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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 95.4 pts. and median of 96 pts. in 274 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Derek Darth Taster on 5/4/2024 & rated 96 points: Opening party at Meyer. Tasted semi-blind. Drank in Sydonios Meridional.
Muscle memory triggered from other bottle of this tasted last month - guessed it correctly.
Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour. Legs.
Nose is clean, medium intensity, with aromas of fragrant dark earth, fragrant mint, green bell pepper, tobacco and cigar, elegant graphite, blackcurrant, dark red cherries, red plum, light cassis. Developed.
On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium- alcohol (12.5%), very smooth fully resolved tannins, medium+ body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of tobacco cigarbox, minty leaf, elegant graphite, blackberries, dark red cherries, blackcurrant, light cassis. Long finish.
Excellent quality. Silky elegance, and a complexity that is understated. Slightly more complex than the previous bottle I had. Still considered damm fresh for a 1986. This bottle had a perfect cork. (357 views) | | | Tasted by RickyT12 on 4/26/2024 & rated 97 points: Slow Ox 8 hours
lighter ruby red color no real bricking.
This bottle is ripping. Leather, cherry cough drops floral notes like in a damp forest. Lovely. Hint of herbs on the nose. Mouth feel is amazing on this wine. It coats your mouth amazingly and finish is 20 seconds plus. This bottle is firing on all cylinders. Hint of iron, red currant, beautiful perfume notes. This has been one of the better bottles of the 86 that I have had. Lovely wine. 97+ (436 views) | | | Tasted by liber on 3/16/2024 & rated 92 points: 4th of 12, decanted 45 minutes, perfect level, cork quite stained and slightly fungal, merest hint of rot on a very fine wine with a remarkable weight of fruit, tannins in this difficult vintage not fully resolved, more to it we thought than the 01 on same night but spoiled increasingly by cork taint (indeed we gave up on it after half the bottle), still rated a fine bottle, clean ones sould be VF+, ie 97+, hard to tell when this wine will peak. (It could be many years ahead!) (1150 views) | | | Tasted by Derek Darth Taster on 3/5/2024 & rated 94 points: Epic night at Capasso. Tasted blind. Drank in Grassl Cru.
Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour. Legs.
Nose is clean, medium intensity, with aromas of dark earth, mint, tobacco, elegant graphite, blackberries, black cherries. Developing.
On the palate, dry, medium+ acidity, medium- alcohol (12.5%), integrated smooth medium+ tannins, medium+ body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of tobacco, minty leaf, elegant graphite blackberries, black cherries, blackcurrant. Long finish.
Very good quality. Silky elegance led me to guess Margaux appellation. Still quite fresh so I guessed 2000 vintage - off by more than 10 years! Long life ahead if the cork survives - the cork on this bottle crumbled and I had rescued it with a Durand. (1445 views) | | | Tasted by aquacongas on 3/3/2024 & rated 97 points: Blind, side by side with Mouton 1986
Many preferred the Lafite, for me the Mouton was slightly in front. Still too young, elegant and powerful like. The Mouton with the better structure and compared to the last 3-4 bottles in better shape. 2 -3 decades ahead. 97 (1437 views) | | | Tasted by il_diavolo on 2/15/2024 & rated 97 points: Brilliant bottle that is mature but drinking well. The (black) fruit is there but it's the tertiary aromas that get you....ash, cedar, pencil lead. Extremely long with everything in balance. A wow wine, and I do think you would say that blind too (sometimes hard to avoid label drinking with these). (1438 views) | | | Tasted by Jeff Leve on 2/4/2024 & rated 98 points: As good, or better than any bottle of 86 Lafite I have ever tasted, time has been kind to this wine. The nose sports a complex array of spices, dried tobacco leaves cedar, leather, and bright red berries. The palate is energetic, firm, and most importantly, regal in character, with loads of ripe, bright, chewy, currants and cassis in the mid-palate and finish. This could be a 100-year wine. Drink from 2024-2080. (2118 views) | | | Tasted by sdr on 1/27/2024 & rated 95 points: Whole Lotta Lafite; 1/26/2024-1/27/2024 (Wine Watch, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida): If this bottle is representative the 1986 Lafite has finally come around and is in early maturity. Exciting depth of blackberry and black cherry fruit, "sophisticated" tannins as Clive Coates might have said, and well judged acidity. Sheer pleasure and might even become better with time if it develops additional complexity. (1320 views) | | | Tasted by Nathan King on 11/30/2023 & rated 97 points: The nose gave off intense aromas of spice, molasses, brown sugar, and leather. Supple and elegant flavors of intense black currant and cedar are perfectly nestled inside a fantastic structure of lively acidity and reserved tannins. Tertiary notes of truffle and mushroom carry through the long finish. It is a beautiful, subtle, and complex wine. Drink now. (1404 views) | | | Tasted by fcxj on 9/28/2023 & rated 90 points: Still tannic, closed. Where's the charm. (3176 views) | | | Tasted by TWSA on 9/28/2023: Nose: nail polish, banana, forest
Notes: a disclaimer needs to be put here as I was not, and probably will never be a big fan of this Chateau. The authentic and consistent nose of the Chateau seems to be a big turnoff for me somehow. In order to not upset fans of this Chateau I shouldn't really rate it as my personal preference might be a little predominant here. (2356 views) | | | Tasted by DoktaP on 8/29/2023 & rated 95 points: Opened with friends with Delmonico steaks. Beautiful nose of cedar, cigar and dark fruit. The taste is ethereal. The fruit and tannins are finally in good balance. The finish is long and the mid palate rich.
It has come into it’s own and will drink well for another 10-20 years in my opinion. (2503 views) | | | Tasted by aarone3333 on 7/19/2023: Vibrant, clear mid-garnet colour. Luxurious nose, in the words of Ron Burgundy, “smells like rich mahogany!” Classic cigar box, earthy, leafy notes, forest floor. Incredibly silky and gentle on the palate, but not lacking in depth. Roast meats, mulberry, incredible length. A class act in every respect. You know you’re in rarefied air here. (3006 views) | | | Tasted by KenPlace on 5/18/2023 flawed bottle: Corked bottle (3361 views) | | | Tasted by sdr on 2/18/2023 & rated 93 points: It’s coming along nicely. Not at all forbidding, tannic or unapproachable for this notoriously backward vintage of Bordeaux. Excellent mid palate black cherry fruit. It doesn’t scream masterpiece but it is delicious and enjoyable now. (3731 views) | | | Tasted by vinodonpedro on 12/31/2022 & rated 97 points: A truly memorable experience with Lafite. Almost felt like being at a F1 race with all the cars running. The nose of this wine is something else. Almost to the point I simply wanted to smell the wine and not taste it. Hard to describe the flavours but this is Lafite at near its best IMO. Paired it with rack of lamb and elf. (4057 views) | | | Tasted by graemeg on 6/1/2022: NobleRottersSydney - top 80s Bdx with Rhone ringers (Fix, St James, Sydney): {cork, 12.5%} [Gordon] Maturing meaty aromas, earthy too, with a dark iodine character. Notes of spice and black fruits. The palate is medium weight, with low/medium powdery tannins and impeccable balance. Structure dominates the maturing and quite mild blackberry and blueberry fruit flavours. Even, mirror smooth palate. Medium long finish, quite savoury in character. Both instructive and confusing to drink it alongside the ’89 I must say. In that context it was more brutish, almost, even angular. Very fine indeed, but on this occasion the 89 was the pick of the pair. This will hold a while though; no need to rush into it if you’ve got a stash! (6050 views) | | | Tasted by sdr on 5/28/2022 flawed bottle: Seemed ok at home but it was corked. (4936 views) | | | Tasted by jlgnml on 5/25/2022 & rated 95 points: A bit older color, more perfumed, meaty, wet forest floor smell and flavor profile. This opened more than I thought it would, still has plenty of tannins and against the ‘90, this was the preferred btl. (4441 views) | | | Tasted by dcwino on 5/4/2022 & rated 98 points: Lafite Rothschild vertical (Taberna del Alabardero, Washington D.C.): Incredibly youthful nose displaying intense black fruit with a hint of red, crème de cassis, red currant, ink, licorice, light caramel, cedar, lead pencil, and mineral. Exceptional concentration, layers upon layers of concentrated black fruit, unctuous yet silky and fluid, bright acidity, strong limestone mineral, still noticeable tannins, and a long intense black fruit driven finish with lead pencil at the end. The red fruit becomes more noticeable with air. Ironically, the 86 Lafite seems more backward than the 86 Mouton in the past five years. This is an incredibly wine but still needs time. (4898 views) | | | Tasted by hprphf on 4/28/2022 & rated 94 points: Lovely cigar box and smoke, a very structured wine. 94 (3645 views) | | | Tasted by AValdes on 3/30/2022 & rated 93 points: Started with the 86 next to the 95. Both opened about 90 mins prior to pour. Not decanted.
This is a classic Bdx and drinking well. It was not immediately giving, but after about 4 hours the wine relaxed a bit, dropping its cool exterior and giving way to mintier flavors. This wine needs another 10 years to round out a bit more - hard to say if that timing will work given the energy in the fruit might not live up to its structure
Good to drink now, especially with a long lead time between when you open the bottle and when you plan to enjoy the wine (2659 views) | | | Tasted by dream on 3/30/2022 & rated 95 points: At the Lafite Vertical, this showed as one might expect very tannic and crisp at first in the style of the vintage. The question on '86 is always "will the fruit survive the tannic structure?" So with time in the glass, it began to show a sweetness of fruit underneath that I think bodes very well for the future. Despite its masculine character, it showed beautifully tonight especially with the wagyu steak. 95+ (2561 views) | | | Tasted by Jay A on 3/8/2022: Even at 36 years old, this wine is evolving at a glacial pace. Even after double decanting it at 6:30am for lunch, it wasn't offering much. There was some nice black currant fruit - sweet and ripe - and a surprisingly creamy texture. Other than that this was not showing any of the trademark secondary nuances - such as tobacco and leather - Lafite is known for. The good news is I expected the tannins to be and issue, but it was not the case. Tannins were well integrated and not sticking out at all. Even finishing up the bottle at dinner, a full 12 hours after opening the wine, the wine hadn't budged at all. Hard to believe, but if this bottle is a good indication, 1986 Lafite has decades more life ahead of itself. I would love to see this wine when the secondary nuances start showing themselves. The wine at that point may very well earn the 100 point reputation. For now I won't rate this because I feel it was an incomplete grade. (2914 views) | | | Tasted by Sonoma Duck on 2/13/2022 & rated 98 points: Medium ruby, nose of lead pencil and cedar. Decanted for 1.5 hours. Light tannins almost completely resolved. Elegant wine with a long, long finish. Truly excellent. Alas.....last bottle. (2745 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Charles Curtis MW
Decanter, Château Lafite Rothschild: 1986-2010 vertical tasting (3/1/2022)
(Château Lafite Rothschild, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Neal Martin
Vinous, Looking Back To Go Forward: Lafite-Rothschild 1868 – 2015 (Jul 2018) (7/18/2018)
(Lafite-rothschild Lafite-rothschild Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Neal Martin
Vinous, Bordeaux In Excelsis (Jun 2018) (6/18/2018)
(Lafite-rothschild Lafite-rothschild Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (5/24/2018)
(Ch Lafite Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jane Anson
Decanter, Lafite 150th birthday (5/23/2018)
(Château Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Kapon
Vintage Tastings, From the East (9/16/2010)
(Lafite) Login and sign up and see review text. | By John Kapon
Vintage Tastings, Hong Kong Diaries 2009, BYO (5/29/2009)
(Lafite Rothschild) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, October 2006
(Chateau Lafite-Rothschild Pauillac) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, October 2006
(Château Lafite-Rothschild Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Kapon
Vintage Tastings, An Evening of Lafite-Rothschild (8/15/2005)
(Lafite-Rothschild) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (10/7/2002)
(Ch Lafite Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (9/23/2002)
(Ch Lafite Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Lyle Fass
Rockss and Fruit (7/20/2004)
(Chateau Lafite Rothschild) Now this was a sick wine. The nose was amazing. Layer after layer of the Pauillac funk. Lead pencil, Dunhills, cassis, black cherry, mushroom, etc. Just amazing. Jumping out of the glass with its obvious greatness. The palate lived up to the nose. Maybe it was even better. Just the most amazing level of fruit persistence in a Bordeaux I have ever had. Concentration, purity, and balance were perfect. This was one of those wines that was a privilege to drink. Perfection in my book. The fruit just stayed with you for minutes after the wine was swallowed. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Decanter and Vinous and JancisRobinson.com and Vintage Tastings and Winedoctor and Rockss and Fruit. (manage subscription channels) |
| Château Lafite Rothschild Producer website – Read more about Chateau Lafite Rothschild
Vineyards map on weinlagen-infoRed Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanMédoc Vins du Médoc (Conseil des Vins du Médoc) - Read More about the Medoc
VdB
The eight precisely defined appellations of the whole of the Médoc (from Blanquefort Brook to the north of the Bordeaux built-up area, almost to the Pointe de Grave) may claim the Médoc appellation. But there is also a specific territory in the north of the peninsula which produces exclusively wines with this appellation. In the great majority, the Médocs come from the north of the peninsula. The great individuality of this region is that the number of vines has increased more recently here than elsewhere, apart from a few isolated spots where vines have grown for many years. Today, the size of the small estate has brought about the development of a powerful co-operative movement. Four co-operatives out of five belong to the group called Unimédoc which ensures aging, bottling and marketing a large proportion of their wines.Pauillac Read more detailed information about Pauillac Looking full onto the river from the earliest days, with an important port activity, traces of which go back to ancient times (shipment of bronze as long ago as 2000 B.C.), Pauillac's life has always been intimately linked to the history of wine. Although port activities were at the root of its prosperity, Pauillac had to wait until the eighteenth century when Bordeaux ceased to hold its privileged position to become a wine port. The town then became the natural outlet for the wine production of neighbouring cantons before reaching its zenith in a period when the vineyards were exceptionally prosperous.
The characteristic of the Pauillac terroir is its exceptional relief: the many undulating ridges make it unique morphologically speaking. Highly favourable conditions facilitate the dissection of the layer of gravel. This thin, Garonne gravel from whose very poverty springs great richness, has an extremely effective natural drainage.
With their velvet red colour with a hint of amber, the wines from the Pauillac appellation, full-bodied and rich in tannin, are vigorous. Powerful when young, their aromas of red fruits (black-currant, raspberry) or flowers (violets, roses, irises) melt with the passing of time into a bouquet which is long in the mouth.
Rich and complex, the wines of Pauillac deserve to be laid down for a little longer.
Production conditions (Decree dated November 14, 1936)
In order to have the right to the Pauillac appellation of controlled origin, red wines must:
- come from the commune of Pauillac and from precisely defined parcels in the communes of Cissac, Saint-Julien, Saint-Estèphe and Saint-Sauveur, "excluding the parcels situated on recent alluvium and sand on impermeable subsoils",
- satisfy precise production conditions : grape-varieties (Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet-Franc, Carmenère, Merlot Noir, Petit Verdot, Cot or Malbec), minimum of sugar (178 grammes - 6.27 oz. - per litre of must) degree (an acquired 10°5) base yield (45 hectolitres per hectare). |
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