1983 Lafite-Rothschild Bordeaux Blend

Bordeaux Blend - 750ML
Reg: $865.00
$795.00
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REVIEWS

JS 96 JL 94 VN 94 WA 93 WS 91
JS 96

jamessuckling.com, March 2012

This is Lafite. Prune and spices, with a cedar and wet tobacco character on the nose. Even tea. Full and rich with a dark China tea and cedar character. Just a hint of chocolate. Opens in the glass like a genie. Amazing.
JL 94

TheWineCellarInsider.com, February 2024

Charming, elegant soft, silky, and fresh, this was quite a nice surprise. The fruits are ripe, refined, sweet, and vibrant. Medium-bodied, with a true sense of class and regal character, this is all about its charming...
VN 94

Vinous, August 2023

The 1983 Lafite-Rothschild is one of my favorite vintages of the decade, and this bottle, served blind, replicates its showing at their 150th anniversary vertical. However, at first, it feels a little disjointed on the...
WA 93

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, January 1998

Finally, the 1983 Lafite is beginning to shed its tannin. The wine exhibits a deep ruby/garnet color with only a slight lightening at the edge. The intoxicatingly perfumed nose of lead pencil, pain grille, red and black...
WS 91

Wine Spectator, October 1994

Another excellent vintage for Lafite. Extremely fresh, with lovely blackberry and cassis character, a medium body and full tannins. Needs time. Try after 1996.--The Bordeaux 50. –JS

WINE DETAILS

Color & Type Red
Varietal Bordeaux Blend
Country France
Region Bordeaux
Sub-region Pauillac
Vintage 1983
Size 750ML
Percent alcohol 12.5%
Closure Cork

Chateau Lafite, the famous Pauillac property of the Left Bank of the Medoc, began to earn its reputation as a great winemaking estate in the 17th century. Acquiring a strong following in London in the early 18th century, Lafite found its way to the Versailles court, receiving acclaim as the “The King’s Wine”. The reputation did not diminish, achieving a pinnacle when it was ranked a First Growth in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification.

On August 8, 1868, Baron James de Rothschild purchased Chateau Lafite, although he died just three months later leaving Lafite to his three sons. The years that followed were considered a golden age for the estate, producing a rich legacy of remarkable vintages.

Fortunes turned at the end of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, which were turbulent years. The vines suffered both a phylloxeric crisis and mildew. Then there was organized fraud, World War I, followed by the Great Depression, and finally the occupation of France during World War II. After this difficult period, Baron Elie de Rothschild was entrusted with the recovery of the Lafite estate, leading programs to restore the vineyards and the buildings, as well as becoming an active participant in tasting events and the founding of a regional guild.

The recovery and renewal period at Chateau Lafite was continued by his nephew, Baron Eric de Rothschild, who made great strides forward in the management of the estate and in the replanting and restoration of the vineyards. He also extended the horizons of the Domaines through new acquisitions both in France and abroad.

This famous First Growth is often described as perfumed, elegant and delicate, and one of the finest wines in Bordeaux. According to Baron Eric de Rothschild, Chateau Lafite has a beautiful, generous, and kindly soul that turns bare earth into heaven. The blend for this grand vin varies from vintage to vintage, but is typically 80-95% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5-20% Merlot, with the balance from Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.