Chateau Lafite Rothschild belongs to the best known wines of the Bordeaux area today. Proximity of the small town Pauillac lies just next to Mouton Rothschild, his namesake. According to the classification of the Médoc Lafite Rothschild belongs to plants to the five 1er Grand Cru classé in the Bordelais. These are Mouton Rothschild, chateau Margaux, chateau Latour and chateau Haut Brion besides Lafite from the region of the Graves.
The history of the chateau declines well up to the year 1234 when Gombaud de Lafite, abbot of the cloister of Vertheuil north of Pauillac, mentioned the name Lafite for the first time documentarily. After traditions the name originates from the expression then, La Hite who means in the domiciled dialect of the Gascogne hills. So Lafite has found his origin in the named name hill. The era Rothschild on chateau Lafite Rothschild who used only under the application Lafite to attain fame has gone back for the year 1853. At this time Nathaniel de Rothschild Chateau Mouton Rothschild acquired and its related James Mayer bought little late Lafite Rothschild from a mood. Only limited time after the acquisition died James and the sons Alphonse, Gustave and Edmond inherited the castle. After the second World War in which the good had suffered strongly by the German garrison since 1940, the grandson could win estates back and take the management of Gustave, baron Élie de Rothschild, who destroyed to large portions.
By the outstanding follow-up war vintages 1945, 1947 and 1949 the earned money could be invested in on-building measures and repair work. The wine-growing estate had recovered from the confusion of the war and sets to new high-altitude flights. The straight class 1953 and also 1959 played the cellar masters on the Chateau into the hands. Century wines were produced with a very long ageing potential. The 1970s years were not really the best references, though. Only mediocre wines were produced and filled, compared with the other known chateau wines from Bordeaux. As a result from this Eric de Rothschild sets new investments and moreover turned the staff merry-go-round. A large part of the new investments on chateau Lafite Rothschild went a perfectly circular barrel cellar taking hold, a daring plan at the time then, into a 2,200 Barriques. The wine economy in Bordeaux was located on the ground at the beginning of the 1970s years anyway. Many could hardly survive chateau by weak vintages and a recessive world economy and fought with the shortage of money and the high energy expenditures triggered by the oil crisis.
The innovations paid off at the latest with the class 1982, which by the wine Pope Robert Parker is praised as century wine and which received dream note from 100 Parker points. 1983 and 1985 very good wines were also produced. EUR 210,000 to the owner Hardy Rodenstock was paid around for a bottle of chateau Lafite Rothschild by the American publisher Forbes to 1787 at an auction of the house Christie in London in 1985. The label carried the original initials of the U.S. president Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826). This bottle is today still considered as the most expensive red wine of all times, a record, which the Rothschild´s holds gladly.
A quite more acceptably and well evaluated secondary wine, Carruades de Lafite, is produced likewise on the property and finds much resonance among the wine lovers of the world enormous. He is hardly weaker than the 1s cru classé wine within good years and costs only a fraction of the first wine. Lafite is very popular just on the Asian market in today's time. Cru Classé wines like Latour, Mouton or Margaux are the prices for a Lafite considerably above these for the further 1s. With the vintages 1996 and 2000 as well as 2005, furthermore the vintners succeeded in exception wines with a good future potential. The the vine variety covers an acreage of 103 hectares. The vine variety is armed with 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 3% Cabernet franc and 1% Petit Verdot. The average age of the shoots is about 30 years. As reference to the quality of the vineyard situations on Lafite the following can be pulled to rate: Lafite Rothschild possessed 2001 a plot of name la Gravière, which existed since 1886 and still yield supplied. An exception to and part of the philosophy at the wine-growing estate!
Michael Broadbent: A bakingly hot summer leading to the earliest ever start of picking at Lafite on 15 August. The first major vintage in Bordeaux since the onset of phylloxera. Tasted many times over a period of 25 years. Variable, but at best, as with this provenance, the wine will still be fairly deep; its bouquet rich and ripe; a touch of sweetness, richly fragrant yet delicate. A rare mouthful. **** Sterne
"Past its peak, but the trip down is going to be an enjoyable one. The best of the truly mature Lafites in the entire tasting. It has that wonderful bottle bouquet of mint, cedar and tobacco that blends so well with the firm but silky spice and cherry flavors. It tastes open, round and complete." WS (96 WS)
Lafite Rothschild was 2006 Lafite in perfection, only the nose was something with restraint. Painting umpteen sweet one but at this was virtually cosily still decadent, luxuriant maturity, the wine with something elegant and very long, fully on the highlight if silky and finesse at the palate - 100/100 (well up: wineterminator.com Dr. Becker).
Amazingly color, opulentes, burgundy bouquet, much sweet one, coffee, mocca brightens marvelously 1996 Lafite Rothschild - 95/100. Last 2006 a very ripe, complex, adulatory Lafite with more finely sweet ones – 95/100 (well up: wineterminator.com Dr. Becker).
Appraisal Broadbent: An exquisite, almost perfect Lafite vintage. Many articles. How so often developed in smell and taste nuances, however, progressed at the beginning of the 1960s years deceitfully far. If one has patience, the opportunity and the time, a fascinating wine; no breath should ruin his continuous taste and aftertaste astringent, though. In a certain way he embodies all advantages which disregard modern taster and wine authors: Delicate-eat, charm, subtlety, length and a weight - and/or the weight lacking -, which " this kind from wine to the perfect beverage or; meal - escort" makes. A beautiful woman who reveals her charm only slowly and needs patience as well as understanding. Last tasting in August 2000 ***** (5) stars. Still should be exquisite.
A giant also surely still 20 years potential is Lafite Rothschild. Almost still too young 1993 much astonishingly on our century wine-tasting and soon afterwards still invigorates on the sample of a good wine friend, young colour, once again however not if astringently tannin like Latour strength, very beautiful length, for Lafite - 98/100. 1995 in the country house Bacher from the Marie Jeanne Gran Vin! Deep, recent color, intensive fruit-sweet, stops at the palate not more – 100/100. Stellte Silvester 1995 bei Hubi Scheidt selbst den 59er Haut Brion noch in den Schatten – 100/100. 1996 an astonishingly ripe bottle from not optimal storage, very thick colour, recognizable brown tone, mint freshness,mature cabernet full, virtually lavish, very long - 100/100. Last 2007 absolute one perfection. In the nose mint but also herbs and fine sweet one. The sweet one of this very finesse wine see yourself away, endless at the palate in the outlet. A century Lafite, now on the high point, on which it remains surely still 10-20 years - 100/100 (well up: wineterminator.com Dr. Becker).
With Lafite Rothschild one must be lucky apparently. My first bottle of 1997 was a blank and rather did not represent the parker notes, astonishingly beautiful colour, too oldly, however, this was it also to acidic, ungenerous - 81/100. Second 2001 very elegantly with more finely sweet ones and mad outlet, simply a large wine – 96/100. The second wine of Lafite which, at that time, was still called Moulin de Carruades was simply only terrible in 1988 (well up: wineterminator.com Dr. Becker).
Wine Spectator : 84/100 (1966 Lafite Rothschild – unofficial wine of the Rolling Stones) Tasted by Eric on 12/12/2003 & rated 94 points: Seattle Tasting Group 'End of Year Dinner' (Sammamish, WA, USA): This had everything you could look for on the nose of a great wine. Very complex, sweet and floral with truffle (and this was just before truffle risotto was served) and mushroom. The palate was a bit of a letdown with slight sweetness and earthiness, but the fruit was long gone. From the color I guessed 1970 Bordeaux and came within four years.
Wine Spectator: 92/100 (11-1991) Fruity, deep and firm, filled with plum and cherry, backed by youthful, stiff tannins. Needs time for complexity to develop.
Parker N° 129 (26.06.2000) : 100 Trinkreife : 2007-2070
All three 1982 first-growth Pauillacs have turned out to be wines of extraordinary complexity, richness, and aging potential. To no one's surprise, they are all different. The two most backward wines are Lafite-Rothschild and Mouton- Rothschild. The 1982 Lafite possesses a dark, dense ruby/purple color with only a subtle lightening at the rim.Spectacular aromatics offer jammy cherry and black fruits intertwined with lead pencil, mineral, and smoky wood scents. Powerful for a Lafite, this wine unfolds to reveal extraordinary richness, purity, and overall symmetry in addition to stunning flavor depth and persistence. The finish lasts for nearly a minute. Plenty of tannin remains, and the wine displays a vibrancy and youthfulness that belie its 18 years of age. The modem day equivalent of Lafite-Rothschild's immortal 1959, the 1982 will enjoy another 30-70 years of life! An amazing achievement!
Done not at all I was 1986 from Lafite Rothschild, a tough, brittle chunk to 84/100 standard. It presented itself 1997 in a sample clearly openly with corinth sweet one, the nose thereby clearly better and more beautifully than the compact palate – 91/100. 2007 on the Braui Best Bottle a classical Lafite in the perfect, old, the Terroir appropriate style. A fine, elegant wine with redberry fruit, at the palate finesse purely with marvelous bloom– 94/100. Briefly after it on Sylt a classical Lafite with the infinite elegance and finesse, with which this property fascinated 2 centuries long world-wide wine lovers, very spicy, easily peppery fruit, marvelous length at the palate. Who looks for still another payable Lafite in the earlier style, not the modern, concentrated, made too expensive Latour copy, should go on the search for this wine– 95/100. (well up: wineterminator.com Dr. Becker).
Parker N° 88 (01.08.1993) : 90 Trinkreife : -2010 The 1985 Lafite is revealing more class and complexity than I predicted. A moderately intense, cedary, woody, herb and berry-scented bouquet is attractive. The wine is open-knit and ripe, with fine tannins, sweet, medium-bodied, mineral, and cassis-scented flavors, fine depth, and a graceful, harmonious feel. It is beginning to blossom and appears to possess more depth and character than I had thought. Last tasted, 6/93
I was very insecure in the arrival tests. This was a fine wine with a wonderful, sweet fruit but with the best wines of the vintage he could keep pace under no circumstances for me. After that I have only drunk him twice. Fruit condensed extract which is unbelievably thick and locked still quite, tremendous potential, in 2001 pitch-blackly will argue with Mouton over the wine of the vintage, potential for 100/100. Colour, lovage nose confusing a little, writes considerably more accessibly than 86 Mouton easily sweetishly but also solid acid in 2002 and, tannin, something stood next to the shoes. Whether he really ever reaches the 100 points is a purely academic discussion today. For cool cellars the response might hardly come in front of 2015 (well up: Wineterminator.com Dr. Becker).
Parker N° 109 (01.02.1997) : 92 Trinkreife : 2006-2035 As I suspected, the 1989 and 1990 vintages of Lafite-Rothschild have gone dormant. Both wines were among the more closed, backward examples in my blind tasting. The 1990 is riper, richer, and more textured, but mouthsearing tannin and a closed personality make it hard to fully assess. The wine possesses excellent richness, a hint of the unmistakable Lafite perfume of minerals, cedar, lead pencil, and red fruits, medium to full body, moderate weight, admirable richness and overall balance, and a tough finish. Give it a decade of cellaring to shed some tannin and evolve; it may be a 40-50-year Lafite. As outstanding as I believe it will ultimately turn out to be, I do not think the 1990 Lafite will ever match the sheer class, quality, and complexity of the 1988, 1986, and 1982.
