2 cases of this on release to celebrate anniversaries. We celebrated our 33rd anniversary last night with this bottle. Grilled skirt steak and grilled vegetables. It was awesome! Perfectly mature but with years ahead (hopefully like the marriage!). Rich, textured, complex and lingering. (2890 views) | | | Tasted by oldwines on 8/28/2021 & rated 96 points: In my cellar since release (when I believe I paid $55 for it). Decanted at 5pm and tasted from 7-10pm over dinner of grilled steaks. Enjoyed along side a bottle each of 1987 Diamond Creek Red Rock Terrace and 1988 Diamond Creek Gravelly Meadow. This was only marginally better on average over the evening with each one taking turns seeming the best. Like the other two this was surprisingly youthful in appearance, similarly medium bodied but won out with a more rich, nuanced texture and extremely long finish. The nose had vanilla, black earth, red and black fruit, leather and lots of florals. Tannin was largely integrated and the acidity was quite forward and bright. Palate was nuanced and layered with the same elements as the nose and had just a bit more richness, especially with the food, along with the stunning length. While I don’t think this will get better, It should keep at this level for 5 years at least, perhaps more. (2991 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of JamesSuckling.com and Vinous and Decanter and Vintage Tastings and JancisRobinson.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Château Lafite Rothschild Producer website – Read more about Chateau Lafite Rothschild
Vineyards map on weinlagen-infoRed Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanMédoc Vins du Médoc (Conseil des Vins du Médoc) - Read More about the Medoc
VdB
The eight precisely defined appellations of the whole of the Médoc (from Blanquefort Brook to the north of the Bordeaux built-up area, almost to the Pointe de Grave) may claim the Médoc appellation. But there is also a specific territory in the north of the peninsula which produces exclusively wines with this appellation. In the great majority, the Médocs come from the north of the peninsula. The great individuality of this region is that the number of vines has increased more recently here than elsewhere, apart from a few isolated spots where vines have grown for many years. Today, the size of the small estate has brought about the development of a powerful co-operative movement. Four co-operatives out of five belong to the group called Unimédoc which ensures aging, bottling and marketing a large proportion of their wines.Pauillac Read more detailed information about Pauillac Looking full onto the river from the earliest days, with an important port activity, traces of which go back to ancient times (shipment of bronze as long ago as 2000 B.C.), Pauillac's life has always been intimately linked to the history of wine. Although port activities were at the root of its prosperity, Pauillac had to wait until the eighteenth century when Bordeaux ceased to hold its privileged position to become a wine port. The town then became the natural outlet for the wine production of neighbouring cantons before reaching its zenith in a period when the vineyards were exceptionally prosperous.
The characteristic of the Pauillac terroir is its exceptional relief: the many undulating ridges make it unique morphologically speaking. Highly favourable conditions facilitate the dissection of the layer of gravel. This thin, Garonne gravel from whose very poverty springs great richness, has an extremely effective natural drainage.
With their velvet red colour with a hint of amber, the wines from the Pauillac appellation, full-bodied and rich in tannin, are vigorous. Powerful when young, their aromas of red fruits (black-currant, raspberry) or flowers (violets, roses, irises) melt with the passing of time into a bouquet which is long in the mouth.
Rich and complex, the wines of Pauillac deserve to be laid down for a little longer.
Production conditions (Decree dated November 14, 1936)
In order to have the right to the Pauillac appellation of controlled origin, red wines must:
- come from the commune of Pauillac and from precisely defined parcels in the communes of Cissac, Saint-Julien, Saint-Estèphe and Saint-Sauveur, "excluding the parcels situated on recent alluvium and sand on impermeable subsoils",
- satisfy precise production conditions : grape-varieties (Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet-Franc, Carmenère, Merlot Noir, Petit Verdot, Cot or Malbec), minimum of sugar (178 grammes - 6.27 oz. - per litre of must) degree (an acquired 10°5) base yield (45 hectolitres per hectare). |
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