Château Lafite Rothschild

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend

9.42944 ratings
9.3785 pro ratings
Pauillac, Médoc, Bordeaux, France
Red Bordeaux Blend
Chili & Hot Spicy, Potato, White Rice, Mushrooms, Pasta, Pork, Salami & Prosciutto, Pungent Cheese, Lamb, Tomato-Based, Onion, Shallot, Garlic, Beef, Hard Cheese, Venison
Top Notes For
Conrad Green

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

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, 2024
Conrad Green

Very 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, 2023
Conrad Green

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

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, 2023
Conrad Green

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

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, 2023
Conrad Green

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.

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
Delectable Wine

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9.4

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)

Aug 10th, 2023
Jay Kline

This bottle of 1976 Chateau Lafite Rothschild was cellared in a wine cave part of its life and a modern cellar the more recent part of its life. The fill for this bottle was mid-shoulder and the label had been tattered from back when it was in the cave. Using a Durand, I was able to pull the cork intact and it was saturated but seemed to have done its job. The color was good and the wine was sound; in fact, it was very much alive and full of character! Opened about four hours prior to service and decanted for sediment (of which there was plenty). No formal notes. At this stage in its life, the 1976 Lafite pours a garnet color with an orange rim. The nose is straight up old-money. Classy aromas of desiccated red cherries & red currants, dried tobacco leaf, graphite, a mix of organic and inorganic earth, leather and dried baking spices. On the palate, the structure was still quite palpable with tannins till present and acid doing its job with aplomb. Confirming the notes on the nose. The finish is long and graceful with some nice stoney minerals. Drink now but well cellared examples could hold longer if you wanted…but if you’re even thinking about it, just open it!

This bottle of 1976 Chateau Lafite Rothschild was cellared in a wine cave part of its life and a modern cellar the more recent part of its life. The fill for this bottle was mid-shoulder and the label had been tattered from back when it was in the cave. Using a Durand, I was able to pull the cork intact and it was saturated but seemed to have done its job. The color was good and the wine was sound; in fact, it was very much alive and full of character! Opened about four hours prior to service and decanted for sediment (of which there was plenty). No formal notes. At this stage in its life, the 1976 Lafite pours a garnet color with an orange rim. The nose is straight up old-money. Classy aromas of desiccated red cherries & red currants, dried tobacco leaf, graphite, a mix of organic and inorganic earth, leather and dried baking spices. On the palate, the structure was still quite palpable with tannins till present and acid doing its job with aplomb. Confirming the notes on the nose. The finish is long and graceful with some nice stoney minerals. Drink now but well cellared examples could hold longer if you wanted…but if you’re even thinking about it, just open it!

Jul 14th, 2023
David Kline

Holding strong.

Holding strong.

Apr 17th, 2023
Conrad Green

graphite, cedar. Soft red fruit. A hint of band aid. Lush and supple and long.

graphite, cedar. Soft red fruit. A hint of band aid. Lush and supple and long.

Apr 12th, 2023
Severn Goodwin

Capitol Region Wine Collectors Club (WCC), Bordeaux; 30 March 2023 at Yono's, Albany, NY

Capitol Region Wine Collectors Club (WCC), Bordeaux; 30 March 2023 at Yono's, Albany, NY

Mar 31st, 2023