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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 94.4 pts. and median of 95 pts. in 220 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by KenK on 4/18/2024 & rated 93 points: Good, but mature. Dark dusty black fruits, some good spice, Nice, but not epic. (366 views) | | | Tasted by Mark1npt on 4/17/2024 & rated 93 points: Mid garnet on the glass. Nose of earthy, perfumed red fruit. Red roses and black dirt on the nose, too. Someone said tea tree oil and I agree.
Palate of old integrated cherry fruit, thin in the mouth and a short ending as well. I liked this and appreciated it, but hard to beat 92-93 for me tonight. (433 views) | | | Tasted by sdr on 4/6/2024 & rated 92 points: A good wine but well off the superb 1990 version. Medium deep ruby. Gorgeous bouquet, powerful aroma of sweet black- and blue- berry. Light to medium weight on the palate, soft tannins, excellent acidity. Perfectly fine to drink now but doesn't inspire me to write poetry. (390 views) | | | Tasted by Jeff Leve on 2/4/2024 & rated 92 points: Medium-bodied, firm, and reticent, the wine was a bit simple for a Lafite with its focus on its cedar, cigar wrapper, and red currant core in the nose and on the rustic, leaning palate. At 35 years of age, this is, what it is, and doubt it will improve or change in character. Though it will be long-lived. Drink from 2024-2050. (1690 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): The first growths in 1989 do not have a great reputation other than Haut-Brion but this Lafite is fine. Interesting mix of black current, licorice and wet earth. Sometimes Lafite can resemble St. Julien or Margaux more than Pauillac but this one shows where it came from. (1165 views) | | | Tasted by peternelson on 1/25/2024 & rated 92 points: Complex, med+ body, dark juicy fruit, holding up well. Good wine but was not the #1 wine of the night IMHO (#1 as chosen by the group). DD Blind 1982-2005 Bordeaux 1st Growth dinner at BOA steakhouse. (972 views) | | | Tasted by MicklethePickle on 1/14/2024 & rated 92 points: Opened two days ago on my 65th birthday, this is a good, not great Lafitte. Not a bit tired, in fact, many years of life ahead this has good color and a nice lead pencil nose. The palate is good but not great. 5-13-16-8: 92/100. (1331 views) | | | Tasted by Collector1855 on 12/12/2023 & rated 97 points: Salon Ficofi Paris walkabout tasting and dinner, no detailed tasting notes. From MAG. Fully mature, showed wonderfully with intense tertiary aromas and elegant palate. (1967 views) | | | Tasted by steinersing on 12/11/2023 & rated 95 points: Showing well with some evolution. Top quality Pauillac but not getting the signature Lafite pencil shavings today. (966 views) | | | Tasted by englishman's claret on 11/19/2023: This bottle supports my June 2021 note on the 1989 Lafite. Tonight we are rewarded with a wine so profoundly shut down and curmudgeonly that it’s hard to say anything else (other than offering an entreaty to wait, wait, and then wait some more before opening another). (1647 views) | | | Tasted by jviz on 10/27/2023 & rated 97 points: Red of the day in good company and it was gorgeous. Especially aromatic nose, some rose petal and blonde tobacco, structually resolved and in perfect balance. This is at peak. Doesn’t quite have the depth of the 86 but really really good to drink now. (1495 views) | | | Tasted by wgmccallum on 9/16/2023 & rated 95 points: From memory. Medium dark garnet. On the nose a melange of cedar, cigar wrapper, dark plum, and potpourri. On the palate a beautiful integration of fruit, acid, and tannin, all become one moving experience, inseparable. (1544 views) | | | Tasted by Francophile1 on 8/31/2023 & rated 96 points: The moment I stuck my nose in the glass, I knew we had something special. Decanted for 90 minutes. I only wish I had been served this blind to see if I could have pinned it as Lafite. This has a classic Pauillac nose with tertiary notes of tobacco, leather, cedar, pencil shavings, and a touch of beef blood/iron. More red fruit than black and medium bodied showing the feminine side of Lafite. The graphite is pronounced on the 45 second finish. I’ve been blessed to drink many first growths over the years and have always been somewhat disappointed in Lafite vs the others. That said, this bottle did not disappoint and exceeded my expectations. I could just sit and smell it all night long. This is fully mature now, but will age gracefully in a cold cellar for at least another 10 - 20 years in its plateau state of deliciousness. (1457 views) | | | Tasted by Francophile1 on 8/31/2023 flawed bottle: I hate it when this happens to such a great wine. The good news is the restaurant had more bottles so we could open another. Once compared sode by side, this first bottle was clearly corked. While it wasn’t the typical wet newspaper aroma, it was just dead and flat. The cork itself smelled like TCA, however. The second bottle was absolutely wonderful and hitting on all cylinders. (1385 views) | | | Tasted by Topper on 8/27/2023 & rated 93 points: This is a pretty and mellow wine that may be on its downside. Definitely a nice drink but not showing the grace, finesse and elegance that categorizes Lafita in its best years. I’d open the rest of these sooner than later. (1299 views) | | | Tasted by bbq_grandcru on 8/18/2023 & rated 96 points: Beautiful full bouquet of fruit with deep complexity, incredible nose and finish. Very velvety, round and smooth, tannin is fully integrated. Still quite youthful. (1095 views) | | | Tasted by hargy on 7/18/2023 & rated 94 points: this is certainly well into its drinking window and nowhere near the end of it - lovely mature and elegant and with a magical bouquet - maybe just without quite the length (1233 views) | | | Tasted by Verb on 7/17/2023 & rated 95 points: medium red, brick rim - wonderfully effusive nose of mature cassis fruit with abundant layers of complex aromas - smooth and well integrated in the mouth, but surprisingly only medium bodied - medium length 15-20 sec finish - a beautiful mature Lafite, though the beauty is mostly up front and not as rich in the mouth as other 89s - I can't see it getting much better than it is now (at least based on this bottle) (1151 views) | | | Tasted by hadukla on 7/3/2023 & rated 95 points: What a beautiful wine. Certainly not to the lofty expectations I had but worth the experience. Subtle, elegant, long-lasting, held up well with dinner. (1141 views) | | | Tasted by Sticks62 on 4/4/2023: Pretty good. Had it in the desert woth derrik. 8 (2024 views) | | | Tasted by phol on 3/25/2023 & rated 96 points: This is what Bordeaux is all about lovely (1900 views) | | | Tasted by Goose Cap on 3/8/2023 flawed bottle: Corked (1975 views) | | | Tasted by Burgundy Al on 3/1/2023 & rated 90 points: Pre-Paulee Warm-up Dinner (House of Nanda - Chicago IL): Fun but seemingly mature for a 1989. Good depth, just slightly flat. I haven't had this wine in 15+ years, and my expectations were not met. (2496 views) | | | Tasted by Nanda on 3/1/2023 & rated 94 points: Pre La Paulée Dinner with friends (Home): 89/90 side by side. Fully mature. A powerful wine with plenty of remaining concentration and structure. Perhaps a bit more simple than you'd like from a wine of this stature and vintage. Better than the corked 90 (and the back-up corked 90). (2431 views) | | | Tasted by DAN BAILEY on 2/21/2023: Darker again than the 61 and 85. All so reserved. Not quite haughty but close! (488 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Charles Curtis MW
Decanter, Château Lafite Rothschild: 1986-2010 vertical tasting (3/1/2022)
(Château Lafite Rothschild, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Gilman
View From the Cellar, Mar/Apr 2019, Issue #80, Another Look At the 1989 and 1990 Bordeaux - Twin Vintages Have Taken Different Paths With Age
(Château Lafite-Rothschild) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Neal Martin
Vinous, Looking Back To Go Forward: Lafite-Rothschild 1868 – 2015 (Jul 2018) (7/18/2018)
(Lafite-rothschild Lafite-rothschild Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (5/24/2018)
(Ch Lafite Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jane Anson
Decanter, Lafite 150th birthday (5/23/2018)
(Château Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By James Suckling
JamesSuckling.com (6/12/2016)
(Château Lafite Rothschild Pauillac Bordeaux, France) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (2/14/2011)
(Ch Lafite Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Kapon
Vintage Tastings, '24' in Bordeaux (1/31/2010)
(Lafite Rothschild) Login and sign up and see review text. | By John Kapon
Vintage Tastings, An Evening of Lafite-Rothschild (8/15/2005)
(Lafite-Rothschild) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (10/7/2002)
(Ch Lafite Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (11/30/2007)
(Château Lafite Rothschild) From magnum - laser focused plum, sexy black fruit and tar nose; youthful, graphite, tart plum and black fruit palate with sage; medium-plus finish 94 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Decanter and View From the Cellar and Vinous and JancisRobinson.com and JamesSuckling.com and Vintage Tastings and RJonWine.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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