| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Pauillac |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
Beautiful, rich and still extremely young, this is Lafite at its gulpable, elegant, sculpted, age-defying best. Deeply-spiced cassis notes are joined by touches of cedar - the result of a dry year that saw one of the earliest harvests since 1898. The grapes were picked with high alcohol and ripe tannins and they have absolutely lasted, and will continue to do so. The tannins are cradling the fruit, barely perceptible and yet still fully in control.
Château Lafite-Rothschild Pauillac 1989: I have never been a huge fan of this Lafite but it seems to be coming into its own now. It's a wine with a character of cloves and berries with hints plums. It shows loads of potpourri. Roses too. Full and so balanced. Tight and youthful. The winemaker at Lafite says that when he wants to show someone a perfect example of Pauillac this is the Lafite he pours. Maybe he is right?
The 1989 Lafite-Rothschild has a well-defined bouquet, earthy in style, with cedar and wild strawberry at the start and later flanked by dried rose petals. Given that this is a First Growth, it does miss a bit of cohesion and horsepower. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiseled tannins and a keen thread of acidity, pliant and gentle, gaining weight towards the sour cherry and pencil lead infused finish. It's not a long-term Lafite-Rothschild, though this bottle is slightly better than previous encounters. Tasted at the 1989 Bordeaux dinner at 67 Pall Mall. Drink 2024-2035.
This medium ruby-colored, medium-bodied wine reveals new oak in the nose and a spicy finish. It is a quintessentially elegant , restrained, understated style of Lafite. Aticipated maturity:2000-2035
The 1989 Lafite-Rothschild, a wine that I have had several times both from bottle and magnum, is a better wine than the 1990, although I wonder whether its best days are now behind it. There is noticeably more bricking on the rim compared directly with the succeeding vintage. I also notice a touch of VA on this bottle with scents of molasses, cedar and a dab of the old boot polish. I find that the 1989 has more personality than the 1990 Lafite. The palate is supple and rounded in the mouth, a sense of warmth here although not complex and I would prefer more tension on the finish as it delivers allspice, mulberry and sage on the aftertaste. I wonder where this will go? At the moment it is difficult to see: heading down a cul-de-sac or Route 66? Tasted at the Lafite-Rothschild dinner at Amuse Bouche in Hong Kong and then blind at the Lafite-Rothschild 150th anniversary dinner at the property. Drink 2018-2032.
