Château Lafite Rothschild
Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend
Pauillac, Médoc, Bordeaux, France
Smooth and effortless with no hard edges, even in a warm year. Seductively savory with currant, strawberry, leather, tobacco, coffee bean, and bone marrow. There’s an incredible gamey streak here. Oak is impeccably balanced. Just tip toeing into some bricking.
The pedigree is clear. Counting myself lucky.
My #1 tonight.
Smooth and effortless with no hard edges, even in a warm year. Seductively savory with currant, strawberry, leather, tobacco, coffee bean, and bone marrow. There’s an incredible gamey streak here. Oak is impeccably balanced. Just tip toeing into some bricking.
The pedigree is clear. Counting myself lucky.
My #1 tonight.
A Little light in the nose with some shrill oxidative notes. Pretty fruit underneath. Tobacco and dried herbs. A bit tired but fascinating
A Little light in the nose with some shrill oxidative notes. Pretty fruit underneath. Tobacco and dried herbs. A bit tired but fascinating
Apr 23rd, 2025Silky and refined. Subtle notes of lead pencil and soft chalky red fruit. Very complete and subtle and delicious. Harmonious
Silky and refined. Subtle notes of lead pencil and soft chalky red fruit. Very complete and subtle and delicious. Harmonious
Nov 1st, 2024Classic Lafite. Hard to put into words. It was delicate yet still powerful. I’ve had the wine in my cellar since a year or so after release. We were stunned at how well it had aged…45?years old and still retained its fruit. It was worth the wait
Classic Lafite. Hard to put into words. It was delicate yet still powerful. I’ve had the wine in my cellar since a year or so after release. We were stunned at how well it had aged…45?years old and still retained its fruit. It was worth the wait
May 19th, 2024Structured and balanced. Very in place and lightly sophisticated. The fruit is all in check as is the alcohol. Still a long life ahead, but very god right now. You need to lean in a bit to feel it
Structured and balanced. Very in place and lightly sophisticated. The fruit is all in check as is the alcohol. Still a long life ahead, but very god right now. You need to lean in a bit to feel it
Jan 15th, 2024Very pretty fruit. Soft cherry and delicate. Complex and soft but good
Very pretty fruit. Soft cherry and delicate. Complex and soft but good
Oct 27th, 2023Deep and rich and long. The fruit is still rich and really balanced and refilled. Really great stuff. So long and intense. This is ludicrous given its age
Deep and rich and long. The fruit is still rich and really balanced and refilled. Really great stuff. So long and intense. This is ludicrous given its age
Aug 18th, 2023Lovely savory fruit. Sale leather and iron inflected red fruit. Some spice and lovely rounded, balanced, resolved fruit. Long and pure and excellent. Great stuff
Lovely savory fruit. Sale leather and iron inflected red fruit. Some spice and lovely rounded, balanced, resolved fruit. Long and pure and excellent. Great stuff
Aug 18th, 2023Vibrant still. Bright resolved red fruit with lots of secondary notes. Black cherry, salt leather, raspberry, blood, some dried herbs. This is so profound and balanced and long. Really astonishing given its age.
Vibrant still. Bright resolved red fruit with lots of secondary notes. Black cherry, salt leather, raspberry, blood, some dried herbs. This is so profound and balanced and long. Really astonishing given its age.
Aug 18th, 2023
The 2003 Lafite-Rothschild has an attractive perfumed bouquet with touches of camphor infusing the blackberry and bilberry fruit. There is a mahogany bureau hint. The palate is medium-bodied with a spicy opening. The sharp acidity slightly jars against the sweet candied black fruit, with blood orange and white pepper toward the mocha-tinged finish. It's missing a bit of sustain on the aftertaste, hence my more parsimonious score. It does cohere in the glass, so decanting will help. Tasted at the Académie du Vin dinner from ex-château magnum. (Neal Martin, Vinous, August 2023)
The 2003 Lafite-Rothschild has an attractive perfumed bouquet with touches of camphor infusing the blackberry and bilberry fruit. There is a mahogany bureau hint. The palate is medium-bodied with a spicy opening. The sharp acidity slightly jars against the sweet candied black fruit, with blood orange and white pepper toward the mocha-tinged finish. It's missing a bit of sustain on the aftertaste, hence my more parsimonious score. It does cohere in the glass, so decanting will help. Tasted at the Académie du Vin dinner from ex-château magnum. (Neal Martin, Vinous, August 2023)