1985 Château Lafite Rothschild |
| Vintage | 1985 |  | |
| Type | Red | ||
| Producer | Château Lafite Rothschild (web) | ||
| Variety | Red Bordeaux Blend | ||
| Designation | n/a | ||
| Vineyard | n/a | ||
| Country | France | ||
| Region | Bordeaux | ||
| SubRegion | Médoc | ||
| Appellation | Pauillac | ||
| UPC Code(s) | 018138415528, 087000330962, 3700274110807, 722358008667, 9300633425111 |
| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2000 and 2017 (based on 45 user opinions) | |
| Wine Market Journal quarterly auction price: See Lafite Rothschild on the Wine Market Journal. |
| Community Tasting History |
Community Tasting Notes (average and median of 93 pts. in 119 notes) | |
| Tasted by Lipsman on 2/4/2024 & rated 95 points: The Halley's Comet bottle. A really nice Lafitte. Readily accessible aromas of cherries and red berries follow through on the palate. Luxuriously smooth, open knit, voluptuous with a base of ripe tannin spices. There’s a beautiful sweetness and a nice tart edge that lifts the wine on the beguiling finish. This reminds me of a great California Cabernet from the classic 1980s period. A sexy Lafitte. Drink now - 2030. (840 views) | |
| Tasted by Jeff Leve on 2/4/2024 & rated 90 points: Light, tart, short, cranberries, and cassis with loads of pyrazine notes, spice, and assorted, greenery. There is a sense of rustic class and soft tannins, which helps the score a bit, but this is not my favorite vintage of Lafite. And no, time is not going to improve this wine. It is already close to 40 years of age. Drink from 2024-2034. (1347 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): Some of the experts heap great praise on this vintage of Lafite but I am not yet convinced. Soft, friendly and cuddly on the attack but the finish is short and rather thin. Even if you are not trying to be a blockbuster you should last throughout the tasting cycle all the way to the end. Perhaps other bottles are better. (971 views) | |
| Tasted by Pepin... on 12/25/2023 & rated 95 points: After decanting for 3 hours, the aromas of cherries are less dominant than upon opening. Cedar, tobacco and green pepper become the major aromas and lend the wine warmth and elegance. The balanced acidity creates a great contrast with the "heavier" aromas so that each sip is like the first. The finish is medium-long. I understand what people find so attractive about Lafite. It is complex and subtle simultaneously. (958 views) | |
| Tasted by AudunG on 11/18/2023 & rated 96 points: Aromas of cheries and blackcurrant, pencil and leather. Not as dark fruit as the Latour 85, though. Tight, firm, intense and concentrated on the palate. Impressive, and seems to have a bright future. (1342 views) | |
| Tasted by devraj on 10/16/2023 & rated 94 points: Dark ruby in color with bricking throughout. Initially funky nose settles down after about 3 h in the decanter to show classic cassis, pencil lead, smoky herbs. Once again the wine showed best after 3-4 hours. A well balanced palate shows good definition to the cedar perfumed reddish black fruits, smoky herbs, decent acidity, fine tannins and a supple earthy finish. (1067 views) | |
| Tasted by dream on 9/21/2023 & rated 95 points: This is a very fresh bottle and it shows superb richness of dark red fruits with a bold lead pencil note and surprisingly good intensity for a softer vintage. Best after 3+ hours open and really complex on the finish with wonderful spice and crunchy mineral notes with a touch of mint. We’ll-stored bottle of this have years of development ahead. 95+ (1341 views) | |
| Tasted by steinersing on 7/5/2023 & rated 92 points: Classic and slightly herbal with the fruit more in the background. Would drink this up (1807 views) | |
| Tasted by dream on 3/17/2023 & rated 95 points: A perfect bottles of this purchased at retail through Zachys direct from Chateau. Even though the word is this wine has reached full maturity, it still needed all of 3 hours in a decanter to really show it's stuff. Medium-bodied with such a fine, chiseled texture and still lovely subdued dark fruits. This is wide open but still fresh and lively with the classic lead pencil flavors emerging late. The tannins are fully resolved and there is great precision and intensity on the long, fine, complex finish. A vintage that needs contemplation but worth the effort for sure. (2230 views) | |
| Tasted by DAN BAILEY on 2/21/2023: Deeper and darker fruit than the 61 served alongside. More lead pencil nd cedar. Became higher toned with air. (271 views) | |
| Tasted by kingkanu on 2/21/2023: Simon Beatty Memorial Dinner, Clos St Jacques table (Noizé, London): Classic claret again here, but not as well defined as the other 2 vintages alongside, it had all the classic characteristics and showed some complexity and length, but was slightly muddled. (2153 views) | |
| Tasted by SimonG on 2/21/2023 & rated 89 points: Simon Beatty’s memorial dinner, CSJ table (Noizé, London): Beautiful mid ruby. A touch of swimming pool on the nose, giving way to a vegetal, herbal cab franc character. Cab franc on the palate too. Dense, somewhat occluded, herbal. Very green. Not sure this is as it should be, even with 85 freshness considered. *** (1979 views) | |
| Tasted by Ralph_ on 12/13/2022 flawed bottle: corked (2261 views) | |
| Tasted by glassofhans on 10/19/2022 & rated 92 points: Great length, structure, acidity, but something is just a little missing for me. (2201 views) | |
| Tasted by MC2 Wines on 10/17/2022: IWFS Lafite Big Bottles (The Modern): This was most people's WOTN. It was certainly very good. Lots of granite and pencil shavings and to me came across as a lot more secondary. Out of a 6L and of course there's always something to be said for the big bottle which was impressive in its own right. Drinks nicely. (2129 views) | |
| Tasted by dream on 3/30/2022 & rated 93 points: This was a lovely wine in the Lafite vertical along the lines of the '90 if a bit thinner. Elegant and layered with classic notes of charred gravel, cedar and graphite minerals. Just a lovely wine that's ready now. (3121 views) | |
| Tasted by Sean Tay on 2/18/2022 & rated 95 points: Pronounced nose with toast, cedar, earth, cooked black fruits and blackcurrant. Elegant nose. Medium acidity and tannin. At its peak, drinking beautifully. Velvety tannin. (3086 views) | |
| Tasted by hprphf on 12/11/2021 & rated 93 points: Classic cedar box, light, airy, ready to drink. 93 (3194 views) | |
| Tasted by Kim Gerner on 11/19/2021 & rated 92 points: 25 Old Bordeaux grand cru classe - vertical (1920->) and horizontal semi blind wine tasting dinner (Copenhagen (Private)): A semi blind tasting of 25 right and left bank Grand cru Classé wines ranging from Mouton Rothschild to Chateau Cheval Blanc. 2/3 from 1920-1990 and the rest younger. This wine: Still green pepper. Tertiary notes (ex. tobacco). Medium tannin. No further notes taken. (353 views) | |
| Tasted by englishman's claret on 6/21/2021 & rated 93 points: The 85 Lafite is an interesting wine that's more about its cedar, nutty, loam, pencil, and furniture polish notes than its mellow red fruit. Yet it advanced and retreated a number of times over the course of the evening, seeming slightly past-prime at the outset, growing younger in the glass, and then more mature again. Very pleasant tonight and a contrast to the as-yet-unready 1989, though I suspect this was more attractive in its youth. (4743 views) | |
| Tasted by RockinCabs on 6/19/2021 & rated 94 points: Nose: Opened slightly autumnal with cassis, red berries, pencil and wet fall leafy notes. As it opened it was like time reversed and the blackberry, spice and graphite grew more focused and the red fruit elements were fresher. Palate: Silky elegant entry with nice blackberry, dark cherry, fine leather and violet notes. Layered, but not dense. A finer Lafite showing mature development. Finish: detailed, but on the lighter side with red berries, cedar and graphite. Just lacking some oomph to get a big score, but a nice elegant lafite. And who doesn't love the Halleys Comet glass? (3756 views) | |
| Tasted by hargy on 12/26/2020 & rated 95 points: this was really singing today - by no means a big wine but it has a lovely balance to it - fabulous (3731 views) | |
| Tasted by Papies on 9/5/2020 & rated 97 points: 2020 Athens Wine Event (Tartare, Athens): Tasted blind. The nose putting on a instant show and producing a huge smile on our faces ( Nicol actually detected something TCA at start but that was but a faint and did not spoil the wine thankfully). A mastercalss of classic Bordeaux and so fresh and energetic still ( We tried Mouton 85 also a superb wine , Papies 98 , back in February and that was a lot more evolved) to the point that we went with an early 90s maybe a 90-91 Dominus. A lot of healthy fruit, lots of tension here, very little in terms of secondary feel but with enough to create a super complex nice and an amazing palate. It was a great idea to serve this blind albeit for wines like this we never do as indeed it shown through and through. An amazing 96-98 and with another 20years to go (4871 views) | |
| Tasted by skurtz on 7/9/2020 & rated 92 points: Decanted for an hour for Garth’s bday. This has an awesome nose, huge burst of Cuban cigars, but on the palate this is disappointing, fruit is most tart red berries, oak, and a tart finish. Maybe it needed to decant for longer but I was hoping for more. After a few hours, the expected blackberries did arrive, but the acid still prevailed. (4069 views) | |
| Tasted by hargy on 5/1/2020 & rated 93 points: the 1985's are lovely and this is no exception - not a blockbuster but quite a subtle wine: mature, complex and long (3965 views) | |
| Tasted by steinersing on 9/9/2019 & rated 94 points: slightly more old style Bordeaux now - cigar box, tobacco, with good stuffing - attractive and ready. (7095 views) | |
| Tasted by LB88 on 9/9/2019 & rated 93 points: Drinking sublime now but with a hint of tartness which I actually appreciated. (5762 views) | |
| Tasted by liber on 7/12/2019 & rated 94 points: 10th of 12, decanted 80 minutes, perfect cork and level, edgier, less exciting and more mulberry than last bottle in June 14, no sense of fade, classy layering and fine 85 balance as you'd expect. F+ (18). (5837 views) | |
| Tasted by DrinkBordeaux on 1/10/2019 & rated 94 points: Château Lafite Rothschild vertical tasting (Wine Watch, Fort Lauderdale, Florida): Deep, dark ruby color. A really nice balance of fruit and earthiness. It showed no tiring, and it's definitely at its peak. Not as ripe as the 1990, but had a really nice earthy edge to it. Lots of tobacco. Gained weight throughout the night. A really nice wine in a good spot. (7823 views) | |
| Tasted by steinersing on 12/4/2018 & rated 93 points: Excellent from jero - nice sweetness, slightly onedimensional as of yet (8094 views) | |
| Tasted by dchain on 11/11/2018: Amber/ruby. Definitely showing some age next to the deep looking 86 Lynch Bages. Felt a bit weedy, touch of mustiness without being corked. Might be a closure/storage issue as the cork was completely saturated and you could almost squeeze wine out if it! I don’t think it is fair to rate but this was disappointing from this particular bottle. (5867 views) | |
| Tasted by Goldstone on 11/2/2018 & rated 91 points: Tasted blind as one of three Bordeaux 1985s. Dense and opaque black-red just slightly lightening at the meniscus. Reticent nose to the point of obstinacy but enough pencil lead and graphite to know you are in high class Pauillac territory. Palate is simlarly beautiful but in an aloof and unaffectionate way. A poor bottle of Ch. Lafite? Yes. Brought by me so fairly easy to spot but disappointing compared to the last bottle I opened back in October 2017. Perhaps I made a mistake by simply double decanting for sediment rather than a full decant. Hell, it's still a lovely wine that I'm lucky to have in my collection and share with great equally generous friends. But I dispute whether 750ml bottles will endure much beyond 2025-2030. My #3 of the night. (5871 views) | |
| Tasted by redmancge on 8/26/2018 & rated 91 points: Second tasting of the 85' Lafite. Cork pretty soaked through but got out using Cork Popper...really like their ability to get out in one piece most times. Was a bit tight on opening, decanted for about 45 minutes then back in bottle for dinner at JJ's Steakhouse on the Plaza. Hour later complete change from opening as at first I was a little worried about it. Opened with lovely bit of forest floor cedar and cherry on the nose. Deep ruby red color smooth cherry and cranberry fruit. A lighter body than would have hoped but as others mention it comes from the underrated 85 vintage. A lighter petite style Lafite but with excellent pedigree a powerfully nice wine and experience Don't think I could agree with the outside drinking window of 2060. Have several more and will probably find some good (or any reason) to get to them sooner than later :-) (6371 views) | |
| Tasted by Comte Flaneur on 3/1/2018 & rated 96 points: Based on my previous experience this was my favourite to win the wine of the night award. The 1985 Lafite is drinking magnificently, is fully resolved and a monument to everything we admire about this vintage. It has plenty of tertiary notes of cigar box, forest floor, earthy/damp soil, and truffle. It is riper than the 1983 and 1988 and lacks the edginess and tension that I so admire in these wines. Unless you own this in large format or a very cool cellar, this wine is unlikely to improve with age. Magnificent but a shade behind Cheval Blanc for wine of the vintage accolade. (1756 views) | |
| Tasted by Goldstone on 10/22/2017 & rated 97 points: Double decanted for sediment several hours in advance. Perfect fill and very good cork. Translucent lamb's blood colour. Nose is like someone poking a lead pencil in your eye if that could ever be pleasant....which it was. Palate is just...exquisite...the epitome of sharpened pencil and graphite backed by very black linear berry fruits. It is immediately endlesslessly resonant and reverberant even before you transfer from mouth-hold to swallowing. BIG...wow....just so lovely...it knocks almost any other wine into a cocked hat. Greg described it as "massive", which is an approporiate single descriptor. the length is endless and silence-creating. The best way I can describe this is that, whilst there are stronger vintages for the future, the 1985 maintains its structure and beautiful black-berried fruit but has shed most of its stuffing to reveal the filagreed details of a fully mature Lafite...so drink this whilst you wait for the 1982, 1989 and 1990 to unfold. (9894 views) | |
| Tasted by KoalaHK on 10/6/2017: At the Lafite Vertical Dinner, Amuse Bouche Hong Kong - A light, pretty wine from an underrated vintage in my opinion. I'd be keen to try this in magnum. (8098 views) | |
| Tasted by fcxj on 10/6/2017 & rated 88 points: NM Lafite. Lovely color, good showing. (7685 views) | |
| Tasted by rnellans on 6/25/2017 & rated 94 points: Classic Lafite. Floral, tobacco, cedar . Less structure, complexity than the 59 served alongside. Fully mature and quite enjoyable. (9206 views) | |
| Tasted by Jeff Leve on 4/22/2017 & rated 90 points: Medium bodied, and almost bordering on light, this is elegant, refined, or perhaps, delicate is the best way to put. Fully mature, your focus should be on the tobacco, cigar box, lead pencil, cedar, cherry and forest floor aromatics, than on the still fresh, light, soft, graceful, but petite, light cherry and cranberry finish. This is not a candidate for further evolution. (9345 views) | |
| Tasted by hajoha on 4/5/2017 & rated 96 points: Bordeaux 1985 horisontal (Oslo): Stram og tight, men med flott frukt. En liten sødme i frukten som gjør dette vakkert. Konsentrert og ungdommelig med sublim frukt. Holder trøkket hele veien. Meget lang finish med lekre tanniner. (5341 views) | |
| Tasted by redmancge on 2/17/2017 & rated 91 points: Second bottle following 85' Margaux which was great. Should have made it first. Let it decant 2 hours had lovely deep garnet with slight bricking on edge, some cedar and cassis. My first Chateau Lafite and one of few such older First Growths so all I can say was a lovely wine and experience but didn't wow me for the pedigree. Have a few more so we'll see and drink on it's own next time. A great way to celebrate my 60th Bday with family :) (5185 views) | |
| Tasted by BradE on 12/12/2016: Lafite Vertical: This slightly underperformed its vintage pedigree, but for my tastes still came off as a beautiful bottle, and I was very happy with it. Other folks liked it, but were less enthusiastic than me. (6189 views) | |
| Tasted by Sotto325 on 10/31/2016 & rated 94 points: Wonderful, classic Bordeaux on its right shoulder. The reassuring warmth, mildly rough velvet, perfectly blended melange of casssis, wet, dark earth, dark robes of forestry scents, and a mellifluous passage past the palate and beyond. Having said that, this third and last bottle in 10 years reinforces my impression that this is not one of the great complex Lafites. Compared with the 1959, 1961, or even the 1970, this wine is wonderful but not on the same level. Drink now (4455 views) | |
| Tasted by MC2 Wines on 9/20/2016: Zachys/Mana tasting (Mana Contemporary (in Jersey City)): This reminded me very much like a well-oiled saddle after a long ride. It was leather but also a bit of the sweat and oil included. I know that doesn't sound appealing, but it quite worked for the wine. Maybe some faded currant. Well-aged and seemed to be in just the right spot. When opened apparently was less ready for business, but by the time we drank it 2 or so hours later was in a nice spot. (5147 views) | |
| Tasted by skurtz on 8/23/2016 & rated 93 points: Decanted for 3h before dinner at 1862 restaurant. Medium bodied feminine bdx with floral perfume of earthiness, berries and oak. In many respects this smelled better than it tasted, which was berry and oak dominated, with an acid finish. Tannins long gone. Paired very well with oysters, followed by the foie gras. Much better with food than as a standalone sipping wine. (4432 views) | |
| Tasted by Collector1855 on 3/15/2016 flawed bottle: Chateau Lafite Rothschild - 20 year vertical blind tasting (Fribourg): Tasted blind. This was the only bottle of the tasting that was clearly corked. Group rank # 20/20. Readiness: Mature. (8743 views) | |
| Tasted by Rogershkg on 2/27/2016 & rated 91 points: Frankly disappointing. Perfectly good. Colour was still good. Bouquet a bit leathery old bookish. Taste really a bit ordinary, reasonably long but nothing spectacular. In comparison with Mouton 1995 it was dull. (5105 views) | |
| Tasted by Bordeaux_Jon on 12/26/2015 & rated 94 points: From a half bottle with a great fill. No decant. This Lafite had a serious wow-wow nose. From the first whiff, it was clearly incredible. It has this unique combination of red fruit, maybe raspberry, with loads of truffle/mushroom and an earthy, cedary undertone. It was profound and not like anything I've had before. The nose did not evolve too much throughout the night like other bottles of truly profound Bordeaux. The palate was very smooth with pure elegance. However, I would have liked a bit more intensity and grip. I see what Parker and reviewers below were saying about the lack of 1st Growth depth. But considering it was a 30 year old half bottle of a less reputed year, I was thrilled. What a nose! (5641 views) | |
| Tasted by TayoW on 11/21/2015 & rated 97 points: Celebrating 30 years of life and wine (Guillaume Restaurant): One of the bottles was almost perfection. the other while still nice, was slightly dull. The first bottle, razor sharp structure, drawing the palate through red currant to a stony background. Agree with other reviews, not a big lafite by elegant. (5868 views) | |
| Tasted by The Vines That Bind on 11/14/2015 & rated 96 points: Big beautiful bouquet of spicy chai tea leaves, menthol, mint, black cherry, leathers, and lead pencil with some damp hay and barn in the end. The palate is huge and delivers a solid dose of rich black cherry, currant, and cassis. There is balance between fruit horsepower and earth-driven tones, but the tannins are still pretty big and tight. A curious green note lingers around as well, asparagus perhaps. This bottle actually outperformed the '82 enjoyed alongside at lunch. Awesome. (5562 views) | |
| Tasted by yofog on 9/13/2015: Utterly classic nose of ripe, compact cassis, with gravel and cigar behind it. Really fruit-driven for such a subtle and elegant wine. Solidly built yet lithe, incredibly deep yet effortless, this glides across the palate and is highly refreshing. Still young. Unbelievable. Regal. (5008 views) | |
| Tasted by Wine_lvr on 8/1/2015 & rated 93 points: °°° Bordeaux 1985 °°° (Emmen, Switzerland): Clear mature red. Nose shows herbal garden, leather, dill and red fruit. Long at the same time highly elegant. Tannins are a bit dry. Very pleasant to drink. Not a big Lafite but at the same time very graceful and drink-animating. Drink now - 2025 (5477 views) | |
| Tasted by Ericsson on 4/17/2015 & rated 90 points: Bordal chez RPB (Margaux, Cheval Blanc, Lafite...) (Vessy): Couleur grenat sombre. Le nez ne s'est jamais vraiment livré bien que la dégustation a duré plus de 3 heures. En bouche, le vin est plutôt rectiligne, austère, boisé, avec une petite touche d'astringence. La longueur est bonne. La note est plutôt pour le potentiel que pour le plaisir (quasiment absent) actuel. J'ai noté pomerol... (6344 views) | |
| Tasted by Purple Tooth on 2/28/2015 & rated 92 points: Great walls of structure in place but most good things have faded... (6555 views) | |
| Tasted by Eric on 1/19/2015 & rated 96 points: Pre Davos Wine Forum tasting (Zumikon, Switzerland): Lots of sediment should have been my hint. What an awesome nose with that crazy, spiny, green, mineral and graphite Lafite thing. The palate is very mineral and quite austere in the typical Lafite fashion, but it shows its breed. (8706 views) | |
| Tasted by fcxj on 11/25/2014 & rated 88 points: Just ok, Ficofi (3445 views) | |
| Tasted by tsverdrup on 11/16/2014 & rated 94 points: Nose - Mature forest with wild berries and pine needles on the ground. My grandmothers curtains. Blackcurrant bushes, raisin box. Peppers. Hints of leather and barn. Delicious taste of liquorice, leather and ripe fruit. Nice balanced between fruit and acidity. Development, development, development. Very exciting wine. Very good! 50 + 5 + 13.5 + 16.5 + 9 = 94p. Tasted in a '85 flight with Mouton-Rothschild and Haut-Brion. All tasted blind. (7780 views) | |
| Tasted by Shiaxonna on 11/14/2014 & rated 90 points: Tasted blind. Red orange color in the edges, and very dense and concentrated, This has age! The nose is a concoction of barnyard, blackcurrant, raisins, chocolate, manure, bell pepper, liquorize and leather. There are so many things going on here. There is also balance in there, but my short and lacking experience with old classical Bordeaux makes it difficult for me to make sense to this monster-nose. Palate is very balanced, some acidity and lots of tannins and dust. Mouthfeel is powerful and spicy. Long aftertaste. I kind of get the feeling this wine is too big for me. I don't really understand what I'm tasting. 50+5+12+14+9 (90p) (3160 views) | |
| Tasted by hiker_guy on 11/3/2014: Disappointing. Waited all night and this never showed up and seemed to drop off after about an hour. Not much fruit, very muted nose. Finish was decent. Expected much more. I waited this out the longest hoping it would blossom and ended the evening disappointed. (7477 views) | |
| Tasted by Sotto325 on 8/5/2014 & rated 90 points: [At MOC tasting; see 1982 Margaux note below] Unlike the Leoville, about which one could be certain of the storage conditions, this wine may have experienced some inconsistent treatment. Otherwise, it is difficult to explain the unyielding fruit, even after a long time in the glass. 1985 is not a taut vinatge and the typcial Lafite perfume and regal notes were missing. Well strucutred but disappointing. (8156 views) | |
| Tasted by liber on 6/14/2014 & rated 95 points: 9th of 12, decanted an hour, fill top shoulder, very mixed notes from very good to very fine, this the best bottle yet - mid garnet, browning rim, very aristocratic, complex nose with usual attributes of black fruit, cedar and tobacco whiff, medium bodied, fresh fruit, very long and persistent, beautiful balance of vintage, classic fantail in mouth, only just pipped by outstanding Lafite 90 on same night, should still develop well. Very fine (18.5/20). (6307 views) | |
| Tasted by demiurg on 5/3/2014 & rated 94 points: Tasted along with a Mouton 1985. Great wines, more elegant and balanced than in-your-face. Good length and worked very well with slow-cooked lamb. Bordeaux was so much more enjoyable when the style was less focussed on power and alcohol. It went back and forth which of the two was preferred, a pretty close match. (8081 views) | |
| Tasted by Mfsb89 on 12/25/2013 & rated 91 points: Decantado durante 3 horas antes de degustarlo. En nariz tabaco, cuero curtido y madera mojada. En boca un final medio. Quizás es lo que decepcione un poco de esta añada. El retro gusto es suave y digno de un vino de su categoría. Es resumen es un vino para celebrar que se encuentra listo para enfrentar los paladares más exigentes. (8936 views) | |
| Tasted by NewFrenchClaret on 11/11/2013 & rated 92 points: This bottle was a little suspicious when first opened- it seemed just a fraction tainted. This quickly blew off though, and might have just been the graphite aromas being a little overeager. Great color- barely a molecule-thick ring of brick. Not overly exciting on first taste though. After a 2 hour decant it had come alive somewhat. Buckets of graphite on the nose, along with candied black fruits, wet stone and lots of beef jus. Hints of chocolate, plums, caramelized bacon and figs. Light on its feet, and reminiscent of a French summer. Sweet and mouth-coating on the palate. Elegant, but to the point of being a little lean. Very delicious finish but sadly rather short. Barely 20 seconds before it's completely gone, which is rather disappointing. 1985 was a magnificent year for Bordeaux- certainly the best of the 1980s- so expectations are high. This is a very, very fine wine, there's no doubt about it. But it is not as interesting and complex as the Mouton of the same year, and is completely dwarfed by the magnificent, ethereal Margaux. Bordeaux at this price should be a transcendental experience. Like so much of Lafite, this just isn't. (9123 views) | |
| Tasted by ilovesacha on 2/26/2013 & rated 93 points: Cork was in pretty bad shape and bottle oxidised, but despite fears of corking, after we let it breathe for 4 hours and then decanted and rested for another 1 hour or more - it was pretty darn good. The flavors have become very integrated at this point and we paired this with a muscovy duck dish. Worked very well. Happy Anniversary! (11608 views) | |
| Tasted by FamilyLarsson on 1/4/2013 flawed bottle: Korkskadad flaska. Snacka om besvikelse (11383 views) | |
| Tasted by johnh1001 on 9/10/2012 & rated 90 points: Decanted and drank over 3 hours. I wanted to like this wine more than I did. Drank along side the 1986. Nicely evolved nose of earth, mushrooms, leather, a bit of black fruit and of course lead pencil. Every so often you got a green pepper note. More of the same on the palate but there was this odd plastic taste. Others noticed as well. Maybe it was the bottle. Medium+ finish. A nice wine but I can think of 100 others I would rather drink for the money. (10656 views) | |
| Tasted by MMK73 on 6/28/2012 & rated 97 points: Drank from 3.0L, reserved nose, forest floor and subtle notes of toast and smoke. Medium-long finish and pleasant tannins. (6965 views) | |
| Tasted by -E- on 6/1/2012 & rated 93 points: Bordeaux Søskenparsmaking (Moss, Norway): Dyp rød/rødbrun med oransje kant. Flott nese av blyantspiss, skogbunn, mørke bær og urter. Fin balanse mellom jordlige toner og frukt. Lett grønn. Bløt, varm og saftig frukt, langt rundere i kantene enn 1986. Nydelig, frisk og fast syre. Sitter svært godt. Lang ettersmak. (11448 views) | |
| Tasted by LWI on 6/1/2012 & rated 93 points: Bordeaux Siblings (Moss, Norway): Warmish fruit, long, forest floor, mushroom. Not entirely convincing bottle. (10769 views) | |
| Tasted by Goldstone on 1/21/2012 & rated 95 points: Chú Xī (除夕) Dinner at Home on Chinese New Year Eve (Our Place, Hong Kong): Opened for 4 hours then briefly decanted and drank over the next 2 hours. Deep blood red semi-opaque colour. Nose is paradoxically refined, understated but OFMG stopping you in your tracks at the same time.....pencil lead and graphite....incredibly deep, precise essence of blackcurrant and blackberry. Palate is essence of blackcurrant....a bit dilute compared to Lafite from a blockbuster vintage but....almost profound....er, it is profound as it opens up. Understated. Intellectual....whatever I mean by that. I see no need to hurry with my other bottles and it was much better than the last bottle I drank nearly two years ago. (11943 views) | |
| Tasted by rdsboca on 5/28/2011 & rated 96 points: Wait, take a breathe and decant this puppy for at least two hours. At about an hour, I thought it was slightly corked or off. I just wasn't patient. In fact, at hour two, sweet red cherry, lead pencil and an gorgeous earthiness evolve into a symphony evrey every thing elegant. Regal and delish. (13206 views) | |
| Tasted by Hodby on 1/11/2011 & rated 92 points: Medium ruby, some bricking. Dusty, cedary nose of leather, blackberries, tobacco, celeriac, lead pencil. Medium-high tannin, medium acidity. Somewhat difficult to coax richness in the mouth. Finishes hard. Moderate concentration of extracts, but lots of structure; a bit narrow, even for Lafite. I could wait another five years (at least !) to open another. I hope I live to see the structure relax enough to permit greater enjoyment. Bottle #3 of six. (13610 views) | |
| Tasted by Amerique on 12/11/2010 & rated 91 points: Elegant, sweet black cherry fruit with vanillin flavors, excellent structure, much more subtle than other wines drunk in tasting (13502 views) | |
| Tasted by dst on 10/30/2010 & rated 95 points: Great aged bordeaux, smooth and drinking beautiful. I think that it should last five more years. Should drink it by the end of 2015. (14299 views) | |
| Tasted by phantphant on 10/27/2010 & rated 94 points: Delicious....barnyard and supple....smoothness increased about 1.25 hours after opening and decanting. This was something special.... (13461 views) | |
| Tasted by peetee on 8/18/2010 & rated 95 points: Opened on impulse to celebrate the birth yesterday of my first grandchild. Managed to decant for an hour (and it was difficult waiting that long). Immediately got beautiful deep cassis aromas on pouring. Colour did not show that maturity of 25 years - still a wonderfully clear ruby garnet colour. The nose was just sublime - exotic oriental spices intermingled with truffle, smoke cedar herbs and cassis - each sniff gave up something more. Wonderfully balanced on the palate with a hint of menthol carried on the tannins. I guess this might be at peak now, as 85s are so rich and opulent I never felt they were really long keepers, but feel it could plateau for at least another 6 or 8 years?? 95+ (14232 views) | |
| Tasted by wenderoth on 6/23/2010 & rated 95 points: Wine dinner - Martindale Hall, Clare Valley SA. Awesome lineup: 82 Evangile, 98 Las Cases, 86 Yquem, 86 Grange, 88 Meo-Carmuzet Nuits St Georges, 88 Grange, 90 Brunel Centenaire, 95 Dominus, 95 Monte Bello, 96 Hill of Grace, 98 Las Cases, 99 Leoville Barton, 02 Grange, 04 Cristom "Jessie", 04 Torbreck Run Rig. Opened and double decanted 4 hours prior to drinking. Immediate explosion of cassis, graphite and touches of tobacco on opening. Colour of crystal clear dark ruby red with no bricking at the margins. 4 hours later, the nose was a sublime but serious and somewhat austere edifice of truffly earthy aromas with a tight core of underlying black fruit and cedar/tobacco. The palate did not disappoit either, although it did tire a bit by the 6-7 hour mark. Vibrant cassis and perhaps dark cherry predominated, with some clove notes intermixed with the more woody/tobacco elements, leading to a very long finish with a still taut but very fine tannic backbone. (14340 views) | |
| Tasted by Xavier Auerbach on 5/11/2010 & rated 92 points: Inimitable oystershell, deep and cedary, has tension and vitality but seems to lack the charm of 1985 and the flower of Lafite? Velvety, rich tannins, power increases in the decanter, a bit of a riddle this bottle. (7871 views) | |
| Tasted by dst on 2/5/2010 & rated 95 points: Brownish edges, matured Bordeaux, great nose and long lasting palate. I assume it will start to decline in the next few years. Drink it now. (14772 views) | |
| Tasted by MRichman on 2/2/2010: 1985 Bordeaux at 25 years (Morton's NYC): Smooth, complex and herbal. Soft but not flabby. Sweet core. Long finish with citric acidity. Bit of licorice. Very very nice. A- (15417 views) | |
| Tasted by peetee on 10/31/2009 & rated 93 points: I was a bit concerned on opening as the cork showed no sign of the 24 years and the levels were well into the neck! So it was reassuring to get that wonderful matured and complex cedar and cassis nose with the (over used I know) opulence of the vintage. There was also a vibrant floral note that I remember from a previous bottle. This was decanted for 2 hours and drank over another 3 - the nose opened out even more in the glass and the palate displayed a beautiful red fruit entry and fantastic balance with added depth and harmony. Great length as before. Tannins perhaps (if I'm picky) slightly more drying that the previous bottle, but still wonderfully harmonious. Feel this is at peak now - will drink the next one soon. (15236 views) | |
| Tasted by Goldstone on 9/4/2009 & rated 93 points: Decanted for an hour then drank over another 3 hours. Young-looking blood red colour which is just moving to transparency. A huge initial hit on the nose of freshly sharped pencil lead, cedar oil, dark chocolate, earth, pine cones, a hint of dry autumn leaves......... overall very fresh but complex multi-layered secondary and moving into tertiary notes. Sharp, precise, acidic, lean, somewhat austere and green palate but still with some very persistent blackcurrant fruit which becomes extremely more predominant 4 hours after decanting and giving into a very long and in your head resonance on the finish. There was a UK actress who was quite a big movie beauty in 1985 and this is her epitomised in wine.....haughty, angular, cold, great breeding, beautiful....and not an ounce of fat. (15033 views) | |
| Tasted by brjb7 on 3/8/2009 & rated 97 points: deep red in color, wonderfully pungent nose of red fruit and floral in bouquet. Tart and tannic for the first 30 minutes before opening up to well balanced and silky taninnins with the palate of red fruit, cassis and leather with a hint of pencil. Wonderful wine all around and at peak. (16009 views) | |
| Tasted by MauriceE on 12/24/2008 & rated 93 points: Even though this wine appears to be completely evolved when poored immediately, after an hour or two this wine really opens up. Typical Lafite: quite powerful, but very elegant the same time. Beautifully integrated wood, excellent balance. High class indeed. (15403 views) | |
| Tasted by Zweder on 10/10/2008 & rated 92 points: The bouquet is great! A lot of good barnyard and quite complex; so with a lot of pleasant smells, almost like a Margaux. In the taste however there is a lot of firm cassis juice and also firm somewhat drying tannin. The taste is everything but elegant. Rustic it definitely is. The finish is long. I don't think this will get much better, but who knows…..? (15552 views) | |
| Tasted by peetee on 9/22/2008 & rated 94 points: Gorgeous rich plum aromas leapt out on decanting - then it seemed to go quiet for an hour or so. After then it gave wonderful rich fruits, cedar and leather. It was like being in a cigar box surrounded with ripe cherries and plums. Great intentisty of flavours - cherry, spice, green peppers and tobaccco and loads more that I couldn't quite identify. It had fantastic length. Many have suggested that htis is at its peak - but i just wonder if it may go on for a fair bit yet with that intensity of fruit flavour. I poured back in the bottle, vacuumed and kept a half for the next day - just as good, which surprised me a bit! (15529 views) | |
| Tasted by pabernatchez on 6/8/2008 & rated 96 points: Drunk from a double magnum, in the chais of the château, with the baron himself! What a stunning wine! So beautiful, all in finesse, SILKY smooth tanins, and a length I have encountered only in 1rst growths... Full of red fruits, lead pencil, Cabernet tobacco notes.... Brillant, abolutely brillant! (15629 views) | |
| Tasted by baxter67 on 4/3/2008 & rated 79 points: Probably my biggest wine disappointment. First warning was the colour. Lighter than expected. Nose OK but nothing special. The word that comes to mind describing the palate is "empty". Tannic. My thoughts were "is that it?" Thinking I might have had a flawed bottle I read Parker. His finishing remark similar to mine - "is this all there is?" However, there are other better pro reviews including from Parker himself maxing out at 93 points or 18/20, so obviously there is a big bottle variation. * (1281 views) | |
| Tasted by gsquireh on 2/1/2008 & rated 93 points: Back to DeGrezia (NYC (50th Street between 2nd and 3rd)): The medium bodied red fruit tasting 85 Lafite become more complex in the glass with the developing flavors of wood, cassis, and mineral balancing nicely for a delightful but not spectacular wine. Not long in the tooth but not to be kept in the cellar too long, this Lafite is finishing smoothly and softly with balanced tannins. This first growth is perfect to initiate the inexperienced palate, but too costly at today's prices. Lovely warm up to my favorite value premium wine-the 90 Pichon Baron. (16228 views) | |
| Tasted by noppakit s. on 12/4/2007 & rated 92 points: Yes !!! this is a right time to drink this wine. Soft, smooth at the beginning and getting more fruits come along with cedar...very elegance and lovely nice Lafite after 2.30 hours. Fine tannin and well balanced. The Aftertaste is very good too. Stay right there in my heart, testing with Latour 1961 and Petrus 1982 but it never surrender... This is one of the truely style of Lafite Rothschild....I love it. Now - 2012 (15802 views) | |
| Tasted by rjonwine@gmail.com on 4/27/2007 & rated 94 points: Martin Weiner Lafite, Latour and Mouton Tasting–1959-2003 (Chez Weiner, Westwood, California): Tobacco, graphite nose; tasty, elegant, tart red fruit, cassis, mushroom, with sweet tannins; medium-plus finish (11835 views) | |
| Tasted by BIlgen on 3/7/2007 & rated 90 points: Beautiful middle-red colour, small orange hue Nice nose, could smell the parfume from a distance of a meter Elegant taste, tight, destinguished, supple tones, soft but not round (11188 views) | |
| Tasted by schaykin on 2/25/2007 & rated 92 points: Popped and poured. Drinking beautifully, nicely balanced and youthful compared to other bottles I've had in the last few years. Drank with friends to celebrate my daughter's U11 Northern California State Cup Soccer Championship. Go MVLA Lightning!! (15973 views) | |
| Tasted by Xavier Auerbach on 11/30/2006 & rated 96 points: An evening with Michael Broadbent (Christie's London): Not an obvious wine. Wonderful, classic bouquet, deep and cedary, blackcurrant and strawberry, develops a floral touch; elegant and perfectly balanced, creamy, seamless structure, feminine but layered, long, a supremely stylish wine and a beautiful 1985. (8317 views) | |
| Tasted by AllRed on 7/18/2006 & rated 91 points: Ruby color, with an orange tint. Initial aromas were somewhat musty, which blew off. Earth, cedar and floral notes. Fully integrated tannins and fruit, with plum and tart cherry flavors. Decent finish. Drink up. 91-92. (14944 views) | |
| Tasted by winefool on 1/1/2006 & rated 93 points: Full pink. Killer nose of spicy briar red fruit. Very nice. 1/06 (14279 views) | |
| Tasted by MRichman on 5/17/2005: 1985 Bordeaux Horizontal (Bouley, NYC): Tons of herb. Wide, broad, smooth and complex. A/A- (2994 views) | |
| Tasted by Blair Curtis on 1/7/2005 & rated 92 points: Wine Olympics (Picasso Restaurant, Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada): Nose of capiscum (green pepper) and fall leaves, silky in the mouth with excellent palate coverage, good healthy acids, a little feminine, nicely integrated tannins. Maybe Lafite? (Group = 88.7) (15861 views) | |
| Tasted by Henman on 12/16/2001: N: barnyard and earthy aromas. P: soft,smooth and balanced with fading fruit. (8734 views) | |
| Tasted by chevalblanc1959 on 12/24/1999 & rated 98 points: Still youthful, deep ruby red colour. Given over one hour in the decanter it began to unveil itself, amazing structure and depth, still some tannin, delicious, very very elegant, amazing length. (8703 views) | |
| Tasted by nogohawk on 1/24/1997 & rated 98 points: Drank with friends for my 40th birthday - decanted for 1 hour. As Brett would say "Good stuff!" (9029 views) | |
| Tasted by MicklethePickle on 10/10/1996 & rated 87 points: With Debbie Kashiwabara and Margarita Poag celebrating Debbie's end of chemotherapy. Very nice ruby color. Lots of legs. Beautiful lead pencil/cedary bouquet. Plump fruit. Palate is just "OK." A little hard and metallic on the finish. Very dry, but not dried out. It's not tremendous, and a bit disappointing for an 11-year-old First Growth. 5-13-14-5: 87/100. (1106 views) |
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Château Lafite RothschildProducer website – Read more about Chateau Lafite RothschildVineyards map on weinlagen-info Red 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. FranceVins 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.com BordeauxBordeaux Wine GuideVins 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 Rimmerman MédocVins du Médoc (Conseil des Vins du Médoc) - Read More about the MedocVdB 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. PauillacRead 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). |