The 1970 Lafite-Rothschild Bordeaux Blend is a well-regarded wine from the renowned Lafite-Rothschild producer in Pauillac, Bordeaux, France. This vintage stands out as one of the best from the 1970s, with a relatively high yield allowing for the possibility of still finding bottles today.
Jane Anson describes the wine as having a "gentle russet colour" with "softly spoken aromatics," featuring notes of campfire, brushed leather, wild strawberries, and a touch of soy and oyster shell salinity. She highlights its aged elegance, noting it as "moreish" and predicting it will remain balanced and harmonious for at least another decade. Anson also mentions the traditional winemaking techniques of the era, including a short maceration period and longer barrel aging than is common today.
Neal Martin of Vinous offers an excellent review, giving the wine a score of 94. He is pleasantly surprised by its performance, noting "lovely delineation and vitality on the nose" with hints of candied orange peel and graphite. Martin praises its sweet red fruit core, describing the wine as "a fine-boned First Growth with panache and verve." He positions it favorably against its peers, stating that it is "more tender than Latour, more complex than Mouton."
Wine Spectator provides a more tempered review, scoring the wine an 89. They note its "pale garnet" color and "cedary nose with vanilla nuances." While acknowledging the wine's elegance and stylish cassis and tea flavors, the review suggests it lacks the density and vigor of its counterparts, Mouton and Latour.
Overall, the 1970 Lafite-Rothschild showcases the finesse and complexity that can develop with age, earning high praise particularly from Vinous and Jane Anson, while maintaining a respected standing among Bordeaux enthusiasts.