1989 Lafite-Rothschild Bordeaux Blend

Bordeaux Blend - 1.5L
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REVIEWS

DC 98 JS 97 NM 95 JL 93 WS 93
DC 98

Decanter, May 2018

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...
JS 97

jamessuckling.com, December 2013

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...
NM 95

Neal Martin's Wine Journal, March 2013

Tasted from magnum at Bordeaux Index, this is another confirmation that the 1989 is the Lafite to go for if choosing between 1988, 1989 and 1990. Here it has a typical Lafite nose with cedar, graphite and not so much...
JL 93

TheWineCellarInsider.com, August 2013

Still young, another decade will help the wine add to its cedar, spice box, spearmint, tobacco, cassis, earth, cigar ash and cherry nose. Medium bodied, tight and needed more air than a pop a pour, the wine is high toned...
WS 93

Wine Spectator, February 2010

Subtle, yet rich and decadent, offering meat, sweet berry and fresh leather on the nose. Full and very soft, with velvety tannins and a long, fruity finish. This has so much ripe fruit. Reserved and firm, this is turning...

WINE DETAILS

Color & Type Red
Varietal Bordeaux Blend
Country France
Region Bordeaux
Sub-region Pauillac
Vintage 1989
Size 1.5L

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.