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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 94.7 pts. and median of 95 pts. in 190 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by La Grappe on 3/9/2024 & rated 94 points: In the 4+ years since we last tasted this, it has matured considerably, although it is by no means old. Classic left bank claret, with blackcurrant, a slight creaminess, and typical cedar/cigar box notes. Very fine. (690 views) | | | Tasted by etyc on 1/24/2024: Still youthful and very much present tannins. Very good, but will definitely be better with more years of cellar-age. Detail notes may yet follow... (1051 views) | | | Tasted by hrazdiiv on 12/2/2023 & rated 89 points: A disappointment. Not a bad wine but just average, and I’m not taking into account the price, of course. Still has a nice bright ruby red, slightly dark color in the glass. However, nose is not overly complex with good basic earthy elements of charcoal, tobacco and leather but not a lot of fruit. I probably made the mistake of decanting this too long, about 2.5 hours and I felt some of the excess acidity creep into both the palate and the nose as the night went on. Fairly ordinary finish, nothing particularly memorable. Tasted alongside a 2002 Ducru and the latter was hands down better. I had this wine about 6 years ago and also don’t recall it was exceptional. Little evolution here, not an elite Bordeaux. (1856 views) | | | Tasted by Pinder on 11/12/2023 flawed bottle: Huge disappointment!
Corked, undrinkable.
Too bad there seems to be a huge wine behind! (1982 views) | | | Tasted by thething135 on 11/12/2023 & rated 91 points: Pale garnet
Cassis+++, black pepper, blackcurrant, vanilla, smoke
Full body, medium acidity
Smooth tannins
Medium finish (1869 views) | | | Tasted by vinolovers on 9/8/2023 & rated 94 points: Part of a 90th birthday celebration. Bright coloring when poured with a nose that seemed fruity for approximately 15 minutes before giving way to a classic, black fruits, cassis nose. A hint of cedar, a bit of tobacco, blackberry, along with some pencil lead. Very balanced and very smooth. Tannins have dropped away leaving a bottle probably close to its peak. (2271 views) | | | Tasted by winelover1808 on 8/10/2023 & rated 95 points: beautiful; could have used a little more time in the decanter (was only a one hour decant) - but its a beautiful claret - pretty perfume of red fruit, tobacco/pencil lead, cassis; medium bodied - cherry/raspberry, savory notes, solid acidity; finish was a tad more wound and tannic; felt like it was opening up over the course of drinking it; very classic bordeaux - elegant, balanced, very very enjoyable (2548 views) | | | Tasted by Burgnick on 6/5/2023 & rated 92 points: Very modern and non-lafite as it lacks that regalness. Good intensity and concentration nevertheless. (2668 views) | | | Tasted by LTTC on 5/19/2023: (SYP) PNP. Small glass
An alluring, spicy nose of cedar, blackberries, plums and a hint of vanilla. Polished with good intensity and concentration
92+ (2350 views) | | | Tasted by fcxj on 4/13/2023 & rated 90 points: Tough and chewy, needs time. (2850 views) | | | Tasted by dnnk88 on 1/23/2023 & rated 93 points: Thought this was a right bank tonight. Good stuff. Nice rounded mouthfeel and long finish. Open now 93/94 (3339 views) | | | Tasted by etyc on 1/18/2023: More interesting than the '10 Mouton, this had some development setting in... Very much pencil-lead & ink driven on the nose, with dark fruits on the palate. Tannins still very much present but not showing at the forefront unlike the Mouton. Long finish, but I felt that was a tinge of bitterness at the tail-end, something that I hadn't noticed before in previous bottles. Anyway, this still had much runway ahead. Will be interesting to try another one again to see if the bitterness was just an anomaly in this btl... (2921 views) | | | Tasted by oxwombat on 1/2/2023 & rated 93 points: First growth dinner at Otto e Mezzo in Hong Kong. Slow-oxed for several hours and then evolved in the glass.
This was much further down the road compared to the last time I had this in late 2021. Perhaps bottle variation or provenance related?
Anyway, this was drinking very nicely, with classic notes of black fruit, cassis, graphite etc. coming through. The tannins were well integrated at this point and there was good acidity. However, this just wasn't quite as explosively aromatic or complex on the palate as I would have liked, and have come to expect from good bottles of Lafite. (2642 views) | | | Tasted by El_Dougo on 12/5/2022 & rated 94 points: Phenomenally young wine. Fresh red primary fruit. Integrated oak. Almost zero tertiary. I would have questioned the legitimacy of this wine had I not looked
up on CT that others feel similarly.
Ruby in glass under restaurant lighting, youthful nose, medium+ acidity, tannins mellowed during a hour of slow ox, med alcohol alcohol at 13% such a dream…. Full body, long finish. This is a wine that you buy to lay down. Wow. (2930 views) | | | Tasted by oxwombat on 11/28/2022 & rated 94 points: Opened at Le Gavroche in London. Decanted and enjoyed over dinner.
Very good Lafite, but perhaps in need of just a little more time for all its notes to get integrated properly. Classic black fruit and graphite nose, but there was an iodine note which came off a little strong. Great backbone, structure and very long finish as you'd expect from Lafite.
Also, this was overshadowed by the DRC 1er Cru Duvault Blochet 2009 that we had alongside it.
I'd revisit in a few years. Definite upside. (2790 views) | | | Tasted by Davidalan on 11/23/2022 & rated 96 points: Long finish with mellow tannins. Drank with wasabi beef. Awesome wine. (2029 views) | | | Tasted by winelover1808 on 9/17/2022 & rated 95 points: a beautiful classic claret and the finishing wine to an evening with a glass of rose champagne to start, a bottle of PYCM Corton Charlemagne 2017 and a 2010 Jadot Bonnes Mares preceding this beauty, all accompanied by an outstanding two star Michelin effort at Lazy Bear. this was in harmony and hitting all the right notes. pretty nose with tobacco and red fruits. medium bodied with red fruits, some savory notes and a long finish with soft tannins. a perfect wine with an incredible Lamb dish that ended the meal, but also terrific on its own. classy and beautiful and polished in every way. the somm double decanted it and it was opened for at least 90 minutes and was in a great place. (2976 views) | | | Tasted by dream on 8/7/2022: corked (3219 views) | | | Tasted by nickorum on 5/27/2022 & rated 94 points: Beautiful wine but holy macaroni this one was young. Plan to enjoy this over our next 24 anniversaries (3387 views) | | | Tasted by DanielAVTL on 2/25/2022 & rated 95 points: Wine 7/7 of Bordeaux tasting at YOLO Wine club.
* Decanted 4 hours before serving
Color - Lovely dark purple, no signs of aging whatsoever.
Nose - Earthy notes of forest floor, wild mushrooms, and chestnuts, followed by a meatier layer of game and smoked meats. In the background, complex and evolving hints of plum, anise, thyme and dark cherry. It really bursts out the glass with an explosion of aromas which somehow manage to maintain a near perfect balance.
Mouth - Full bodied, supple, round. Tannins have a presence but seem to already be well integrated at this stage. Flavors reveal more game, nuttiness, mineral notes and layers of cherries, strawberry and mocha. Impeccable structure, endless finish and stunning flavors.
An absolute beauty now, but will probably improve in 5-10 years as the tannins round out a bit more. Drink or hold.
95 points. (4474 views) | | | Tasted by Mahatma Chianti on 2/19/2022 & rated 98 points: Shared by a generous friend at a private dinner.
What a wow-bottle! Served blind, and the intensity of the bouquet blew my mind. So much going on, and especially the amount of smoked meat and umami in the nose was unbelievable. On the palate pure bliss, perfect balance, silky tannins, alive acids, weightless power and elegance with a very long and cool umami, salty and mineral finish. A truly majestic wine. (4276 views) | | | Tasted by levicn on 1/30/2022 & rated 94 points: 醒酒一个半小时，闻香有皮毛味，雪松和人参的香气，酸梅的活跃果香，入口酸度高，酒液咸鲜，单宁细腻如粉，漂亮的酸梅刺激着你的味蕾，辅以人参一类的复杂陈年植物气息，还能感受到细腻的香料味，后段是植物清凉和回甘，余味草本植物类香气，香草，烤面包和木质香气。活泼酸果激发出来的回甘在口中久久不能散去。一款让我眼前一亮的酒，还是在拉菲那独特的平衡框架内，时而又跳出框架。它是拉菲，它又不同于寻常年份的拉菲，让我有一种喝 Penfolds Bin 90A 时体会到的解放的感觉 (4109 views) | | | Tasted by jusuf on 11/4/2021 & rated 92 points: Actually quite a pleasant wine. Still, clearly not enough for a Lafite. (1467 views) | | | Tasted by melal41 on 10/30/2021 & rated 98 points: This was a part of tasting. Other wines tasted: Montrose 2003, Evangile 2000, Pingus 2007, Pride reserve 2001, Ornellaia 2003, Cayuse Syrah 2010, Padrone 1997
The wine is gorgeous from start to finish. Fresh, layered, perfectly balanced, packed. Tasting youthful. Long caressing finish.
My #3 of the night but very close to Evangile. Pride was a winner. (3940 views) | | | Tasted by Jeff Leve on 8/28/2021 & rated 94 points: With 2 hours, give or take of decanting, the wine has body and depth, but it's also reticent. Tobacco leaf, cigar box, cedar, herbs, green peppers, and red currants show, but there is a distinctive green note on the nose and palate that is becoming more apparent, along with some dryness in the finish. Lovers of old-school-styled Bordeaux will probably like this more than I did. (6265 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 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 Jane Anson
Decanter, Four decades of Lafite Rothschild (12/5/2016)
(Château Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (7/25/2008)
(Ch Lafite Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (4/7/2008)
(Ch Lafite Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Kapon
Vintage Tastings, Auction and Charity Imbibing (2/3/2007)
(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 Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2001, IWC Issue #96
(Chateau Lafite Rothschild Pauillac) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 1999, IWC Issue #84
(Chateau Lafite Rothschild Pauillac) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (12/6/2008)
(Château Lafite Rothschild) Dark red violet color; lavender and cassis nose; deep black fruit and dried plum nose; deep black fruit, iodine and tart blackberry palate; medium-plus finish 93+ pts. 93 points | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (1/18/2008)
(Château Lafite Rothschild) Dark red violet color; cassis, plum and violet nose; elegant cassis, cedar palate with a touch of menthol, still very young but excellent; long finish 94+ pts. 94 points | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (4/27/2007)
(Château Lafite Rothschild) Focused black fruit and plum nose; tasty, focused cassis and tart cherry palate with sweet tannins; medium-plus finish 92 points | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (2/5/2004)
(Château Lafite Rothschild) Gorgeous coffee, pencil lead and oak nose; gorgeous cherry, cassis, seamless fruit, coffee; long finish 96 points | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (9/6/2003)
(Château Lafite Rothschild) Reticent nose; great, rich, elegant, cassis palate with plush tannins; long finish 94 points | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (8/16/2003)
(Château Lafite Rothschild) Rich, seductive, cassis nose; concentrated, seamless, cassis palate with sweet, firm tannins; long finish 95 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Decanter and Vinous and JancisRobinson.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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