Reviews & Scores
This has still-tight tannins and remains deep in colour, with just the very beginnings of whispering its age. After a few minutes in the glass, cigar notes curl up and out, followed by beautifully elegant, savoury-edged black fruit and tea leaf notes. This was extremely austere at first, but it's now beginning to soften and is likely to develop similarly to the 1999, which makes it one to watch. Will reward further cellaring. (JA) - DC
DC93May 2018
A brilliant offering and a candidate for wine of the vintage, this is classic Lafite that reminded me somewhat of the 1976, although the vintage conditions were completely different. This is a medium-weight, quintessentially elegant style of Lafite with notes of lead pencil shavings/graphite along with black currants, plums, and crushed rocks/mineral. Wonderfully pure, dense, with a deep ruby/purple color and loads of fruit, definition, and a long finish, this is a brilliant, elegant Lafite Rothschild that builds incrementally in the mouth and has more power and density than it initially seems. - WA
WA94April 2005
Bubbling over with crushed berries, currants and spices, with tobacco notes. Beautiful. Full-bodied, with gorgeously velvety tannins and a long finish of pretty fruit. This is a racy yet elegant Lafite. Classy. *Collectible* (JS) - WS
WS95March 2005
Bright medium ruby. Brooding, precise, perfumed aromas of raw cassis, blueberry, bitter cherry, violet, cedar, bitter chocolate and camphor. Pure, austere and penetrating; almost painfully intense today and closed in on itself, with its acids and tannins currently in opposition. Shows a slight bitter streak, as young Lafite often does in firm vintages. But the very long, slow-mounting finish and superb clarity of flavor suggest that this will be an excellent Lafite, in a distinctly uncompromising style. - VM
VM95June 2003