Very deep golden colour, almost like clarified apple juice. Intense and concentrated nose; notes of vanilla, brioche, poached pears, and apples. This is also painfully concentrated on the palate, with lots of yeasty notes, and quite a huge hit of earthy white Burgundian funk. Some hazelnut notes as well. Very long finish with hints of lemon peel and licorice. Tasting this standing up would probably cause your knees to buckle. Krug-like in its intensity and usage of oak, but clearly differentiable as well.
From magnum. Only slight signs of bricking. Dark and brooding nose, with seductive notes of black cherries, graphite, vanilla, and cough syrup. On the palate, this is quite complex, though hindered by a few green notes. Notes also of cedar, as well as some fading black fruit on the palate. The mid-palate strikes me as just slightly thin, but there is enough spare complexity lying around to make up for it. Medium-length finish and seductively smoothed tannins. I doubt that this will be getting any better with time, so drink up. I'm impressed by the style despite the somewhat thin nature of the palate. Paired with a wild mushroom flan, with mission fig reduction, and micro thyme.
From magnum. Ruby colour, with no particular signs of bricking. If the '89 was dark and brooding, this one has toppled into the dark side. A nose that is somewhat less sweet, with more vegetal and green notes. Certainly not a ripe vintage, the nose indicates a relatively cerebral vintage of Lafite. On the palate, there's tons of acidity, but the complexity is lacking. Completely unripe. Lots of green tannins, and this wine feels somewhat raw and unrefined. Certainly powerful, but exercising its power in the wrong ways. A very acidic and green finish. Either a poor showing or a poor Lafite overall, or a poor wine in general, if you're paying Asian prices. Served with blackberries cold smoked in rosemary with coffee foam.
1999 Jacques Selosse Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra-Brut Millésimé 95 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Very deep golden colour, almost like clarified apple juice. Intense and concentrated nose; notes of vanilla, brioche, poached pears, and apples. This is also painfully concentrated on the palate, with lots of yeasty notes, and quite a huge hit of earthy white Burgundian funk. Some hazelnut notes as well. Very long finish with hints of lemon peel and licorice. Tasting this standing up would probably cause your knees to buckle. Krug-like in its intensity and usage of oak, but clearly differentiable as well.
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1989 Château Lafite Rothschild 95 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
From magnum. Only slight signs of bricking. Dark and brooding nose, with seductive notes of black cherries, graphite, vanilla, and cough syrup. On the palate, this is quite complex, though hindered by a few green notes. Notes also of cedar, as well as some fading black fruit on the palate. The mid-palate strikes me as just slightly thin, but there is enough spare complexity lying around to make up for it. Medium-length finish and seductively smoothed tannins. I doubt that this will be getting any better with time, so drink up. I'm impressed by the style despite the somewhat thin nature of the palate. Paired with a wild mushroom flan, with mission fig reduction, and micro thyme.
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1997 Château Lafite Rothschild 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
From magnum. Ruby colour, with no particular signs of bricking. If the '89 was dark and brooding, this one has toppled into the dark side. A nose that is somewhat less sweet, with more vegetal and green notes. Certainly not a ripe vintage, the nose indicates a relatively cerebral vintage of Lafite. On the palate, there's tons of acidity, but the complexity is lacking. Completely unripe. Lots of green tannins, and this wine feels somewhat raw and unrefined. Certainly powerful, but exercising its power in the wrong ways. A very acidic and green finish. Either a poor showing or a poor Lafite overall, or a poor wine in general, if you're paying Asian prices. Served with blackberries cold smoked in rosemary with coffee foam.
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