Abundant red fruit and possibly the ripest 08 I’ve tasted but without being overdone. Regal and exquisitely smooth texture, a definite class act. Dark chocolate, plum with plenty of earthy minerals. Just a gorgeous wine even if the nose is a bit reticent.
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The bouquet is filled with gentle black and blue fruits, hints of minty chocolate and smoked spices. Rich and polished palate. Almost full-bodied with layers of fruits, wood and leather. Velvety tannins complete the clean and extended finish. Letting this age for another 3 years will develop better harmony.
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An elegant, dark, paradoxically approachable yet slightly diffident wine, drunk at a 5-person lunch from magnum (alongside a 2003 Leoville Barton). It’s not like I drink first growth Bordeaux regularly so I didn’t have much of a reference point but despite its obvious class and balance the Lafite didn’t strike me as a truly profound, pinnacle wine, at least not yet. I was surprised by 1) how fine the tannins were at this stage and 2) its fullness of body considering the modest abv. Selfishly I am pleased that the person who hosted the lunch brought it along but, relative approachability aside, I think this wine deserves to be left to develop. My 94 points reflects my enjoyment on the day rather than any true skill in assessing how a high-end Bordeaux may develop over the next decade (skills I won’t pretend to have!). However, I like to think this wine is only just beginning a journey that will result in it delivering something more memorable in the future. (Incidentally the table thought that in no way was the ‘03 Leoville Barton overshadowed by this, its more illustrious cousin. The LB may be less beguiling and less sophisticated than the Lafite but it made up for it by being in a truly great spot in terms of its evolution and, therefore, being no less enjoyable. On the day I’d say the wines were on a par in terms of enjoyment).
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The wine looks purple colored. It smells like blackberry, blueberry, black currant (cassis), toast, coffee, oak, vanilla, lead pencil, black pepper and violet.
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1/14/2024 - Hazeo wrote: 96 Points
Abundant red fruit and possibly the ripest 08 I’ve tasted but without being overdone. Regal and exquisitely smooth texture, a definite class act. Dark chocolate, plum with plenty of earthy minerals. Just a gorgeous wine even if the nose is a bit reticent.
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1/6/2024 - Psdycp wrote: 94 Points
The bouquet is filled with gentle black and blue fruits, hints of minty chocolate and smoked spices. Rich and polished palate. Almost full-bodied with layers of fruits, wood and leather. Velvety tannins complete the clean and extended finish. Letting this age for another 3 years will develop better harmony.
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12/3/2023 - Andrew S-L Likes this wine: 94 Points
An elegant, dark, paradoxically approachable yet slightly diffident wine, drunk at a 5-person lunch from magnum (alongside a 2003 Leoville Barton). It’s not like I drink first growth Bordeaux regularly so I didn’t have much of a reference point but despite its obvious class and balance the Lafite didn’t strike me as a truly profound, pinnacle wine, at least not yet. I was surprised by 1) how fine the tannins were at this stage and 2) its fullness of body considering the modest abv. Selfishly I am pleased that the person who hosted the lunch brought it along but, relative approachability aside, I think this wine deserves to be left to develop. My 94 points reflects my enjoyment on the day rather than any true skill in assessing how a high-end Bordeaux may develop over the next decade (skills I won’t pretend to have!). However, I like to think this wine is only just beginning a journey that will result in it delivering something more memorable in the future. (Incidentally the table thought that in no way was the ‘03 Leoville Barton overshadowed by this, its more illustrious cousin. The LB may be less beguiling and less sophisticated than the Lafite but it made up for it by being in a truly great spot in terms of its evolution and, therefore, being no less enjoyable. On the day I’d say the wines were on a par in terms of enjoyment).
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10/19/2023 - alcw62 wrote:
Had it with super chicken! Very smooth delicious raspberry taste…opened very well in 30 wines
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6/11/2023 - Sean Tay wrote:
The wine looks purple colored. It smells like blackberry, blueberry, black currant (cassis), toast, coffee, oak, vanilla, lead pencil, black pepper and violet.
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