Decanter Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) Masterclass

Very interesting tasting including Duhart Milon, Carruades and Chateau Lafite. As a general comment I have to say that Carruades and Lafite are quite different in style with Carruades being leaner, cleaner and more polished, while Lafite has a more wild elegance and harmony. Quite close to the style of Lafite, and certainly closer than Carruades, I think is Duhart-Millon. If this is correct, it makes it effectively Lafite's second wine instead of Carruades. Robert Parker writes for the 2005 Duhart-Milon: "it reveals a character not dissimilar from its renowned sibling, Lafite-Rothschild". On the other hand in his book on Bordeaux, Steven Brook says, "in style the wine is far removed from that of Lafite. It is more solid, even earthy, and richness is matched by sturdiness".

• 2010 Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) Bordeaux Legende Blanc 87 Points

  France, Bordeaux

  Bright lemon-green. Fresh Sauvignon herbaceousness, citric fruit, green lime peel and waxiness from Semillon. Fresh palate with some oak notes and medium balancing acidity. Clean and well made but not really exciting. Finish is medium with some bitterness. Texture is somewhat phenolic. A wine to be drunk young.

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Reused casks no new oak for this wine.

• 2008 Blason de l'Evangile 88 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  Medium ruby colour with medium wide rim. Sweet nose with balsamic notes, new oak, macerated plummy fruit, cherry. Palate with inky flavours, rather coarse grained and astringent tannins. Medium body and sweet. Needs time to come together. Not really impressive now. Oaky sweet influence on the finish.

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80% new oak, more toasted oak than for Lafite.

• 2004 Château L'Evangile 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  Deep garnet with narrow rim. Expressive, very beautiful, nose - mature(-ing) with coffee liqueur, leather, chocolate, elegant farmyard and evident herbaceouss Cab.Franc notes. Opulent and wild wine, savoury and meaty (cured smoked ham with beautiful herbaceous notes. Palate has medium weight, is elegant with refined but firm tannins and refreshing acidity. Length is good and leaves a buttery sensation.

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• 2005 Château Duhart-Milon 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Deep garnet colour. Expressive and developing nose with coffee liqueur, leather, bitter chocolate, cured smoky ham and elegant farmyard. Also pencil shavings and cedar. Palate has a nice rounded texture with warmth, firm but ripe tannins. It is beggining to drink nicely but needs some time to soften. Inky and fresh finish. Quite similat aromatics to L'Evangile 2004 which was tasted before, but here structure is tighter and firmer and there is this cedary and pencil-shaving dimension which is lacking from L'Evangile.

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• 2005 Carruades de Lafite 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Medium deep garnet colour with narrow rim. Focused nose with cherry, cedar, pencil shavings and new oak influence. Excellent palate with high level of perfectly ripe tannins, rather restrained with mineral graphite notes, polished texture and long finish. Drinking beautifully now but can only become better. This is a cleaner more polished style of wine than Duhart-Milon - no leather, farmyard or coffee here. Elegant and polished, restrained and balanced wine.

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• 2003 Château Duhart-Milon 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Medium deep garnet. Nose maturing and expressive with coffee liqueur, caramel, cedar, chocolate, cedar and plummy fruit. Fantastic! Palate with depth of flavour, sweet, savoury and firm. Very long, elegant with firm but ripe tannins, medium + weight and refreshing acidity. Excellent wine elegant and refined but with a touch of wildness to it...

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• 2003 Château Lafite Rothschild 99 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  This wine is so harmonious and without any edges that goes down as effortlessly as water. Nose is surprisingly mature for its age but very complex and harmonious. Cherry liqueur, violets, sweet spice, coffee, polished leather, toast and liquorice. Texture is seamless, complexity is amazing and length is ...unending. Ready to drink with perfectly ripe tannins, concentrated ripe fruit with depth, complexity and freshness. A most complete wine which wins because of its harmony, elegance, complexity and depth while being ethereal and in a sense understated.

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• 1995 Château Lafite Rothschild 97 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Deep garnet colour with medium width of rim. Nose beggining to come into its own, maturing with macerated fruit, lactic notes, coffee, toast, slight funk, "essence" of pencil shavings and saddle leather. Fantastically elegant, intense and harmonious, sweet, sour and savoury palate offers liquorice, cedar, pencil shavings and is sweet plummy and black currant fruit. Lean wine is a good sense, effortlesly charming and emminently drinkable. Drinking beautifully now.

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• 1989 Château Lafite Rothschild 98 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Medium garnet colour fading to faint tawny on the rim. Nose is very expressive, liqueur like at perfect maturity with pencil shavings, cedar and macerated fruit. Some lactic notes add to the complexity. Gives a melted sensation which I cannot describe better, a sensation I find in many '89 Bordeaux wines. Fully mature but structured wine, tannic but mellow with spicy and sweet macerated fruit finish.

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• 2005 Château Rieussec 98 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Beautiful apricoty nose with honey and fresh citrus fruit. Smooth vanilla palate with creme brulee, pineapple, sweet spice like nutmeg and cinnamon, caramel and coffee. Very rounded mouthfeel, incredible sensation of lightness and although acidity is almost not felt ( in reality must be very high) the wine is perfectly harmonious. Finish is unending. Fantastic Sauternes with its great asset, apart from depth of flavour, being its incredibly ethereal lightness.

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