Martin Weiner Lafite and Latour Tasting – 1924 - 2002

Martin Weiner's home in Westwood, Los Angeles, California
Tasted Friday, January 18, 2008 by rjonwine@gmail.com with 1,600 views

Introduction

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Who could resist a vertical of mainly mature Lafites and Latours, in excellent condition, going back to the fabled ‘20s, thoughtfully assembled by Martin Weiner? Not me, and what a wonderful day to be in L.A., with the UGC pouring’05 Bordeaux at Santa Monica’s Fairmount Hotel.

After tasting eighty 2005s and spitting all day, I was looking forward to savoring some really good, top flight Bordeaux. These did not disappoint, with the most memorable, for me, being the ethereal and pure 1924 Lafite, the elegant ’71 Latour, the concentrated and powerful 2000 Lafite, and the deep and gorgeous ’89 Latour. As an added bonus, I got to taste another one of my birth year wines when Martin threw the ’55 Cos in the next to last flight.

Martin, Carol and Richard:
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Flight 1 - Flight 1 (3 Notes)

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  • 2002 Château Latour Grand Vin 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Dark cherry red color; focused boysenberry and berry nose; young but rich, berry, boysenberry and cassis palate; long finish 93+ pts.

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  • 2001 Château Lafite Rothschild 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Dark red violet color; plum, caramel nose; very tasty, rich, cassis and deep plum, berry palate; long finish

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  • 1981 Château Lafite Rothschild 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Medium red color with slight cloudiness and pale meniscus; mature tobacco, leather and beef jus nose; tasty, balanced, tart red fruit, cassis and beef jus palate; medium-plus finish 91+ pts.

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Flight 2 - Flight 2 (3 Notes)

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Served with dinner – lamb shanks braised with Bordeaux, gratin dauphinois (potato, Maui onion, leek and turnip), French green beans and carrots in white truffle oil:
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  • 1999 Château Lafite Rothschild 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Dark red violet color; earthy, shitake mushroom nose; tasty cassis, currant, with depth and a touch of menthol; long finish

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  • 1975 Château Lafite Rothschild 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Cloudy, medium brick red color; tobacco, shitake and porcini mushroom nose; sweet menthol, cassis and red plum palate; medium-plus finish

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  • 1975 Château Latour Grand Vin 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    From magnum – dark red violet color with sediment; lamb jus and dried mushroom nose; plum, mature cassis, plum, beef jus, black fruit palate; medium-plus finish 93+ pts.

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Flight 3 - Flight 3 (3 Notes)

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  • 1998 Château Latour Grand Vin 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Dark garnet red color; rich berry, cassis nose; gorgeous, rich, berry, cassis palate, more subtle than the Lafite, and nearly drinkable now; medium-plus finish

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  • 1998 Château Lafite Rothschild 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Dark red violet color; cassis, plum and violet nose; elegant cassis, cedar palate with a touch of menthol, still very young but excellent; long finish 94+ pts.

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  • 1995 Château Lafite Rothschild 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Dark red violet color; mature mushroom and tobacco nose; tobacco and charcoal palate, most herbaceous of the night; medium-plus finish

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Flight 4 - Flight 4 - Latours (3 Notes)

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  • 1989 Château Latour Grand Vin 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Dark red violet; black fruit and ripe plum nose; gorgeous plum and cassis palate with depth and balance; long finish 95+ pts.

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  • 1983 Château Latour Grand Vin 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Dark red violet; shitake mushroom and lamb jus nose; good mature beef jus and cassis palate; long finish 94+ pts.

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  • 1978 Château Latour Grand Vin 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Dark red violet color with no bricking, remarkably youthful looking; shitake, dried mushroom and marjoram nose; nice mature beef jus, tangy cassis, herbal, marjoram and sage palate; medium-plus finish 92+ pts.

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Flight 5 - Flight 5 - Old Latour (2 Notes)

  • 1971 Château Latour Grand Vin 97 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Porcini mushroom nose; delicious mature Bordeaux with elegant, meat jus and black fruit palate; long finish

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  • 1947 Château Latour Grand Vin 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    medium brick red with pale meniscus; plum and plum preserves nose; port-like, ripe, rich plum, black fruit and cherry palate, reminiscent of ’47 Petrus; long finish 93+ pts.

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Flight 6 - Flight 6 - Back to the '20s (3 Notes)

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  • 1924 Château Lafite Rothschild 97 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Light brick red color; mushroom and lamb jus nose; very tasty, mature, sweet currant and cassis palate, quite delicious; long finish 97+ pts.

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  • 1926 Château Latour Grand Vin 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Medium brick red color; port-like, PX sherry, raisiny nose; concentrated, mature port, raisin and beef jus/beef jerky palate; medium-plus finish 93+ pts.

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  • 1955 Château Cos d'Estournel 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Estèphe

    Slightly cloudy red violet color, with sediment; mushroomy lamb jus nose; tasty, tangy currant, red fruit and lamb jus palate; medium-plus finish 94 pts.

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Flight 7 - Flight 7 - Lafite '82 and '00 (2 Notes)

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  • 2000 Château Lafite Rothschild 96 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Dark red violet color; cherry and caramel nose; rich, concentrated, cherry, mulberry, cassis and coffee palate; long finish

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  • 1982 Château Lafite Rothschild 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Dark red violet color; black fruit, porcini mushroom nose; very tasty, youthful, plum palate, but lacking in complexity; long finish

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Closing

Andy and Richard:
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Poppy Davis:
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