Short, earthy, tart, and extremely green, the wine lacked fruit as it was clearly drying out. This is not a vintage I would buy or save, hoping for better days. Drink from 2024-2025.
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Whole Lotta Lafite; 1/26/2024-1/27/2024 (Wine Watch, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida): The decade of the seventies was not kind to Lafite - or to most Bordeaux. This '78 has received praise from some of the experts but is is far beyond its drink-by date. While there is a smidgen of interesting damp earth character it is not enough to make you want a second sip and the wine is too meager on the palate.
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Aired for 2 hours before pouring, no decanting. Dream perfect cork and fill. The juice had a decent bit of funk and reduction that took 2-3 hours to blow off. What’s left was quite gritty and sedimentary and a bit thin, not overly surprising given the age. Tart cherries, some cedar. By the end of the night it came around nicely but was too thin to be overly memorable. Got outshone by the ‘80 Latour side by side. I’d say this is 5-7 years over the hill at this point.
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a treat from yesteryear. definitely past its prime and on the decline. the nose is the star of the show for me… dusty, mushroomy, earthy forest floor, and iron. smells like autumn. palate is a little tired, flat. no fruit left, no acidity. a little herbal with a dominant mineral-driven character that still makes for pleasant sipping. the mineral note holds on through the finish nicely too.
Fruit has left the building which is expected in this vintage, but there's lots of earthy, cedary, mushroomy notes. Eucalyptus, but occasionally a bit excessive; a little like Vicks VapoRub. There's definitely a lot of complexity there though.
On the palate, the taste and the rapidly drying tannins are totally disconnected from each other, which makes it somehow sickly and austere at the same time. In theory these two should balance, but they just don't mesh. Finish is long but a bit diffuse.
Day 2 is a bit better. But overall it's easily the weakest of the Medoc '78s that I've tasted. Not First Growth quality.
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Commanderie de Bordeaux: Winter Parlement - Chateau Lafite (The Minikahda Club, Mpls): Medium dark red color with a 1cm bricked edge. Drank a glass over 2 hours, flighted with the '93. Earthy with dried herbs, red currants, dried out leather, with hints of dillweed and dried cherries on the nose. The palate still has a lovely silken texture, tart red fruits, cherry and currants on a medium plus body with moderating medium grain tannins. My second favorite of the evening. The palate held nicely though the nose faded somewhat over the evening. 92+pts.
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My first Lafite, and wouldn’t you know it, it’s corked. Doh. Not dreadfully so, but noticeably. My kids joked that it smells like feet, and thus was appropriately named. They were right about the mustiness that obscured some lovely cedar and cassis notes. Tant pis.
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Still very much alive and vibrant. Always a treat to drink older first growths and this was no exception. Definitely past its peak, but still very expressive, just wish there was a little more fruit. I doubt this wine was ever a life changing wine, but it is absolutely worthy of first growth status.
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Served in blind. So robust, fine and regal which I thought its a 89. When it was revealed its a 78, I had high conviction its a first growth. My first guess was Latour followed by Lafite. Drinking beautifully at peak. 93+
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Judicious, venerable, earthy bouquet of cedar chest, pencil shavings, tobacco leaves, cigar box, dried rose petal, tar, wet soil, and a suggestion of molasses and smoke followed by a structured, dense palate of muted prune and early picked black plum notes with flavors of cedar, leather, black pepper, and charcoal, very rounded, delicate tannins, concluding with a long, leathery finish.
Dinner with 1978 Lafite, Petrus, Haut Brion and Latour. I threw in a 1975 Mayacamas Cabernet as a ringer.
Lafite: Classic Pauillac nose of lead pencil, leather and a hint of sous bois. I identified it as a Lafite (or possibly Mouton) while the host tried to throw us off with remarks such as "it could be considered a first growth". The structure is firm but well integrated. The palate is quite well balanced and very sinewy. Not a top vintage for Lafite as the intensity is only moderate and the fruit has given way a little bit to the acidity. The length is moderate. Overall a very good Bordeaux.
Petrus: The nose immediately gave it away as a right bank. I thought Cheval Blanc as I would expect pure Merlot to have more plumminess at this age. Should have known since the host almost always serves a Petrus every time ! The nose is deep and complex. The structure is firmer than I expect from a Pomerol. Very good fruit and good length. Can still go for another decade.
Mayacamas: I did not identify my own wine, as it could have been a Bordeaux, and a first growth at that. The nose is very open with soil, leather and some smoke. Very good fruit with excellent focus and intensity, unlike many "modern" Cali cabs that fall apart after a decade. Can give the 1975 Martha's a good run for the money.
Haut Brion: The weakest of the wines, and the nose took a bit of coaxing. I am very familiar with the 1978 La Mission, which is much better, but it might just be bottle variation. The HB lacked the readily identifiable Graves nose of the LMHB. I could not tell it was a Graves, and I am partial to these wines. The fruit is still there, but the finish is a bit short.
Latour: I prefered the Lafite over the Latour tonight, which is rare. The nose is again less forthcoming, and lacked the definition of the Lafite. It has less backbone, giving it a more diffuse palate. Still has fruit and less acidity of the Lafite, but it seems more advanced and less vigorous.
Blind tasting Bordeaux night pair with Michelin Chinese cuisine.
My personal ranking: 1) 1985 Chateau Mouton Rothschild. Wet forest, leather, mushroom, spices, medium+ tannin and medium tannin, ruby in colour, pronounced nose.
2) 1978 Chateau Lafite. Green, dried black/red fruits, finesse in the nose, ruby in colour. Medium+ acidity and medium tannin. Surprisingly still drinking well.
3) 2009 Pontet Canet. Spices, flora, vanilla, purple in colour, medium+ tannin and acidity, rounded in the palate. Medium nose.
4) 2004 Pichon Lalande. The nose is closed or rather medium- nose. vanilla, medium+ acidity and tannin. Approachable.
However, WOTN goes to 2004 Pichon Lalande as my friends prefer young approachable wine instead of the secondary taste of vintage wine.
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Drank alongside 55 & 75 petrus. All three were in impeccable condition and tasted as such. Still showing some fruit and balance. Absolute banger and I wish I had more. Lafite is becoming my favorite first growth and this bottle was neck & neck with the petrus’s.
No decanting needed — this drank beautifully right out of the gate. For an overlooked vintage, this drank like a classic Lafite. Notes of tobacco, cedar, leather and the unmistakable terroir of a well-aged first growth. And the finish was exquisite. Will acquire more of this wherever and whenever I can find it.
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Have been waiting a while to open this. Reddish brown and clear in color. Musty earth on the nose as typical of a Bordeaux. As the tannins have faded, it’s balanced with red fruit (cherry, strawberry), clove, forest floor and leather coming through the palate.
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Beautiful clear color with amber circles. Starting to fade, but last bit of punch still here. Tannins have been resolved. Herbs and graphite on the nose. Cassis, cigar, mocha on the palate. Medium finish. Earthy aftertaste.
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Kicked of with 1978 Stunning wine! Wild blueberry, velvety tannins, good acidity. Sensed touch of iron though. Won't develop more as it sits on peak maturity plateau.
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Super clear. Dark red. Nice structure. Strong flavours of cigars. Performed better than a Mouton 75, but dare I say, not quite as strong as a magnum of 79 leoville Barton
Drank at the Point, in KL, during 70s tasting
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A 40-Year Retrospective on 1978's (Los Olivos, CA): A very strong showing. Light ruby colored, with some bricking but no sediment or cloudiness. Sweet red fruit and green pepper on the nose. The palate offered crunchy red berries, mocha and saddle leather, along with a green streak I associate with a classic Pauillac from the era (though some took it as slightly corked?). Grippy sweet tannins gave way to a medium finish.
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Decanted 1.5 hours and found an impressive improvement from opening to time of tasting. Wine showed a slight amber on the edge from age and a beautiful clear color. Rather remarkable when you consider it was recommend to peak by 2013. Good tannins, smooth and very enjoyable. Capsule was clean, but cork was soft and top crumbled and half of the cork ended up in the bottle. Used the gold filter from an old coffee maker to eliminate any cork in the decanter.
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Popped for 40th bday celebration. Really elegant mature bdx. Fresh expressive nose of herbs, flowers, graphite and sandalwood. Cassis and cigar box and more graphite on the palate. Fully resolved velvety tannin. Long finish with bit of smoke and earth. Very nice.
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At Cafe Chez Panisse in Berkeley with my wife to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. Wine expertly decanted by staff at restaurant. This wine was surprisingly wonderful. I've previously had the good fortune to taste the '86, '90, and '96 vintages of Lafite, and while the '78 was not as powerful as these bottles, the complexity of this '78 Lafite definitely rivaled the other 3 bottles. "Brick ruby" red in color, after just a few minutes , there was an amazing nosr of perfumed flowers. Some initial chalkiness quickly blew off. What remained was an elegant combination of blackberry, dark cherry, tobacco-leather with a very noticeable cedar component. Much ado on the mid-palate, most unrecognizable to me, yet quite enjoyable. Tannin has subsided, but because of the initial chalkiness, I suspect the tannins have only recently been resolved here. Near the end of the meal (2+ hours) the wine took on some herbal notes. The pleasures derived here perhaps can only come from a well aged wine that has also somehow been blessed with luck.
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A nice wine but not at all worth the price tag these days. Bought it a year ago to celebrate a 40th birthday. The bottle and cork was in great condition...came out easily with minimal crumbling at the tip. Had a great nose upon opening and improved nicely in the first hour or so. Primarily tobacco. Put it into a decanter and drank over the course of about 4 hours. A very classic Bordeaux. Great wine just not enough complexity to support current pirices of $400+.
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The 1978 is gently perfumed with more pronounced lead pencil than the 1976, with a hint of briary. Compared to the 1976 this had more tension, nervosity, a tad high-tonedness initially and a slightly austere tannic note giving this wine a more bracing quality. As it relaxed and evolved in the glass this wine grows on you and you begin to marvel at its impeccable balance and breeding, its finesse and elegance and its glorious finish.
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Fully mature, this lighter, medium bodied wine offers more complexities and character on the nose, with its blend of tobacco, cigar wrapper, earth, crushed rock, cranberry and cherry. There is a bit of austerity in the fruit on the palate, with tangy, red berries and tobacco leaf in the finish. This is a fine example of old school, classic Bordeaux. This is not a wine to hold for further development.
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Five Bordeaux By Five Decades (Rancho de Los Olivos): I feared the worst when the cork crumbled at the mere sight of a cork screw. Suffice it say that this was served through a sieve. The first sips made me fear the wine had madeirized, but that note blew off, and what revelations followed. Light ruby colored, with some bricking but no sediment or cloudiness. Sweet red fruit on the nose. The palate offered complex layers of dark raspberries, mocha and saddle leather, beautifully integrated. Grippy sweet tannins gave way to a medium finish. Unlike prior bottles which bloomed and faded within hours, this was going strong throughout the evening and showed no signs of fading.
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The best bottle so far from the case that was shipped back earlier in the year. It had high fills. Straight from bottle to galss after opening. Colour was very healthy red/black with just slight bricking at the rim. Nose was so feminine with lovely violets and cinnamon and palates of oolong tea and black cherries. It almost purred. Sweet all the way from start to finnish, for about 30 minutes before we drank it all. No chocolatey sweetness as with wines containing a higher percentage merlot and cab franc. A notch up from other bottles, though I suspect it had more to do with the circumstances. Well we were in a Cantonese seafood restaurant, and we had whelks, geoduck clams, abalone, 2 types of prawns, 2 fishes (one shallow fried; the other steamed). We were drinking white wines and champagne first and then came the final dish, roast goose Cantonese style which we drank the Lafite with. This was kinda relief for the palate after the fishery and white wine taste in the mouth. The silky smooth tannin was a big welcome.
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Been drinking a few bottles of this in last few months, as a case in original wooden carton (purchased years before the Lafite craze) was shipped back earlier on in this year. No bad bottles so far with little bottle variations. All had good fills up to at least high shoulder. The recent one was drunk before 96 Mouline and 02 Shafer Hillside Select. Opened and decanted and poured straight into glass. Colour was a healthy dark red with a slight brown edge. Nose was immediate with cedar, violets and pencils and some cloves. Nice mid palate with mature black cherries and oh so feminine. Finish was persistent with almost identical mid palate note. Second and third pour, i.e. almost 30 and 45 minutes after decanting, had consistent nose and taste, without further improvement nor deterioration. A thoroughly enjoyable wine from start to finish. Only complaint: it just didn't have that sort of chocholatey sweetness other Bordeaux (esp. the right bank guys and/ or Graves) have that can escalate the score into the high 90s.
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two magnums, one decanted for four hours, one poured immediately. The former showing much better. Lovely wine, quite typical Lafite. Not powerful, but elegant.
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Delicious Pauillac aromas with cedar, pencil, iron, cassis and more. Smooth and elegant on the palate. Firm and persistant. Very Pauillac and very good! Much better than the Latour in this vintage.
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Decanted for one hour but initial tasting was still very tight. Once the wine sat for a bit it brought our some serious flora notes. This wine has at least another 3-5 years to drink and appreciate. The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is moderate sediment in the bottle. It smells like rose and violet. It tastes like black currant (cassis). The body is medium. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has low acidity.
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The nose on this bottle was a knockout! Fully mature and stinking beautiful! Cedar, plum, and mushroom juice...surprisingly valid without being raisiny...Vibrant acidity has taken over for the resolved tannins, driving a pretty descent finish. Given the 1978 mark, I would serve this blind to stump some of your most knowledgable Bordeaux head friends...I don't think it will be placed as a 78 because its such a forgotten vintage, still so valid, and so rarely available and poured compared to 70 or 75 for that matter. To think of it drinking this well, is a whole other surprise.
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Drunk from Magnum on Christmas Day 2014 at the Koala Bar - we tasted a collection of '78s in large formats for Christmas (and why wouldn't you!). The Lafite was definitely the favourite but I find myself describing it in terms of the negatives that it didn't exhibit. Unfortunately this vintage seems a little dried out now with any fragrance or fruit relatively short lived. The tannins tend to dominate and none of the wines posses the sweetness that old Bordeaux gets when its singing. This was not one of the recently released ex-Chateau batch so it will be interesting to see whether perfect provenance lifts the wine a notch. Don't get me wrong '78 Lafite is still very pleasant but the '60s and the '80s were definitely kinder to Bordeaux and it shows.
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Solid cork with no signs of seepage. Color was bright and lively, with no signs of bricking on edges. Nose exhibited smoothness and integrated elements of black fruit, spice box, mint and pepper. Palate was soft with a touch of initial acid that faded quickly. Flavors of black cherry, evergreen and some chocolate prevailed. Not mind blowing but in line with vintage quality. Drink now.
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Lithe and delicate, this was another wine that continued to improve with air. Originally it had a strong minty note on the nose, but it eventually quieted to make room for soft fruit and earth. Light on the palate.
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Delicate bouquet of fruits. Lighter body than I expected, with a long finish. Was a little muted though and did not evolve during the evening. Either it is past it's prime( which I suspect) or the bottle was a little off.
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This bottle was something of a relevation, much more alive and vibrant than the last one I tried. I was amazed at its balance, grace and depth of flavor, with plenty of fruit and a lengthy finish. Bravo!
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A singleton rather battered bottle that has been loitering in my cellar so long I can't remember how I came to own it. 2 hour decant. Pleasant enough very mature claret - but nothing special. Brick colour, vegetal aromas, tannins fully integrated with mellow baked red fruit flavours and a slightly lean acidity in the background. Medium length. Bottle condition my well be responsible for this unremarkable showing so I think it is unfair to mark it. Nonetheless I agree with the majority opinion that this wine needs to be drunk up.
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A Post 50th Birthday Celebration with Friends (The Grunzweig Wine Room, Los Olivos): Served alongside a '78 Mouton without a decant or slow-ox based on uncertainty about the robustness of the wines, I am happy to say that each handily exceeded expectations for the vintage before fading after 45 minutes or so in the glass. Out of the bottle the Lafite exuded an intoxicating bouquet of dark raspberries , mocha and saddle leather. Beautifully integrated on the palate, the first sips showed restrained fruit, followed by an intoxicating interplay of chocolate and vanilla notes grappling gently with one another for prominence. Gripping sweet tannins gave way to a medium finish. The muted fruit and high acidity left the wine seeming a bit lean after a short while, but it was better to burn out than fade away for this supernova.
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Flickinger "Significant Cellar" Tasting (Chicago IL): Tasting, brief note. Very good spice aromas with nicely balanced earth and mature plum. Somewhat more lean on palate with good textures and length. Easy to enjoy.
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Varied bottles of interest: A nicely complex nose of tobacco, pencil shavings, blackberry, cedar and earthy elements. The palate has excellent drive still, with medium weighted fruit surrounded by the structure that has almost seamlessly merged into the wine. Very classy and I would say that it is ready to drink now and over the next few years.
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Tasted blind among some heavy hitter reds. Last flight of the night, so notes are a bit sketchy (!) Ranked 5/5 in its flight My blind notes: Nose - old. cab or blend. vegetal, hardly any fruit. Mouth - same. Nice! Finish - medium
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Seamless and harmonious. Elegant nose. Coffee, cola, juicy fruit in a symphony of harmony. Palate is in line with nose. Lovely lovely wine. Oodles of elegance and light touch, yet with strength. Silky tannins on finish. This is complete, but with soul. Red of the nite. Drink up.
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High toned and a bit of chambolle floral notes. Elegant and silky wine. Glides through the palate. Stupendously gentle and like miss universe plus top sophisticated model plus seductress.
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The ULD (Ultimate Label Drinker's) Dinner (Imperial Treasure, Asia Square): Surprising excellent for a less than great vintage - this was my favourite red of the night. It had a dropdead gorgeous nose - the best amongst the five firsts, with lovely floral notes - violets I thought - difting amidst lovely, lush aromas of dark cherries and cassis, truffles and earth, with just the faintest hints of tobacco and a kiss of sweet caramelly notes carrying the rear of the bouquet. The palate was reflective of mature claret, drinking at its absolute peak. Unsurprisingly, this was the most feminine of the wines, with silky tannins and brilliantly integrated acidity forming a wonderfully elegant backdrop for brilliantly pure, feminine flavours of dark cherries and cassis seasoned with pinpricks of sweet spice, menthol and lovely floral notes. The finish was charming rather than powerful, lingering away with a touch of black cherries, but boy, this was absolutely lovely. A seductive wine, at a wonderful place for drinking. Not a great Lafite maybe, but at this point, harmonious, juicy, giving and oh so delicious. The 1985 Mouton that preceded it was clearly from the better vintage, but this wine was the more pleasing one.
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A toast to Prince William and Princess Catherine on their wedding day. Brick red, the wine is a survivor of 24 years in my cellar - earthy and rustic, as jjclips2 wrote. Super bouquet.
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Bright colour, not showing its age at all. Lead shavings. Lead pencil Cigar box. Vanilla. Blackberry all on nose. Autumnal forest floor. Meaty. Worn Leather. A haunting nose. Very powerful. Complex. Lots of fruit.
Sweet. Super smoothe. No obvious tannin. Good acidity. 45 sec+ finish. Slight boiled cherry.
Both fruit and bouquet lasted a long time. Wine was decanted 1 hr before drinking. Consumed over 3 hrs. None of the bouquet was lost over these 3hrs, so i suspect there may be another few years left for this wine.
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David W's December Decadence @ The Ledbury- big bottle, on the nose a bit green and herby, older style claret, well balanced, dry and taut, some woodiness.not showing a great deal of fruit. very lafite like but not a great show next to some of the wines it was up against tonight but still not a bad one either
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Amber color. Mature red fruits, tobacco, and coffee undertones. Softer, resolved palate with enough structure left to keep the wine supported. Medium bodied. Classy wine. Very enjoyable.
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Stunning aromatics when first opened. Opulent cassis and a graphite liquor note. It faded a bit with time, but one taster guessed a right bank wine given the luscious nose. In the mouth the cabernet presence was more stated with good grip and notes of dark fruit and Pauillac earth. Faded in the glass, I'd be careful about giving this one too much time in the decanter.
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Hans Kruger Classic (Suite 100): Ooh, yeah, now we're getting somewhere. Very earthy, rustic, pencil lead and minerality with maybe a touch of brett. Sweet kirsch, cassis, spices and tobacco. Quite complex. Still an earthy palate, but the fruit still shines through the tobacco, cedar, and pencil lead. Smokey, spicy finish. Fantastic Lafite.
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1978 Red Bordeaux (IoD London): More ceda and woody spice than fruit, a nice medium lush tecture with taut tannins and a beautiful graphite mineral finish.
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Was not very impressed with this. While I wrote no formal notes the fruit was lacking and it had a thin weedy character to it. Fill level was bottom neck and cork was in excellent condition. Drank this against an 89 Latour that very much showed it up.
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nose: real long and elegant nose of tobbacco, leather, pencil shavings, and hints of black currant
taste: very nice elgant feel with that bit of oomph that lafite can have with tobbacco, leather, and sour cranberry
overall: very nice. This one still has some good life to it and has been stored pretty well. Good feel on the palate it was nice to see how this held up as I had a bunch of vinegar and tomato juice wines at the tasting before this. Nice and long finish with good elegance on the palate
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A bit better than my first one but after an hour or so in the glass it loses its intensity and grip. Classic claret though and I won't wait for long to open my last bottle.
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Still has a quite a lot of tannins but the question is whether there is enough fruit to make this wine last for years to come. I doubt it. Nevertheless, a truly exquisite wine and a wonderful experience!
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Perfect fill well into the neck. Upon opening this showed a bit of heat, some course tannins and not much fruit. Let stand without cork for a couple hours and then decanted. Color is a beautiful translucent garnet with some amber at the rim. Nose is not terribly powerful but so elegant and seductive - dark plums, cedar and a pleasant earthiness. The texture of this wine is amazing, the very definition of silkiness. Tannins are present but they are perfectly integrated and carry the wine through the medium-long finish. Very nice.
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With MPL at S&F survey of '78 Bordeaux. Dark ruby. Attractive nose. Sweet. On the palate, extremely rich, sweet flavor. Excellent, silky, elegant, graceful wine. Great balance. 5-11-16-8: 90/100.
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From a poorly stored bottle. Lovely garnet color with orange rim. Beautiful elegant cedar/flower/spice bouquet. Smooth, no acidity, very light tannins. Surprisingly mature and good, all things considered. Better than the '66 Palmer this day.
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2/4/2024 - Jeff Leve wrote: 83 Points
Short, earthy, tart, and extremely green, the wine lacked fruit as it was clearly drying out. This is not a vintage I would buy or save, hoping for better days. Drink from 2024-2025.
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1/30/2024 - fournet wrote: 92 Points
This bottle had more life than what is typical of 70s Bordeaux, more than I expected.
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1/27/2024 - sdr Does not like this wine: 87 Points
Whole Lotta Lafite; 1/26/2024-1/27/2024 (Wine Watch, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida): The decade of the seventies was not kind to Lafite - or to most Bordeaux. This '78 has received praise from some of the experts but is is far beyond its drink-by date. While there is a smidgen of interesting damp earth character it is not enough to make you want a second sip and the wine is too meager on the palate.
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11/24/2023 - wxs2102 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Aired for 2 hours before pouring, no decanting. Dream perfect cork and fill. The juice had a decent bit of funk and reduction that took 2-3 hours to blow off. What’s left was quite gritty and sedimentary and a bit thin, not overly surprising given the age. Tart cherries, some cedar. By the end of the night it came around nicely but was too thin to be overly memorable. Got outshone by the ‘80 Latour side by side. I’d say this is 5-7 years over the hill at this point.
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10/20/2023 - #1 or #2? Likes this wine: 91 Points
a treat from yesteryear. definitely past its prime and on the decline. the nose is the star of the show for me… dusty, mushroomy, earthy forest floor, and iron. smells like autumn. palate is a little tired, flat. no fruit left, no acidity. a little herbal with a dominant mineral-driven character that still makes for pleasant sipping. the mineral note holds on through the finish nicely too.
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9/16/2023 - fcxj wrote: 88 Points
Dusty.
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6/3/2023 - NewFrenchClaret Likes this wine: 88 Points
Lafite in the 1970s. Brace yourself.
Fruit has left the building which is expected in this vintage, but there's lots of earthy, cedary, mushroomy notes. Eucalyptus, but occasionally a bit excessive; a little like Vicks VapoRub. There's definitely a lot of complexity there though.
On the palate, the taste and the rapidly drying tannins are totally disconnected from each other, which makes it somehow sickly and austere at the same time. In theory these two should balance, but they just don't mesh. Finish is long but a bit diffuse.
Day 2 is a bit better. But overall it's easily the weakest of the Medoc '78s that I've tasted. Not First Growth quality.
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12/31/2022 - ljl Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cedar and graphite aroma. Very young appearance, almost Pinot like. Some hints of cherry and cedar. Although quite good, clearly past its prime.
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12/16/2022 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Commanderie de Bordeaux: Winter Parlement - Chateau Lafite (The Minikahda Club, Mpls): Medium dark red color with a 1cm bricked edge. Drank a glass over 2 hours, flighted with the '93. Earthy with dried herbs, red currants, dried out leather, with hints of dillweed and dried cherries on the nose. The palate still has a lovely silken texture, tart red fruits, cherry and currants on a medium plus body with moderating medium grain tannins. My second favorite of the evening. The palate held nicely though the nose faded somewhat over the evening. 92+pts.
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11/19/2022 - GrapeScott wrote: flawed
My first Lafite, and wouldn’t you know it, it’s corked. Doh. Not dreadfully so, but noticeably. My kids joked that it smells like feet, and thus was appropriately named. They were right about the mustiness that obscured some lovely cedar and cassis notes. Tant pis.
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5/20/2022 - jonanator wrote: 91 Points
Still very much alive and vibrant. Always a treat to drink older first growths and this was no exception. Definitely past its peak, but still very expressive, just wish there was a little more fruit. I doubt this wine was ever a life changing wine, but it is absolutely worthy of first growth status.
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5/20/2022 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 93 Points
Served in blind. So robust, fine and regal which I thought its a 89. When it was revealed its a 78, I had high conviction its a first growth. My first guess was Latour followed by Lafite. Drinking beautifully at peak. 93+
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7/28/2021 - heyjon Likes this wine: 93 Points
Judicious, venerable, earthy bouquet of cedar chest, pencil shavings, tobacco leaves, cigar box, dried rose petal, tar, wet soil, and a suggestion of molasses and smoke followed by a structured, dense palate of muted prune and early picked black plum notes with flavors of cedar, leather, black pepper, and charcoal, very rounded, delicate tannins, concluding with a long, leathery finish.
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6/13/2021 - adrianywu Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dinner with 1978 Lafite, Petrus, Haut Brion and Latour. I threw in a 1975 Mayacamas Cabernet as a ringer.
Lafite: Classic Pauillac nose of lead pencil, leather and a hint of sous bois. I identified it as a Lafite (or possibly Mouton) while the host tried to throw us off with remarks such as "it could be considered a first growth". The structure is firm but well integrated. The palate is quite well balanced and very sinewy. Not a top vintage for Lafite as the intensity is only moderate and the fruit has given way a little bit to the acidity. The length is moderate. Overall a very good Bordeaux.
Petrus: The nose immediately gave it away as a right bank. I thought Cheval Blanc as I would expect pure Merlot to have more plumminess at this age. Should have known since the host almost always serves a Petrus every time ! The nose is deep and complex. The structure is firmer than I expect from a Pomerol. Very good fruit and good length. Can still go for another decade.
Mayacamas: I did not identify my own wine, as it could have been a Bordeaux, and a first growth at that. The nose is very open with soil, leather and some smoke. Very good fruit with excellent focus and intensity, unlike many "modern" Cali cabs that fall apart after a decade.
Can give the 1975 Martha's a good run for the money.
Haut Brion: The weakest of the wines, and the nose took a bit of coaxing. I am very familiar with the 1978 La Mission, which is much better, but it might just be bottle variation. The HB lacked the readily identifiable Graves nose of the LMHB. I could not tell it was a Graves, and I am partial to these wines. The fruit is still there, but the finish is a bit short.
Latour: I prefered the Lafite over the Latour tonight, which is rare. The nose is again less forthcoming, and lacked the definition of the Lafite. It has less backbone, giving it a more diffuse palate. Still has fruit and less acidity of the Lafite, but it seems more advanced and less vigorous.
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10/30/2020 - Sean Tay Likes this wine: 92 Points
Blind tasting Bordeaux night pair with Michelin Chinese cuisine.
My personal ranking:
1) 1985 Chateau Mouton Rothschild. Wet forest, leather, mushroom, spices, medium+ tannin and medium tannin, ruby in colour, pronounced nose.
2) 1978 Chateau Lafite. Green, dried black/red fruits, finesse in the nose, ruby in colour. Medium+ acidity and medium tannin. Surprisingly still drinking well.
3) 2009 Pontet Canet. Spices, flora, vanilla, purple in colour, medium+ tannin and acidity, rounded in the palate. Medium nose.
4) 2004 Pichon Lalande. The nose is closed or rather medium- nose. vanilla, medium+ acidity and tannin. Approachable.
However, WOTN goes to 2004 Pichon Lalande as my friends prefer young approachable wine instead of the secondary taste of vintage wine.
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8/5/2020 - Margaux Bro Likes this wine: 99 Points
Drank alongside 55 & 75 petrus. All three were in impeccable condition and tasted as such. Still showing some fruit and balance. Absolute banger and I wish I had more. Lafite is becoming my favorite first growth and this bottle was neck & neck with the petrus’s.
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7/18/2020 - jbs712 Likes this wine: 98 Points
No decanting needed — this drank beautifully right out of the gate. For an overlooked vintage, this drank like a classic Lafite. Notes of tobacco, cedar, leather and the unmistakable terroir of a well-aged first growth. And the finish was exquisite. Will acquire more of this wherever and whenever I can find it.
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12/1/2019 - Highlander65 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Have been waiting a while to open this. Reddish brown and clear in color. Musty earth on the nose as typical of a Bordeaux. As the tannins have faded, it’s balanced with red fruit (cherry, strawberry), clove, forest floor and leather coming through the palate.
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10/29/2019 - esuen88 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Beautiful clear color with amber circles. Starting to fade, but last bit of punch still here. Tannins have been resolved. Herbs and graphite on the nose. Cassis, cigar, mocha on the palate. Medium finish. Earthy aftertaste.
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8/28/2019 - StasMedvedev.lv Likes this wine: 97 Points
Château Lafite Rothschild vertical 1958-1994 (Moscow): 🏅Rating 97/100 (4,7⭐)
Kicked of with 1978 Stunning wine! Wild blueberry, velvety tannins, good acidity. Sensed touch of iron though. Won't develop more as it sits on peak maturity plateau.
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3/13/2019 - _water.into.wine_ Likes this wine: 93 Points
Super clear. Dark red. Nice structure. Strong flavours of cigars. Performed better than a Mouton 75, but dare I say, not quite as strong as a magnum of 79 leoville Barton
Drank at the Point, in KL, during 70s tasting
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11/22/2018 - steinersing wrote: 91 Points
From DMG - good age now, quite lovely but light and for me not much Lafite typicity
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11/22/2018 - fcxj wrote: 90 Points
Raspy, fading a bit. Drink up.
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11/15/2018 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 95 Points
A 40-Year Retrospective on 1978's (Los Olivos, CA): A very strong showing. Light ruby colored, with some bricking but no sediment or cloudiness. Sweet red fruit and green pepper on the nose. The palate offered crunchy red berries, mocha and saddle leather, along with a green streak I associate with a classic Pauillac from the era (though some took it as slightly corked?). Grippy sweet tannins gave way to a medium finish.
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11/3/2018 - T D wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 1.5 hours and found an impressive improvement from opening to time of tasting. Wine showed a slight amber on the edge from age and a beautiful clear color. Rather remarkable when you consider it was recommend to peak by 2013. Good tannins, smooth and very enjoyable. Capsule was clean, but cork was soft and top crumbled and half of the cork ended up in the bottle. Used the gold filter from an old coffee maker to eliminate any cork in the decanter.
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9/9/2018 - johnh1001 wrote: 94 Points
Better after 2 hours. Rich smooth, graphite and vanilla. Medium finish
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7/2/2018 - ubriac0ne Likes this wine: 94 Points
Popped for 40th bday celebration. Really elegant mature bdx. Fresh expressive nose of herbs, flowers, graphite and sandalwood. Cassis and cigar box and more graphite on the palate. Fully resolved velvety tannin. Long finish with bit of smoke and earth. Very nice.
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5/19/2018 - mhudes Likes this wine: 96 Points
At Cafe Chez Panisse in Berkeley with my wife to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. Wine expertly decanted by staff at restaurant. This wine was surprisingly wonderful. I've previously had the good fortune to taste the '86, '90, and '96 vintages of Lafite, and while the '78 was not as powerful as these bottles, the complexity of this '78 Lafite definitely rivaled the other 3 bottles. "Brick ruby" red in color, after just a few minutes , there was an amazing nosr of perfumed flowers. Some initial chalkiness quickly blew off. What remained was an elegant combination of blackberry, dark cherry, tobacco-leather with a very noticeable cedar component. Much ado on the mid-palate, most unrecognizable to me, yet quite enjoyable. Tannin has subsided, but because of the initial chalkiness, I suspect the tannins have only recently been resolved here. Near the end of the meal (2+ hours) the wine took on some herbal notes.
The pleasures derived here perhaps can only come from a well aged wine that has also somehow been blessed with luck.
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3/18/2018 - Giuseppe D Likes this wine: 90 Points
A nice wine but not at all worth the price tag these days. Bought it a year ago to celebrate a 40th birthday. The bottle and cork was in great condition...came out easily with minimal crumbling at the tip. Had a great nose upon opening and improved nicely in the first hour or so. Primarily tobacco. Put it into a decanter and drank over the course of about 4 hours. A very classic Bordeaux. Great wine just not enough complexity to support current pirices of $400+.
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3/1/2018 - Comte Flaneur wrote: 98 Points
The 1978 is gently perfumed with more pronounced lead pencil than the 1976, with a hint of briary. Compared to the 1976 this had more tension, nervosity, a tad high-tonedness initially and a slightly austere tannic note giving this wine a more bracing quality. As it relaxed and evolved in the glass this wine grows on you and you begin to marvel at its impeccable balance and breeding, its finesse and elegance and its glorious finish.
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11/16/2017 - Jeff Leve wrote: 90 Points
Fully mature, this lighter, medium bodied wine offers more complexities and character on the nose, with its blend of tobacco, cigar wrapper, earth, crushed rock, cranberry and cherry. There is a bit of austerity in the fruit on the palate, with tangy, red berries and tobacco leaf in the finish. This is a fine example of old school, classic Bordeaux. This is not a wine to hold for further development.
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11/6/2017 - Artbreadman Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still so very drinkable. Nicely layered and even power from start to finish. Subtle tannins show themselves after 1 1/2 hour decanting.
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9/14/2017 - fcxj wrote: 80 Points
Smells like an old library and taste catching-up. Dropped fruit, despite Jero. Not something I'd seek out.
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9/13/2017 - steinersing wrote: 91 Points
drinking still well, just lacking a bit of depth and intensity.
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12/11/2016 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 95 Points
Five Bordeaux By Five Decades (Rancho de Los Olivos): I feared the worst when the cork crumbled at the mere sight of a cork screw. Suffice it say that this was served through a sieve. The first sips made me fear the wine had madeirized, but that note blew off, and what revelations followed. Light ruby colored, with some bricking but no sediment or cloudiness. Sweet red fruit on the nose. The palate offered complex layers of dark raspberries, mocha and saddle leather, beautifully integrated. Grippy sweet tannins gave way to a medium finish. Unlike prior bottles which bloomed and faded within hours, this was going strong throughout the evening and showed no signs of fading.
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8/6/2016 - fokker Likes this wine: 95 Points
The best bottle so far from the case that was shipped back earlier in the year. It had high fills. Straight from bottle to galss after opening.
Colour was very healthy red/black with just slight bricking at the rim. Nose was so feminine with lovely violets and cinnamon and palates of oolong tea and black cherries. It almost purred.
Sweet all the way from start to finnish, for about 30 minutes before we drank it all. No chocolatey sweetness as with wines containing a higher percentage merlot and cab franc.
A notch up from other bottles, though I suspect it had more to do with the circumstances. Well we were in a Cantonese seafood restaurant, and we had whelks, geoduck clams, abalone, 2 types of prawns, 2 fishes (one shallow fried; the other steamed). We were drinking white wines and champagne first and then came the final dish, roast goose Cantonese style which we drank the Lafite with. This was kinda relief for the palate after the fishery and white wine taste in the mouth. The silky smooth tannin was a big welcome.
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7/24/2016 - fokker Likes this wine: 94 Points
Been drinking a few bottles of this in last few months, as a case in original wooden carton (purchased years before the Lafite craze) was shipped back earlier on in this year.
No bad bottles so far with little bottle variations. All had good fills up to at least high shoulder. The recent one was drunk before 96 Mouline and 02 Shafer Hillside Select.
Opened and decanted and poured straight into glass. Colour was a healthy dark red with a slight brown edge. Nose was immediate with cedar, violets and pencils and some cloves. Nice mid palate with mature black cherries and oh so feminine. Finish was persistent with almost identical mid palate note.
Second and third pour, i.e. almost 30 and 45 minutes after decanting, had consistent nose and taste, without further improvement nor deterioration. A thoroughly enjoyable wine from start to finish.
Only complaint: it just didn't have that sort of chocholatey sweetness other Bordeaux (esp. the right bank guys and/ or Graves) have that can escalate the score into the high 90s.
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6/11/2016 - steinersing wrote: 93 Points
two magnums, one decanted for four hours, one poured immediately. The former showing much better. Lovely wine, quite typical Lafite. Not powerful, but elegant.
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6/10/2016 - fcxj wrote: 90 Points
Leathery and light.
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1/9/2016 - AudunG wrote: 94 Points
Delicious Pauillac aromas with cedar, pencil, iron, cassis and more. Smooth and elegant on the palate. Firm and persistant. Very Pauillac and very good! Much better than the Latour in this vintage.
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12/25/2015 - clugodmd wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for one hour but initial tasting was still very tight. Once the wine sat for a bit it brought our some serious flora notes. This wine has at least another 3-5 years to drink and appreciate.
The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is moderate sediment in the bottle. It smells like rose and violet. It tastes like black currant (cassis). The body is medium. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has low acidity.
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10/27/2015 - steinersing wrote: 90 Points
From DMG - with time this showed quite well, bit of graphite. But nowhere comparable to some better vintage Lafites.
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10/17/2015 - fcxj wrote: 88 Points
Ficofi from 3L. Nothing special.
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2/28/2015 - Purple Tooth wrote: 93 Points
The nose on this bottle was a knockout! Fully mature and stinking beautiful! Cedar, plum, and mushroom juice...surprisingly valid without being raisiny...Vibrant acidity has taken over for the resolved tannins, driving a pretty descent finish. Given the 1978 mark, I would serve this blind to stump some of your most knowledgable Bordeaux head friends...I don't think it will be placed as a 78 because its such a forgotten vintage, still so valid, and so rarely available and poured compared to 70 or 75 for that matter. To think of it drinking this well, is a whole other surprise.
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12/25/2014 - KoalaHK wrote:
Drunk from Magnum on Christmas Day 2014 at the Koala Bar - we tasted a collection of '78s in large formats for Christmas (and why wouldn't you!). The Lafite was definitely the favourite but I find myself describing it in terms of the negatives that it didn't exhibit. Unfortunately this vintage seems a little dried out now with any fragrance or fruit relatively short lived. The tannins tend to dominate and none of the wines posses the sweetness that old Bordeaux gets when its singing. This was not one of the recently released ex-Chateau batch so it will be interesting to see whether perfect provenance lifts the wine a notch. Don't get me wrong '78 Lafite is still very pleasant but the '60s and the '80s were definitely kinder to Bordeaux and it shows.
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11/25/2014 - fcxj wrote: 94 Points
Still working
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6/7/2014 - T.E.D. wrote: 91 Points
Solid cork with no signs of seepage. Color was bright and lively, with no signs of bricking on edges. Nose exhibited smoothness and integrated elements of black fruit, spice box, mint and pepper. Palate was soft with a touch of initial acid that faded quickly. Flavors of black cherry, evergreen and some chocolate prevailed. Not mind blowing but in line with vintage quality. Drink now.
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1/11/2014 - mjg87 wrote: 90 Points
Lithe and delicate, this was another wine that continued to improve with air. Originally it had a strong minty note on the nose, but it eventually quieted to make room for soft fruit and earth. Light on the palate.
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12/30/2013 - jfpwine wrote: 90 Points
Delicate bouquet of fruits. Lighter body than I expected, with a long finish. Was a little muted though and did not evolve during the evening. Either it is past it's prime( which I suspect) or the bottle was a little off.
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7/20/2013 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 95 Points
This bottle was something of a relevation, much more alive and vibrant than the last one I tried. I was amazed at its balance, grace and depth of flavor, with plenty of fruit and a lengthy finish. Bravo!
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6/9/2013 - NickBurwood wrote:
A singleton rather battered bottle that has been loitering in my cellar so long I can't remember how I came to own it. 2 hour decant.
Pleasant enough very mature claret - but nothing special. Brick colour, vegetal aromas, tannins fully integrated with mellow baked red fruit flavours and a slightly lean acidity in the background. Medium length.
Bottle condition my well be responsible for this unremarkable showing so I think it is unfair to mark it. Nonetheless I agree with the majority opinion that this wine needs to be drunk up.
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5/24/2013 - paulst Likes this wine: 92 Points
Light nose; austere, mature and integrated; light blackberry, lean and earthy with great length.
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5/24/2013 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 91 Points
A Post 50th Birthday Celebration with Friends (The Grunzweig Wine Room, Los Olivos): Served alongside a '78 Mouton without a decant or slow-ox based on uncertainty about the robustness of the wines, I am happy to say that each handily exceeded expectations for the vintage before fading after 45 minutes or so in the glass. Out of the bottle the Lafite exuded an intoxicating bouquet of dark raspberries , mocha and saddle leather. Beautifully integrated on the palate, the first sips showed restrained fruit, followed by an intoxicating interplay of chocolate and vanilla notes grappling gently with one another for prominence. Gripping sweet tannins gave way to a medium finish. The muted fruit and high acidity left the wine seeming a bit lean after a short while, but it was better to burn out than fade away for this supernova.
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5/18/2013 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Flickinger "Significant Cellar" Tasting (Chicago IL): Tasting, brief note. Very good spice aromas with nicely balanced earth and mature plum. Somewhat more lean on palate with good textures and length. Easy to enjoy.
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3/31/2013 - CamWheeler wrote: 92 Points
Varied bottles of interest: A nicely complex nose of tobacco, pencil shavings, blackberry, cedar and earthy elements. The palate has excellent drive still, with medium weighted fruit surrounded by the structure that has almost seamlessly merged into the wine. Very classy and I would say that it is ready to drink now and over the next few years.
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3/1/2013 - jinks Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasted blind among some heavy hitter reds.
Last flight of the night, so notes are a bit sketchy (!)
Ranked 5/5 in its flight
My blind notes:
Nose - old. cab or blend. vegetal, hardly any fruit.
Mouth - same. Nice!
Finish - medium
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11/26/2012 - solace wrote: 94 Points
Seamless and harmonious.
Elegant nose. Coffee, cola, juicy fruit in a symphony of harmony.
Palate is in line with nose.
Lovely lovely wine. Oodles of elegance and light touch, yet with strength.
Silky tannins on finish.
This is complete, but with soul. Red of the nite.
Drink up.
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11/25/2012 - Alex H wrote: 92 Points
High toned and a bit of chambolle floral notes. Elegant and silky wine. Glides through the palate. Stupendously gentle and like miss universe plus top sophisticated model plus seductress.
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11/24/2012 - Paul S wrote: 93 Points
The ULD (Ultimate Label Drinker's) Dinner (Imperial Treasure, Asia Square): Surprising excellent for a less than great vintage - this was my favourite red of the night. It had a dropdead gorgeous nose - the best amongst the five firsts, with lovely floral notes - violets I thought - difting amidst lovely, lush aromas of dark cherries and cassis, truffles and earth, with just the faintest hints of tobacco and a kiss of sweet caramelly notes carrying the rear of the bouquet. The palate was reflective of mature claret, drinking at its absolute peak. Unsurprisingly, this was the most feminine of the wines, with silky tannins and brilliantly integrated acidity forming a wonderfully elegant backdrop for brilliantly pure, feminine flavours of dark cherries and cassis seasoned with pinpricks of sweet spice, menthol and lovely floral notes. The finish was charming rather than powerful, lingering away with a touch of black cherries, but boy, this was absolutely lovely. A seductive wine, at a wonderful place for drinking. Not a great Lafite maybe, but at this point, harmonious, juicy, giving and oh so delicious. The 1985 Mouton that preceded it was clearly from the better vintage, but this wine was the more pleasing one.
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7/1/2012 - lauric318 wrote: 90 Points
Tannin fully integrated. Very smooth but fell short on the finish. Expected a little bit more. Drink now.
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4/29/2011 - peterk wrote: 92 Points
A toast to Prince William and Princess Catherine on their wedding day. Brick red, the wine is a survivor of 24 years in my cellar - earthy and rustic, as jjclips2 wrote. Super bouquet.
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12/6/2010 - PC73 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank at Babington house.
6 dec 2010.
Bright colour, not showing its age at all.
Lead shavings. Lead pencil Cigar box. Vanilla. Blackberry all on nose. Autumnal forest floor. Meaty. Worn Leather. A haunting nose. Very powerful. Complex. Lots of fruit.
Sweet. Super smoothe. No obvious tannin. Good acidity. 45 sec+ finish. Slight boiled cherry.
Both fruit and bouquet lasted a long time. Wine was decanted 1 hr before drinking. Consumed over 3 hrs. None of the bouquet was lost over these 3hrs, so i suspect there may be another few years left for this wine.
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12/23/2009 - reichken wrote: 89 Points
David W's December Decadence @ The Ledbury- big bottle, on the nose a bit green and herby, older style claret, well balanced, dry and taut, some woodiness.not showing a great deal of fruit. very lafite like but not a great show next to some of the wines it was up against tonight but still not a bad one either
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6/20/2009 - psmith wrote:
Amber color. Mature red fruits, tobacco, and coffee undertones. Softer, resolved palate with enough structure left to keep the wine supported. Medium bodied. Classy wine. Very enjoyable.
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3/13/2009 - ATBridge wrote:
Stunning aromatics when first opened. Opulent cassis and a graphite liquor note. It faded a bit with time, but one taster guessed a right bank wine given the luscious nose. In the mouth the cabernet presence was more stated with good grip and notes of dark fruit and Pauillac earth. Faded in the glass, I'd be careful about giving this one too much time in the decanter.
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2/28/2009 - lee.reiswig wrote: 94 Points
Classic Lafite.
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1/31/2009 - 60ouvrees wrote:
Still reasonably good, but the fruit has faded considerably in the 2 years since I last had this. Time to drink up.
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12/1/2008 - jjclips2 wrote: 96 Points
Hans Kruger Classic (Suite 100): Ooh, yeah, now we're getting somewhere. Very earthy, rustic, pencil lead and minerality with maybe a touch of brett. Sweet kirsch, cassis, spices and tobacco. Quite complex. Still an earthy palate, but the fruit still shines through the tobacco, cedar, and pencil lead. Smokey, spicy finish. Fantastic Lafite.
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9/17/2008 - Russell Faulkner wrote:
1978 Red Bordeaux (IoD London): More ceda and woody spice than fruit, a nice medium lush tecture with taut tannins and a beautiful graphite mineral finish.
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9/16/2008 - Rupert wrote: 91 Points
Horizontal tasting of 1978 bordeaux plus more 1978s with dinner (Institute of Directors, London): Gamey farmyard nose, big, ripe, a bit flashy
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3/8/2008 - baja wrote: 88 Points
Was not very impressed with this. While I wrote no formal notes the fruit was lacking and it had a thin weedy character to it. Fill level was bottom neck and cork was in excellent condition. Drank this against an 89 Latour that very much showed it up.
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2/10/2008 - KeithAkers wrote: 92 Points
nose: real long and elegant nose of tobbacco, leather, pencil shavings, and hints of black currant
taste: very nice elgant feel with that bit of oomph that lafite can have with tobbacco, leather, and sour cranberry
overall: very nice. This one still has some good life to it and has been stored pretty well. Good feel on the palate it was nice to see how this held up as I had a bunch of vinegar and tomato juice wines at the tasting before this. Nice and long finish with good elegance on the palate
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9/10/2007 - ove wrote: 92 Points
A bit better than my first one but after an hour or so in the glass it loses its intensity and grip. Classic claret though and I won't wait for long to open my last bottle.
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12/5/2006 - D. Fulton wrote:
Quite a stinky bottle that just didn’t offer much. Storage might have been an issue, but it seemed like an old and tired wine.
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12/2/2006 - KellyW wrote: 94 Points
Suprisingly young this had great complexity for a lesser vintage. Paled along side the 1955 Margaux and 1961 Lynch Bages
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11/24/2006 - ove wrote: 92 Points
Still has a quite a lot of tannins but the question is whether there is enough fruit to make this wine last for years to come. I doubt it. Nevertheless, a truly exquisite wine and a wonderful experience!
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9/18/2006 - 60ouvrees wrote:
Perfect fill well into the neck. Upon opening this showed a bit of heat, some course tannins and not much fruit. Let stand without cork for a couple hours and then decanted. Color is a beautiful translucent garnet with some amber at the rim. Nose is not terribly powerful but so elegant and seductive - dark plums, cedar and a pleasant earthiness. The texture of this wine is amazing, the very definition of silkiness. Tannins are present but they are perfectly integrated and carry the wine through the medium-long finish. Very nice.
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4/25/2006 - MRichman wrote:
Lafite Rothschild vertical (DB Bistro Moderne, NYC): Bit light, disty tannins. Chunky.
B-
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10/1/1998 - mdefreitas wrote: 69 Points
Pre-Auction Wine Tasting w/ ZHs and Colgins (NYC): Volatile acidity. Thin, weedy and vinegary. Unpleasant.
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9/1/1992 - sdr Does not like this wine: 80 Points
Healthy mature color. Correct aroma of cedar and spice, but not very nice. Too tannic for the meager fruit.
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12/1/1990 - sdr Likes this wine: 88 Points
Still tight and hard. Closed on the nose. Cedar and blackberry. Long tannic finish. Should be fine in 5 years.
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10/21/1989 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 90 Points
With MPL at S&F survey of '78 Bordeaux. Dark ruby. Attractive nose. Sweet. On the palate, extremely rich, sweet flavor. Excellent, silky, elegant, graceful wine. Great balance. 5-11-16-8: 90/100.
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9/1/1987 - sdr Likes this wine: 92 Points
From a poorly stored bottle. Lovely garnet color with orange rim. Beautiful elegant cedar/flower/spice bouquet. Smooth, no acidity, very light tannins. Surprisingly mature and good, all things considered. Better than the '66 Palmer this day.
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