(Not a) birthday dinner (Hinsdale, IL): From magnum (with seepage). Fine, but hardly convincing. Pretty foursquare and ordinary, with some muddled fruit here. Most likely not representative.
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This bottle of 1976 Chateau Lafite Rothschild was cellared in a wine cave part of its life and a modern cellar the more recent part of its life. The fill for this bottle was mid-shoulder and the label had been tattered from back when it was in the cave. Using a Durand, I was able to pull the cork intact and it was saturated but seemed to have done its job. The color was good and the wine was sound; in fact, it was very much alive and full of character! Opened about four hours prior to service and decanted for sediment (of which there was plenty). No formal notes. At this stage in its life, the 1976 Lafite pours a garnet color with an orange rim. The nose is straight up old-money. Classy aromas of desiccated red cherries & red currants, dried tobacco leaf, graphite, a mix of organic and inorganic earth, leather and dried baking spices. On the palate, the structure was still quite palpable with tannins till present and acid doing its job with aplomb. Confirming the notes on the nose. The finish is long and graceful with some nice stoney minerals. Drink now but well cellared examples could hold longer if you wanted…but if you’re even thinking about it, just open it!
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A birthday celebration at Wimborne. Cork slid down and plopped into the bottle despite Durand. Drank over 2+ hours in Grassl 1855. Appearance is clear (sediments to end of bottle), deep intensity, garnet colour. Legs. Nose medium+ intensity, with aromas of tertiary earth, tea leaves, tobacco, some blackcurrant and blackberry. Developed. On the palate, dry, good acidity, medium alcohol, resolved tannins, medium+ body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of tangy orange, sweet tea leaves, earth, tobacco, graphite, blackberry, blackcurrant, bit of smoke. Long sweet and mildly spicy finish. Good quality. Faded gently over the 2 hours. Good while it lasted.
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Thanksgiving 2021 (Pleasant Ridge, MI): From a perfectly stored magnum. Tons of life and vibrant fruit with cedar, bell pepper and tobacco nuances. Plenty of life ahead in this format.
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WOTN along with the 1982 Latour. Startling how this bottle had hung in with complex nose and body. Plenty of amber edging and light brick center. Classic pencil lead quickly followed by cigar box and leather with some dried cherry. Palate was more of the same with more fruit and cassis. Amazing complexity for its age. Tannins and acids are fully resolved with a long finish. Wish I had another bottle. Wow!
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Best bottle (Restaurant Brunnenstube, Beinstein): Tasted blind. Clear, deep garnet color with tawny reflexes. Classic BDX nose with some Cigarbox, fine red fruit, crushed stones and leather. On the palate some green pepper, red fruit, very mineral, tobacco. Still lively acidity, fine, present tannin. All components are still blended in. Good balance and length. Still a very joyful experience! 92
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Fill just below neck and good brick color. Faded fruit flavors with forest floor had this lacking upfront, yet as the wine unwinds in the mouth a sizable hit of delicious of dark spice with a nice tannic acid lift saves the day. Past prime and while perhaps not a star vintage at the same time it does provide a glimpse into the regal Lafite style.
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From a base neck bottle, this is doing as well as can be reasonably expected. Not quite at the level of the last bottle, but this still shows a beguiling nose, packed full of intense pencil, cedar, and redcurrant with loamy, nutty accents and just the faintest floral touch. Mineral and sanguine on the palate, this is perfect with game. Drink these now and just enjoy them for what they are. Absolute highest quality of Pauillac? No. Plenty of mature Lafite character? Yes.
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Surprisingly there was still decent fruit left and the wine did not collapse over the next few hours. It was a great experience showing these wines can still hold up! Not a bottle to open for fun, but for learning.
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In my opinion Lafite is always the most graceful wine of the 5 first growth Left Bank Bordeaux, and arguably the best. Served blind to friends and everyone guessed Bordeaux from 80s. Even in a weak vintage like 1976, Lafite performs well and offers lots of charm and complexity. Graceful dark berry fruits, fine earth and gravel. Well layered fruits, smoked tobacco and mellowed tannins. Drinking beautifully offering lovely complexity and smoothness. (93/100)
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cheers - decanted 1 hour and drank side by side with a 2000 Mouton. I was worried it would be spoiled as the wine cellar had flooded in 2012, but there were no issues. The cork came out clean for the most part. Beautiful color becoming more transparent and of course, slightly brownish. I rated the 2000 Mouton 96 points, but this wasn't far behind, and will continue to age well. A classic bottle.
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Looking old for its age, the wine interestingly combines overripe ripe fruits with rustic tannins. The nose, with its earthy forest leaf, tobacco wrapper and lead pencil scents along with bright red fruit aromas are better than what you find on the palate.
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A health vibrant colour, cedar, lead pencil, violets, perfectly resolved, black cherries, red berries, old leather chair, beautifully seamless, a wine which caresses the palate, a wine with exquisite balance and perfect equilibrium. So refined and elegant. We were fortunate to catch this bottle in the perfect place. It is unlikely to benefit from further ageing but it held up admirably over the remainder of the evening.
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Good wine. Surprising amount of tannin so it should keep for many more years. Like other Lafites I've tasted it had a soft rounded mouth feel. Notes of leather and black cherry in the nose. Perhaps because I didn't have time to let the wine settle and breathe as I would like, it did not show the complexity I expected from an older wine. I have a few other bottles so I will revisit it in the future.
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A 40th Birthday Celebration (River North, Chicago IL): Small glass, brief note. Mature black fruit, very ripe with cigarbox and cassis hints, plus lots of earth. Some rough edges and tiredness on the finish. Good.
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Got very lucky with this one; beautifully looked after - high shoulder fill, good cork, 2nd owner. Absolutely wonderful nose (taking 20 minutes to open fully and then lasting another 40 before a slow decline) full of cassis, pencil, black cherry, cigar, cedar, violets, leather that formed a seamless amalgam. Beautiful density on the nose with exquisite balance and elegance; fabulous, fine-boned claret. Very Lafite in character. More sanguine and mineral the more air it had. Less profound on the palate but still plenty of fruit; well-balanced. Long, positive finish. A lovely, completely resolved Lafite. Seize the day and drink these now - there's nowhere to go but downhill and it's in such a wonderful place.
Leiden Dinner May 2016: 40 year old Bordeaux in excellent condition. Nice to drink next to the 2008 version to notice similarities in style. Mature expressive cedar nose. Elegant red and dark fruit, succulent, sweet, some earthy tones, long finish. Very alive and impressive.
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Jims Large Format Dinner From Jereboam: Fresh, incredibly elegant, very classic Lafite, chocolate mixes lightly with dark fruits. this was delightful, but not spellbinding
Georges Notes:In a vintage when perhaps only Lafite excelled, this large format was still fresh and vibrant, the opening nose was classic old- style Lafite with, delicate, lacy, translucent aromas, elegant red fruits nicely balanced black fruits, touch of mocha and chocolate for added sweetness, very perfumed and a touch floral; sweet and dry in the mouth, refined flavors first with more black fruit flavors, perhaps a touch of tar, then moving nicely to lighter red fruits; this is a delicate wine, lacy, fine-boned, and aristocratic; nicer finish with touches of earth, citrus and red fruit notes; mature now, but in this format in no danger of death. (19)
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Surprisingly good, I can't recall having a bottle of the '76 even close to this one. Still noticeable red fruit. Subtle but high quality nose with white pepper, dried tobacco, leather, dry leaves and soil tones. Just enough fruit and acid in balance with the darker mature notes on the palate. 92-93
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The color was a bit rusty. But the aroma remain expressive with floral, violet on the bouquet. The after-taste is medium length. The palate is a classic Pauillac, elegant and smooth but was disappointed of the balance was weakened with increase of acidity after 2 hours of an open bottle. <dégorgement à 4Jul, 2015>
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Guangzhou winegroup 2nd Anniversary Celebration: Hard to imagine after over thousand of wines, this is my first Lafite...I am a Chinese afterall! Slightly cloudy with browning on the side, nose is very graceful just like the palate, very feminine compared to countless read of Lafite being masculinely structured and gentlemanly proper, what I had was more towards a well-educated lady. Not as complex as I would like as some subtle notes are dissolved in the well-balanced integration, but the wine was served in the bottle and not a lot of airing was allowed (hungry label-wolves surrounding the bottle, typical as you would expect from a Lafite). I don't think it outclassed the 64 Rioja I brought that was a fraction of the price.
conclusion: Need to taste the 53, 59, 82, 90 to judge Lafite
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After 1 hour, the wine reaches its maximum potential and develops notes of red fruits, earthy spices, very long in mouth. I would say this vintage was at its apogee 5-10 years ago... But still very much enjoyable!!
Wine was decanted and poured after 30 min. Initially seemed earthy, a bit rustic, with slight herbal edge. However, after some glass swirling wine improved greatly, becoming more integrated and showing some pretty dried red fruit character and nice spice box elements. The wine was reasonably elagant and had a very impressive finish. Held up well over course of two hour meal. Overall very nice, yet not epic.
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The Eleventh Annual Stonefields Dinner (Guelph, ON, Canada): From magnum, decanted for sediment and served 20-30 minutes later. Medium garnet colour. The nose shows cedar, earth, cassis, blackcurrants and leather and is very together with everything resolved and finely knit together. The palate shows similar flavours of cedar, earth, minerals, cassis, blackcurrants, earth and wet leaf. This is very compact and suave on the palate. The finish shows great length and nice complexity but my hunch is that this wine is a few years past its peak. It still drinks wonderfully but I think that even 2-3 years earlier you might have had a better balance between the fruit and tertiary notes. Having said all that....still a very delicious wine, utterly enjoyable.
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Once in Lifetime...: From magnum, decanted approximately 30 minutes prior to service, a medium garnet in the glass, with a slight brick. While the cork was partially saturated, there was no issue removing it cleanly. A little less expressive on the nose than the ’83 Palmer served alongside it, however, there was a real elegance to this wine, giving up scents of red fruits, currants, dried herbs, smoke, cedar, dried tobacco leaves, earth, and undergrowth. On the palate, this is much leaner than its counterpart, but still in beautiful balance, with some fine acidity, and mostly resolved tannin. Finish is moderate, and lined with red fruits, tobacco, smoke, earth and dried herbs. This won’t blow you away, but it is beautifully aged classic Bordeaux.
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Exquisite. My wife thought it would be too late, but it was perfect. The cork came out smoothly and we decanted it for about 30 minutes. I wish I had more.
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Had to fight to get the cork out as it came apart in the removal. Decanted the wine 2 hrs before it was due to be served, then re-decanted back into the cleaned bottle. The wine was beautiful, and continued to improve in the glass. The decanting was obviously necessary. Drank at Press Restaurant in St. Helena, CA with some friends, who were duly impressed. Sorry to see the wine go, but you gotta do what you gotta do.
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HK-decanted for approx 2 hours. lightening violet color, a nose of light wood and a bit earthy. liht medium weight in the mouth , still showing a bit of acidity nice wine but has prbly seen its best days
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Very mature wine showing its age in the color and smell, but overall holding up quite well. Very smooth and elegant all the way through with a long finish. Not quite as complex as I was expecting. No tannins but still had strong acidity. Don't wait too long with this wine as it is likely a bit past prime.
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1976 1st Growth tasting (Hong Kong (home)): Typical Pauillac and Lafite characteristics. Plum on the nose. Strong forrest and cigar box tertiary aromas, very elegant still. Compared with the Mouton of the same vintage, it was a little disapointed especially since it goes for 3 times more than the Mouton which is very under-rated. Still a very special wine to enjoy with very good friends. Also fully mature, and should not be kept long.
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My 2nd time with this great Lafite. I must said that great bottle of mature Lafite offers such a memorable moment. Clearly first class nose of smooth cassis, pencil leads, cigar box. The color was just as it suppose to be for it's 33 years of age. A friend of mine who has just had this beauty not long ago said that the wine gets better after the 1st hour and this bottle is no exception. 2nd glass was even better!, with fine tannin ( which will keep this wine to be as good for a few more years ) and a little more weight and red fruits. Incredible aftertaste. What a wine...
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In pristine condition. When pouring into decanter, strong black cherry and blackberry and cedar quality on the nose, medium minus bodied, almost non-existent tannin with great amount of acidity on the palate. After decanting, nose displays cedar, black currant, black liquorish and a hint of vanilla. On the palate, medium bodied, excellent balance with elegance, soft tannin and nice acidity with long finish. Wish I had another bottle!
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Still dark, vigourous liquorice and cedar palate, medium bodied, velvetty, deceptively powerful as it wasn't big, but balanced, elegant and long - this is still full of life
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What an epiphany I had Friday night. I opened this wine with a little skepticism, thinking that it would be good but not great. You know, "a wine that is good for the vintage", type of thing. When opened, the wine was very typical for Lafite, at first brick, then tobacco, then a sweet smelling iron, and of course cedar. Then it went to beautiful subdued sweet smelling red currant(?) and other red fruits and finally a glorious vanilla bean aroma that would not go away! The color was very pretty red with a little opaqueness, with almost no lightning at the edges. I could not believe the taste. Bright, mellow, creamy red and dark fruit. There is a little Graves-like earthiness in the mouth as well. The tannins are there and quite sweet. The wine is wide and long, expansive, if you will. Complete balance, just goes on and on. This wine blew away the 1989 Conseillante which was pretty good. Awesome 97/100.
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30th Birthday Dinner (Le Gourmand: Seattle, WA): Garnet / brick red and slightly brown at the edge of the glass. The nose displays cedar, currant, black licorish and charcoal. On the palate, very soft tannin and nice acidity. Some fruit remains. Excellent balance. Light body, burgundian in character. A lovely wine that was probably better a few years ago but is still drinking nicely today. Drink 'em if you got 'em.
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Drunk with roast goose for Christmas lunch. We also drank the Mouton Rothschild '76. Still lots of colour but a slightly oxidizing nose and has definitely peaked. Some fruit still and nice balance but is losing its structure. However, still some good length and held up well for a couple of hours. We drank the Mouton first because Parker says the Lafite is much better in that year. Actually, I found the Mouton superior but it may have been down to two bottles neither of which had been kept optimally. Both were from a private collection we bought recently and we have a few more bottles of each to compare.
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Long unbleached cork in perfect condition, with wine staining just on the boittom of the cork. The cork looked las if it could easily go on for another 30 years. Decanted at the restaurant about 1 hour before drinking. The nose was just breathtaking from the outset, with lovely floral elements interweaved with mature black and red fruit and in a lacey subtle structure. Excellent balance, with a deep mid-palate and an extended finish with that same subtle lacey structure. Fresh taste, and mouthcoating fruit that was still wound up after thirty years. Though it softened a bit with time, I felt this wine would have shown even better with another few hours of air time. Very Fine.
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Drank with Osso Bucco and Black Truffle Rissotto This medium bodied wine had a nice amber hue with a bit of bricking around the edges. It displayed mature aromas of cedar, earth, graphite and a bit of black fruit appeared with some coaxing. It had a soft, suptle, elegant mouthfeel and a medium length finish. I think this wine is at full maturity but will probably hold for another 4 or 5 years. Suprisingly good.
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Historic note (recorded here Aug 06) I had a really fine bottle of this in the mid-90s. It then merited a 92+ score but two bottles on this date tasted tired. A wine that is going downhill fast on this showing.
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Two bottles, one Andy's, one Jim's, both the same. Surprisingly fragrant for a few minutes. But died a horrendous death after 10 minutes due to extreme harshness.
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Wow, best showing ever for this wine, my last bottle. Deep ruby shading evenly to mature orange rim. Bouquet is evanescent but attractively floral. Sweet, ripe, but not over-ripe, fruit which fills the mouth Velvety texture of great Bordeaux. Long, warm finish. Obviously at peak now. Held for 30 minutes in the glass before declining.
With K and Miranda at home at dinner (Romano's pizza!). Celebrating my job offer from Haight, Gardner. Perfect ruby color, and great legs. Perfect lead pencil bouquet, rich, layered, majestic fruit in the nose. Beautiful; I even smell minerals. Palate is nearly equal to the nose. Beautiful fruit, right at its plateau of maturity. Fabulous balance. Hint of chocolate in the finish. Just a LOVELY wine. 5-14-17-9: 95/100.
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Medium ruby, very healthy clear color, most attractive. Modest simple nose of cedar and clean fruit. Rather light but not thin or oxidized. Will not improve. Good, not excellent.
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With K at home in celebration of our new house. At dinner with porterhouse steak. Perfect ruby color. Incredible ripe cassis nose. Very rich, mellow and promising. Rose petals. Soft, fragrant. Very mellow, rich flavors. Excellent balance. Some tannins suggest a long life ahead, but really great now. Extended finish. 5-14-17-8: 94/100.
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At dinner at Elario's at the Summerhouse Inn (filet mignon). Ruby. Austere with lurking fruit. Mineral scent. In the mouth, all grace and elegance. Very silky texture, lingering finish. 5-11-17-8: 91/100.
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Much better than a bottle 7 months ago. Excellent deep color, no sign of age. Penetrating cedary Pauillac bouquet. Deep rich satisfying flavor although not much complexity. Long, lingering finish. Light tannins. Seems fully mature and holding well but not one for the twenty-first century.
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Medium light color, no browning. Disappointingly small, non-descript bouquet. Medium light body. No particular distinction. Is it fading or does it have years to go?
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3/29/2024 - Gpatt Likes this wine: 87 Points
Nose tobacco and leather. Smooth wine not much complexity. Just a great smooth wine.
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2/22/2024 - acyso wrote: 88 Points
(Not a) birthday dinner (Hinsdale, IL): From magnum (with seepage). Fine, but hardly convincing. Pretty foursquare and ordinary, with some muddled fruit here. Most likely not representative.
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2/18/2024 - Sean Tay wrote: 94 Points
Pronounced nose of cedar, charr wood, toast, leather, spices, earth. Medium acidity and medium tannin. Drink up will not improve.
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7/12/2023 - thesternowl wrote: 94 Points
This bottle of 1976 Chateau Lafite Rothschild was cellared in a wine cave part of its life and a modern cellar the more recent part of its life. The fill for this bottle was mid-shoulder and the label had been tattered from back when it was in the cave. Using a Durand, I was able to pull the cork intact and it was saturated but seemed to have done its job. The color was good and the wine was sound; in fact, it was very much alive and full of character! Opened about four hours prior to service and decanted for sediment (of which there was plenty). No formal notes. At this stage in its life, the 1976 Lafite pours a garnet color with an orange rim. The nose is straight up old-money. Classy aromas of desiccated red cherries & red currants, dried tobacco leaf, graphite, a mix of organic and inorganic earth, leather and dried baking spices. On the palate, the structure was still quite palpable with tannins till present and acid doing its job with aplomb. Confirming the notes on the nose. The finish is long and graceful with some nice stoney minerals. Drink now but well cellared examples could hold longer if you wanted…but if you’re even thinking about it, just open it!
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9/28/2022 - DAN BAILEY wrote: flawed
Grippy but slightly torrefied and something’s flattening the wine - TCA?
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11/30/2021 - Derek Darth Taster wrote: 92 Points
A birthday celebration at Wimborne. Cork slid down and plopped into the bottle despite Durand.
Drank over 2+ hours in Grassl 1855.
Appearance is clear (sediments to end of bottle), deep intensity, garnet colour. Legs.
Nose medium+ intensity, with aromas of tertiary earth, tea leaves, tobacco, some blackcurrant and blackberry. Developed.
On the palate, dry, good acidity, medium alcohol, resolved tannins, medium+ body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of tangy orange, sweet tea leaves, earth, tobacco, graphite, blackberry, blackcurrant, bit of smoke. Long sweet and mildly spicy finish.
Good quality. Faded gently over the 2 hours. Good while it lasted.
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11/25/2021 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
Thanksgiving 2021 (Pleasant Ridge, MI): From a perfectly stored magnum. Tons of life and vibrant fruit with cedar, bell pepper and tobacco nuances. Plenty of life ahead in this format.
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10/14/2021 - grub94 Likes this wine: 95 Points
WOTN along with the 1982 Latour. Startling how this bottle had hung in with complex nose and body. Plenty of amber edging and light brick center. Classic pencil lead quickly followed by cigar box and leather with some dried cherry. Palate was more of the same with more fruit and cassis. Amazing complexity for its age. Tannins and acids are fully resolved with a long finish. Wish I had another bottle. Wow!
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8/20/2021 - NoTrollingerPlease Likes this wine: 92 Points
Best bottle (Restaurant Brunnenstube, Beinstein): Tasted blind. Clear, deep garnet color with tawny reflexes. Classic BDX nose with some Cigarbox, fine red fruit, crushed stones and leather.
On the palate some green pepper, red fruit, very mineral, tobacco. Still lively acidity, fine, present tannin. All components are still blended in. Good balance and length. Still a very joyful experience! 92
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8/7/2021 - KenK Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fill just below neck and good brick color. Faded fruit flavors with forest floor had this lacking upfront, yet as the wine unwinds in the mouth a sizable hit of delicious of dark spice with a nice tannic acid lift saves the day. Past prime and while perhaps not a star vintage at the same time it does provide a glimpse into the regal Lafite style.
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6/26/2021 - tcarter Likes this wine: 95 Points
Really good aged first growth BDX.
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4/24/2021 - Cikgoo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Always Solid and consistent
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10/3/2020 - winecoffee wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful wine. Nose of subdued flowrs, figs, and cassis. Palate is so complex: tar, tobacco, cassis, cigar, and much more. A true lafite!
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9/17/2020 - englishman's claret wrote: 93 Points
From a base neck bottle, this is doing as well as can be reasonably expected. Not quite at the level of the last bottle, but this still shows a beguiling nose, packed full of intense pencil, cedar, and redcurrant with loamy, nutty accents and just the faintest floral touch. Mineral and sanguine on the palate, this is perfect with game. Drink these now and just enjoy them for what they are. Absolute highest quality of Pauillac? No. Plenty of mature Lafite character? Yes.
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2/23/2020 - lion@corewines.com Likes this wine: 92 Points
Surprisingly there was still decent fruit left and the wine did not collapse over the next few hours. It was a great experience showing these wines can still hold up! Not a bottle to open for fun, but for learning.
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7/12/2019 - Jammy Wine Likes this wine: 93 Points
In my opinion Lafite is always the most graceful wine of the 5 first growth Left Bank Bordeaux, and arguably the best. Served blind to friends and everyone guessed Bordeaux from 80s. Even in a weak vintage like 1976, Lafite performs well and offers lots of charm and complexity. Graceful dark berry fruits, fine earth and gravel. Well layered fruits, smoked tobacco and mellowed tannins. Drinking beautifully offering lovely complexity and smoothness. (93/100)
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10/24/2018 - franm Likes this wine: 94 Points
cheers - decanted 1 hour and drank side by side with a 2000 Mouton. I was worried it would be spoiled as the wine cellar had flooded in 2012, but there were no issues. The cork came out clean for the most part. Beautiful color becoming more transparent and of course, slightly brownish. I rated the 2000 Mouton 96 points, but this wasn't far behind, and will continue to age well. A classic bottle.
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6/6/2018 - Jeff Leve wrote: 91 Points
Looking old for its age, the wine interestingly combines overripe ripe fruits with rustic tannins. The nose, with its earthy forest leaf, tobacco wrapper and lead pencil scents along with bright red fruit aromas are better than what you find on the palate.
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3/1/2018 - Comte Flaneur wrote: 96 Points
A health vibrant colour, cedar, lead pencil, violets, perfectly resolved, black cherries, red berries, old leather chair, beautifully seamless, a wine which caresses the palate, a wine with exquisite balance and perfect equilibrium. So refined and elegant. We were fortunate to catch this bottle in the perfect place. It is unlikely to benefit from further ageing but it held up admirably over the remainder of the evening.
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11/11/2017 - LorenzoIlMagnifico Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good wine. Surprising amount of tannin so it should keep for many more years. Like other Lafites I've tasted it had a soft rounded mouth feel. Notes of leather and black cherry in the nose. Perhaps because I didn't have time to let the wine settle and breathe as I would like, it did not show the complexity I expected from an older wine. I have a few other bottles so I will revisit it in the future.
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11/11/2017 - schoofglatt wrote: 92 Points
Leather, tobacco, cherry, smooth and medium body. Think it could go a tiny bit longer.
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12/3/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote:
A 40th Birthday Celebration (River North, Chicago IL): Small glass, brief note. Mature black fruit, very ripe with cigarbox and cassis hints, plus lots of earth. Some rough edges and tiredness on the finish. Good.
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7/2/2016 - englishman's claret wrote: 96 Points
Got very lucky with this one; beautifully looked after - high shoulder fill, good cork, 2nd owner. Absolutely wonderful nose (taking 20 minutes to open fully and then lasting another 40 before a slow decline) full of cassis, pencil, black cherry, cigar, cedar, violets, leather that formed a seamless amalgam. Beautiful density on the nose with exquisite balance and elegance; fabulous, fine-boned claret. Very Lafite in character. More sanguine and mineral the more air it had. Less profound on the palate but still plenty of fruit; well-balanced. Long, positive finish. A lovely, completely resolved Lafite. Seize the day and drink these now - there's nowhere to go but downhill and it's in such a wonderful place.
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5/15/2016 - Barry Rothof wrote: 94 Points
| Selosse | DP | Ramonet | Tremblay | Lafite | Dagueneau | ..,: Lovely aromas of cedar, tobacco and leather. Complex, refined with a smooth structure and a long spicy finish. A delightful and mature Lafite.
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5/13/2016 - Burgaddict wrote:
Leiden Dinner May 2016: 40 year old Bordeaux in excellent condition. Nice to drink next to the 2008 version to notice similarities in style. Mature expressive cedar nose. Elegant red and dark fruit, succulent, sweet, some earthy tones, long finish. Very alive and impressive.
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4/9/2016 - ricknat1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Jims Large Format Dinner
From Jereboam: Fresh, incredibly elegant, very classic Lafite, chocolate mixes lightly with dark fruits. this was delightful, but not spellbinding
Georges Notes:In a vintage when perhaps only Lafite excelled, this large format was still fresh and vibrant, the opening nose was classic old- style Lafite with, delicate, lacy, translucent aromas, elegant red fruits nicely balanced black fruits, touch of mocha and chocolate for added sweetness, very perfumed and a touch floral; sweet and dry in the mouth, refined flavors first with more black fruit flavors, perhaps a touch of tar, then moving nicely to lighter red fruits; this is a delicate wine, lacy, fine-boned, and aristocratic; nicer finish with touches of earth, citrus and red fruit notes; mature now, but in this format in no danger of death. (19)
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12/19/2015 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 92 Points
Surprisingly good, I can't recall having a bottle of the '76 even close to this one. Still noticeable red fruit. Subtle but high quality nose with white pepper, dried tobacco, leather, dry leaves and soil tones. Just enough fruit and acid in balance with the darker mature notes on the palate. 92-93
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7/6/2015 - chrishsh Likes this wine: 90 Points
The color was a bit rusty. But the aroma remain expressive with floral, violet on the bouquet. The after-taste is medium length. The palate is a classic Pauillac, elegant and smooth but was disappointed of the balance was weakened with increase of acidity after 2 hours of an open bottle.
<dégorgement à 4Jul, 2015>
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6/5/2015 - bacchuszuo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Guangzhou winegroup 2nd Anniversary Celebration:
Hard to imagine after over thousand of wines, this is my first Lafite...I am a Chinese afterall! Slightly cloudy with browning on the side, nose is very graceful just like the palate, very feminine compared to countless read of Lafite being masculinely structured and gentlemanly proper, what I had was more towards a well-educated lady. Not as complex as I would like as some subtle notes are dissolved in the well-balanced integration, but the wine was served in the bottle and not a lot of airing was allowed (hungry label-wolves surrounding the bottle, typical as you would expect from a Lafite). I don't think it outclassed the 64 Rioja I brought that was a fraction of the price.
conclusion: Need to taste the 53, 59, 82, 90 to judge Lafite
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3/15/2015 - lynn heller wrote:
from Phil Cantor--must open with him
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12/24/2012 - drgreen Likes this wine: 93 Points
After 1 hour, the wine reaches its maximum potential and develops notes of red fruits, earthy spices, very long in mouth. I would say this vintage was at its apogee 5-10 years ago... But still very much enjoyable!!
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12/12/2012 - KenK Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wine was decanted and poured after 30 min. Initially seemed earthy, a bit rustic, with slight herbal edge. However, after some glass swirling wine improved greatly, becoming more integrated and showing some pretty dried red fruit character and nice spice box elements. The wine was reasonably elagant and had a very impressive finish. Held up well over course of two hour meal. Overall very nice, yet not epic.
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11/24/2012 - Dave Canada wrote: 92 Points
The Eleventh Annual Stonefields Dinner (Guelph, ON, Canada): From magnum, decanted for sediment and served 20-30 minutes later. Medium garnet colour. The nose shows cedar, earth, cassis, blackcurrants and leather and is very together with everything resolved and finely knit together. The palate shows similar flavours of cedar, earth, minerals, cassis, blackcurrants, earth and wet leaf. This is very compact and suave on the palate. The finish shows great length and nice complexity but my hunch is that this wine is a few years past its peak. It still drinks wonderfully but I think that even 2-3 years earlier you might have had a better balance between the fruit and tertiary notes. Having said all that....still a very delicious wine, utterly enjoyable.
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11/24/2012 - alittle wrote: 93 Points
Once in Lifetime...: From magnum, decanted approximately 30 minutes prior to service, a medium garnet in the glass, with a slight brick. While the cork was partially saturated, there was no issue removing it cleanly. A little less expressive on the nose than the ’83 Palmer served alongside it, however, there was a real elegance to this wine, giving up scents of red fruits, currants, dried herbs, smoke, cedar, dried tobacco leaves, earth, and undergrowth. On the palate, this is much leaner than its counterpart, but still in beautiful balance, with some fine acidity, and mostly resolved tannin. Finish is moderate, and lined with red fruits, tobacco, smoke, earth and dried herbs. This won’t blow you away, but it is beautifully aged classic Bordeaux.
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7/11/2012 - peter.barack wrote: 98 Points
Exquisite. My wife thought it would be too late, but it was perfect. The cork came out smoothly and we decanted it for about 30 minutes. I wish I had more.
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4/3/2012 - noppakit s. wrote: 93 Points
Wowww...look at its cork... 36 years old but still keep half cork so clean...This is the most perfect bottle of 36 years old wine I've tasted.
No doubt...the nose is so nice at 1st glass, clean, sweet cedar friut, classic Lafite, very lovely, lively and fresh.
Medium-bodied, satin texture, super elegant like a Burgundy. I really love it.
Aftertaste is very nice on its finished. Great Memory !!!
Drink now - 2016
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12/10/2011 - macwino Likes this wine: 90 Points
Had to fight to get the cork out as it came apart in the removal. Decanted the wine 2 hrs before it was due to be served, then re-decanted back into the cleaned bottle. The wine was beautiful, and continued to improve in the glass. The decanting was obviously necessary. Drank at Press Restaurant in St. Helena, CA with some friends, who were duly impressed. Sorry to see the wine go, but you gotta do what you gotta do.
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9/8/2011 - reichken wrote: 90 Points
HK-decanted for approx 2 hours. lightening violet color, a nose of light wood and a bit earthy. liht medium weight in the mouth , still showing a bit of acidity
nice wine but has prbly seen its best days
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12/30/2010 - ksimback wrote:
Very mature wine showing its age in the color and smell, but overall holding up quite well. Very smooth and elegant all the way through with a long finish. Not quite as complex as I was expecting. No tannins but still had strong acidity. Don't wait too long with this wine as it is likely a bit past prime.
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1/2/2010 - dschneersohn wrote: 89 Points
1976 1st Growth tasting (Hong Kong (home)): Typical Pauillac and Lafite characteristics. Plum on the nose. Strong forrest and cigar box tertiary aromas, very elegant still. Compared with the Mouton of the same vintage, it was a little disapointed especially since it goes for 3 times more than the Mouton which is very under-rated. Still a very special wine to enjoy with very good friends. Also fully mature, and should not be kept long.
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11/11/2009 - rwstorer wrote: flawed
Oxidized and very unpleasant! Very disapointing!
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8/23/2009 - loverboy wrote: 94 Points
My 2nd time with this great Lafite. I must said that great bottle of mature Lafite offers such a memorable moment. Clearly first class nose of smooth cassis, pencil leads, cigar box. The color was just as it suppose to be for it's 33 years of age. A friend of mine who has just had this beauty not long ago said that the wine gets better after the 1st hour and this bottle is no exception. 2nd glass was even better!, with fine tannin ( which will keep this wine to be as good for a few more years ) and a little more weight and red fruits. Incredible aftertaste. What a wine...
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9/1/2008 - noppakit s. wrote: 92 Points
This is the vintage I'm waiting for. I must say that I prefer Lafite 1976 than Latour 1976.
A beautiful typical Lafite's cedar get along with a nice fruit...so balance in aroma and bouquet. ( 1986 is too much fruit.)
Medium to full-bodied, beautiful texture. Perfect fine wine.
Aftertaste is so kind. Complex Lafite indeed.
Drink now - 2016...........92-93/100............
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4/20/2008 - kerryychuang wrote: 93 Points
In pristine condition. When pouring into decanter, strong black cherry and blackberry and cedar quality on the nose, medium minus bodied, almost non-existent tannin with great amount of acidity on the palate. After decanting, nose displays cedar, black currant, black liquorish and a hint of vanilla. On the palate, medium bodied, excellent balance with elegance, soft tannin and nice acidity with long finish. Wish I had another bottle!
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10/20/2007 - Rupert wrote: 94 Points
Still dark, vigourous liquorice and cedar palate, medium bodied, velvetty, deceptively powerful as it wasn't big, but balanced, elegant and long - this is still full of life
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8/17/2007 - Charlie Carnes wrote: 97 Points
What an epiphany I had Friday night. I opened this wine with a little skepticism, thinking that it would be good but not great. You know, "a wine that is good for the vintage", type of thing. When opened, the wine was very typical for Lafite, at first brick, then tobacco, then a sweet smelling iron, and of course cedar. Then it went to beautiful subdued sweet smelling red currant(?) and other red fruits and finally a glorious vanilla bean aroma that would not go away! The color was very pretty red with a little opaqueness, with almost no lightning at the edges. I could not believe the taste. Bright, mellow, creamy red and dark fruit. There is a little Graves-like earthiness in the mouth as well. The tannins are there and quite sweet. The wine is wide and long, expansive, if you will. Complete balance, just goes on and on. This wine blew away the 1989 Conseillante which was pretty good. Awesome 97/100.
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4/28/2007 - moondeer wrote: 93 Points
Wow rich and pure claret. Wonderful berry and cigar box nose. Cedar mixed in also, a great Lafite.
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12/5/2006 - D. Fulton wrote:
Perfectly pleasant to drink. Lacks depth, but has nice acidity. Not what one expects from any 1st growth, even at 30 years of age.
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10/28/2006 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 90 Points
Académie des Cinquante 51st Annual Dinner (Restaurant Châlet Royal *, Den Bosch, Netherlands): Light, fully mature, wonderful nose with typical floral touch, delicate fruit, touch of spicy warmth. Sève, not tired, well-balanced, great length, light but fragrant. Delicate wine, getting on but still good at 30.
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8/26/2006 - kris.h wrote: 91 Points
30th Birthday Dinner (Le Gourmand: Seattle, WA): Garnet / brick red and slightly brown at the edge of the glass. The nose displays cedar, currant, black licorish and charcoal. On the palate, very soft tannin and nice acidity. Some fruit remains. Excellent balance. Light body, burgundian in character. A lovely wine that was probably better a few years ago but is still drinking nicely today. Drink 'em if you got 'em.
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4/25/2006 - MRichman wrote:
Lafite Rothschild vertical (DB Bistro Moderne, NYC): Some sweet fruit. Harsh gritty tannins. A little herbal. Mouth puckering acid.
C
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12/25/2005 - Goldstone wrote: 87 Points
Drunk with roast goose for Christmas lunch. We also drank the Mouton Rothschild '76. Still lots of colour but a slightly oxidizing nose and has definitely peaked. Some fruit still and nice balance but is losing its structure. However, still some good length and held up well for a couple of hours. We drank the Mouton first because Parker says the Lafite is much better in that year. Actually, I found the Mouton superior but it may have been down to two bottles neither of which had been kept optimally. Both were from a private collection we bought recently and we have a few more bottles of each to compare.
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11/12/2005 - dk_lulu wrote:
Long unbleached cork in perfect condition, with wine staining just on the boittom of the cork. The cork looked las if it could easily go on for another 30 years. Decanted at the restaurant about 1 hour before drinking. The nose was just breathtaking from the outset, with lovely floral elements interweaved with mature black and red fruit and in a lacey subtle structure. Excellent balance, with a deep mid-palate and an extended finish with that same subtle lacey structure. Fresh taste, and mouthcoating fruit that was still wound up after thirty years. Though it softened a bit with time, I felt this wine would have shown even better with another few hours of air time. Very Fine.
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12/1/2004 - brian a wrote: 93 Points
Drank with Osso Bucco and Black Truffle Rissotto
This medium bodied wine had a nice amber hue with a bit of bricking around the edges. It displayed mature aromas of cedar, earth, graphite and a bit of black fruit appeared with some coaxing. It had a soft, suptle, elegant mouthfeel and a medium length finish. I think this wine is at full maturity but will probably hold for another 4 or 5 years. Suprisingly good.
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5/16/2002 - kevin h wrote: 86 Points
Historic note (recorded here Aug 06) I had a really fine bottle of this in the mid-90s. It then merited a 92+ score but two bottles on this date tasted tired. A wine that is going downhill fast on this showing.
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5/1/2000 - sdr Does not like this wine: 69 Points
Two bottles, one Andy's, one Jim's, both the same. Surprisingly fragrant for a few minutes. But died a horrendous death after 10 minutes due to extreme harshness.
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4/1/1995 - sdr wrote: 81 Points
Turning orange. Pinched nose. Tannins gaining at the expense of the fruit. Past its best.
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2/1/1993 - sdr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow, best showing ever for this wine, my last bottle. Deep ruby shading evenly to mature orange rim. Bouquet is evanescent but attractively floral. Sweet, ripe, but not over-ripe, fruit which fills the mouth Velvety texture of great Bordeaux. Long, warm finish. Obviously at peak now. Held for 30 minutes in the glass before declining.
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9/1/1992 - sdr wrote: 82 Points
Medium amber, orange-brown rim. Watery nose. Much better on the palate, though. Long. Decent fruit.
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12/9/1991 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 95 Points
With K and Miranda at home at dinner (Romano's pizza!). Celebrating my job offer from Haight, Gardner. Perfect ruby color, and great legs. Perfect lead pencil bouquet, rich, layered, majestic fruit in the nose. Beautiful; I even smell minerals. Palate is nearly equal to the nose. Beautiful fruit, right at its plateau of maturity. Fabulous balance. Hint of chocolate in the finish. Just a LOVELY wine. 5-14-17-9: 95/100.
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12/1/1989 - sdr wrote: 84 Points
Medium ruby, very healthy clear color, most attractive. Modest simple nose of cedar and clean fruit. Rather light but not thin or oxidized. Will not improve. Good, not excellent.
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12/18/1988 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 94 Points
With K at home in celebration of our new house. At dinner with porterhouse steak. Perfect ruby color. Incredible ripe cassis nose. Very rich, mellow and promising. Rose petals. Soft, fragrant. Very mellow, rich flavors. Excellent balance. Some tannins suggest a long life ahead, but really great now. Extended finish. 5-14-17-8: 94/100.
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11/16/1988 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 91 Points
At dinner at Elario's at the Summerhouse Inn (filet mignon). Ruby. Austere with lurking fruit. Mineral scent. In the mouth, all grace and elegance. Very silky texture, lingering finish. 5-11-17-8: 91/100.
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2/1/1988 - sdr Likes this wine: 90 Points
Much better than a bottle 7 months ago. Excellent deep color, no sign of age. Penetrating cedary Pauillac bouquet. Deep rich satisfying flavor although not much complexity. Long, lingering finish. Light tannins. Seems fully mature and holding well but not one for the twenty-first century.
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7/1/1987 - sdr Does not like this wine: 79 Points
Medium light color, no browning. Disappointingly small, non-descript bouquet. Medium light body. No particular distinction. Is it fading or does it have years to go?
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