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| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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Bordeaux | 2 | 86-88 (WA) |
Inc. TAX
€1,329.73 |
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Wine Advocate (86-88)The 1957, while not great, is nevertheless surprisingly good (twice I have rated it in the 86-88 range). |
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Bordeaux | 2 | 70 (WA) |
Inc. TAX
€1,329.73 |
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Wine Advocate (70)(Magnum) |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 80 (WA) |
Inc. TAX
€1,131.73 |
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Wine Advocate (80)Given the overblown praise for the 1961, 1966, and 1970 Lafites, it seems as though the 1964, a wine obviously made after the rains, is a wine that has taken more criticism than it deserves. Not that it is sublime or profound, but it has consistently shown a chunky, fruity character, and a whiff of some of Lafite's fabulous bouquet. Anticipated maturity: Now. Last tasted, 7/82. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 72 (WA) |
Inc. TAX
€928.93 |
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Wine Advocate (72)This is a vintage in which Lafite could certainly have done better. Light ruby with browning very much in evidence, this wine in the mid-1970s had a fragrant, spicy, charming bouquet, easygoing, simple fruity flavors, and light tannins. Now it is quite tired with old, faded, fruit flavors. Drink up! Anticipated maturity: Now-probably in serious decline. Last tasted, 12/80. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | - |
Inc. TAX
€1,028.03 |
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Bordeaux | 11 | 93 (VT) |
Inc. TAX
€964.93 |
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Vintage Tastings (93)The Lafite had a bit of volatile acidity to it, but some nice pencil, cedar and roasted fruit behind it. It was tender and slightly rich in the mouth, with a leathery finish. |
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Bordeaux | 5 | - |
Inc. TAX
€1,131.73 |
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Bordeaux | 1 | - |
Inc. TAX
€895.33 |
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Bordeaux | 10 | - |
Inc. TAX
€1,049.69 |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 98 (WA) |
Inc. TAX
€4,425.73 |
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Wine Advocate (98)The 1982 Lafite Rothschild is at the peak of its powers today, and the two bottles I drank this year were both exceptional. Wafting from the glass with aromas of sweet red berries and blackcurrants mingled with notions of cedar chest, cigar box, camphor and dried flowers, it's medium to full-bodied, supple and seamless, with an effortlessly elegant, harmonious profile and a long, fragrant finish. While this is far from being the most powerful Médoc of the vintage, it is among the most pleasurable. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 96 (JS) |
Inc. TAX
€930.13 |
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James Suckling (96)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. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 86 (WA) |
Inc. TAX
€1,003.33 |
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Wine Advocate (86)Lafite's light-bodied 1991 possesses moderate ruby color, a solid innercore of fruit, as well as potentially excessive tannin for its size and constitution. The wine exhibits Lafite's subtle personality with a leafy, tobacco, lead pencil nose intertwined with sweet aromas of cassis. Dry, austere, and lacking length, it should turn out to be a good representation of Lafite-Rothschild in this so-so year. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 93 (WS) |
Inc. TAX
€988.93 |
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Wine Spectator (93)A luscious Lafite that is silky and elegant with layers of wonderful violet, berry, cherry and chocolate flavors. It's full-bodied, with racy, refined tannins and good length. Drinkable now, but best from 1999 and through another decade. 18,750 cases made. - |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 98 (JS) |
Inc. TAX
€1,046.53 |
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James Suckling (98)I pulled this lone bottle out of my cellar at the last minute to remind some Italian vintners of the great quality of the 1995 Bordeaux vintage. They seem to be finally opening up! What a red with incredible depth and finesse. Cedar, cigar box and toabaaco character with currants and fresh tobacco undertones. It's full-bodied yet tight and dense. Precision. So refined and intense. Such freshness and beauty. Drink or hold. |
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Bordeaux | 2 | 100 (JA) |
Inc. TAX
€1,185.73 |
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Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (100)Tasted first at the château in July, then again at a Berry Bros supper in late November, and both time it effortlessly showcased why Lafite is one of the most sought-after estates in the world. Takes its time to open, even at 25 years old, but a bit of patience and you are rewarded with rosebud, tuffle, ash, pencil lead and crushed mint, all gently playing around the cassis, bilberry and blackberry fruits. There is huge concentration here, but everything is in balance, and you rejoice in the tertiary notes that give gentleness and juice to the overall feel. Charles Chevallier estate director at the time, Jacques Boissenot consultant. Harvest began September 24, 58hl/h yield. The first Lafite to be put in an anti-fraud engraved bottle. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 96 (VN (NM)) |
Inc. TAX
€985.33 |
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Vinous - Neal Martin (96)The 1998 Lafite-Rothschild is served from double magnum directly from the château reserves, in fact with the man who made it sitting opposite me – Charles Chevalier. I must admit to being quite amazed how well this shows at 20-years of age, trouncing all the other First Growths except Haut-Brion. Lucid in colour, it has a vivid bouquet of pure blackberry, blueberry, vanilla and graphite, perhaps just a little uncharacteristically showy in style, but beautifully defined and intense. The palate is perfectly balanced with layers of ripe black fruit, perfectly pitched acidity and a silky smooth texture that renders this utterly seductive. It is almost too good for me to recommend cellaring longer. Whatever...it is a sublime Lafite-Rothschild that on this showing, may well challenge the supremacy of the 1996. Tasted at the Académie du Vin dinner in Bordeaux. |
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Bordeaux | 3 | 100 (JS) |
Inc. TAX
€1,629.73 |
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James Suckling (100)The nose is fresh, bright, and dense. With aromas of violets, minerals, spices, cool stones, mint, dark fruits, and plum skins, this is beautiful. Very much still a baby right now, it needs much more time. This is a wine for the next generation. Finesse and elegance, truly a wine that makes you contemplate life. This is not about power, there is really nothing like it. 93% Cabernet Sauvignon. Do not even think about touching this for another ten years, 2020. 15+25+25+35. Find the wine |
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Bordeaux | 4 | 95-100 (WS) |
Inc. TAX
€973.33 |
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Wine Spectator (95-100)Crushed berries and intensity to this, with grapey, toasted oak and cedar notes. Big and concentrated, with chewy and firm tannins. Very long. Very tight, though, and just beginning to show its true nature. Score range: 95-100 |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (WA) |
Inc. TAX
€1,227.73 |
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Wine Advocate (100)The 2003 Lafite Rothschild comes as close to perfection as any of the great Lafites made over the past three decades (1982, 1986, 1996, 2000, 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2010). This sensational effort came in at 12.7% natural alcohol, it is made in the style of one of this estate’s great classics, the 1959. Composed of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it exhibits a dense ruby/purple color to the rim along with a luxurious bouquet of cedarwood, lead pencil shaving, white chocolate, cocoa and cassis. Fat, rich, opulent and full-bodied with low acidity and stunning seductiveness and complexity, this noble wine possesses a bountiful, generous, heady style. It is just coming into its plateau of maturity where it should hold for 20-25 years. This is one of the candidates for the wine of the vintage – make no mistake about that. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 96 (WE) |
Inc. TAX
€937.33 |
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Wine Enthusiast (96)As so often with Lafite, it is power that marks this wine. That, and density of texture. The additional element in this vintage, and at this stage of the wine's development, is a dominant wood element. The vanilla and tannins from the wood match well with the concentrated tannins of the fruit, which is dark, dense and tight. This is a wine for long-term aging: in 15 years this will have superb richness. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (WI) |
Inc. TAX
€1,557.73 |
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The Wine Independent (100)The 2018 Lafite Rothschild is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a little swirling to unlock notes of baked plums, boysenberry preserves, and crème de cassis, with touches of menthol, Indian spices and smoked meats. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers mouth-filling, spicy black fruits with velvety tannins and a long, energetic finish. |
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Bordeaux | 22 | 100 (WA) |
Inc. TAX
€922.93 |
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Wine Advocate (100)One of the greatest wines produced in Bordeaux this year is the 2019 Lafite Rothschild, an impeccably balanced classic of immense charm and grace. Wafting from the glass with arresting aromas of cassis, blackberries and cherries mingled with violets, cigar box and warm spices, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and seamless, its velvety attack segueing into a layered, concentrated mid-palate framed by exquisitely powdery tannins and ripe acids, and concluding with a long, perfumed finish. This rivals the 2010 and 2016 as the greatest Lafite of the decade, and of those three vintages, it's clearly the most sensual and demonstrative out of the gates. The blend contains fully 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and attained a modest 13.4% alcohol. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | - |
Inc. TAX
€1,203.29 |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 93 (VN (NM)) |
Inc. TAX
€1,078.93 |
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Vinous - Neal Martin (93)The 1999 Lafleur flies under the radar between the feted 1998 and 2000 vintages. However, it should not be under-estimated. It has a lucid deep color. The bouquet is not dissimilar to the previous bottle tasted in 2012, blessed with pure blackberry and briary scents, hints of gravel that render it not a million miles away from a Left Bank. The palate is very well balanced and seems silkier than ever. Whilst it does not possess the mineral core of the 1998, it has a disarmingly pure and graceful finish. Whilst not a Lafleur of immense length or grandeur it is approachable and beautifully crafted. Tasted at the “International Wine & Business” Lafleur dinner at Ten Trinity, London. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 95-100 (WS) |
Inc. TAX
€937.33 |
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Wine Spectator (95-100)Starts off slow, then cascades like a waterfall. Full and superlong, this is structured and racy. Tight and in reserve. A classic beauty for the vintage. Score range: 95-100 |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 96 (VN (NM)) |
Inc. TAX
€1,168.93 |
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Vinous - Neal Martin (96)The 2008 Lafleur is a wine that I have tasted several times. It mirrored my previous encounters. There is still impressive fruit concentration on the nose, equally distributed between red and black, a hint of clove and just a touch of Italian delicatessen emanating from the Cabernet Franc. The palate has just melted a little since its obdurate infancy, although it is still quite linear and strict. You might argue that the 2008 Lafleur is a little charmless at the moment, but bottle age will sculpt and abrade this Pomerol into a very fine, if slightly aloof wine. (This was not shown at BI Wine & Spirit’s horizontal but a bottle was opened at a private dinner when I was in Bordeaux a few days earlier.) |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (WI) |
Inc. TAX
€1,557.73 |
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The Wine Independent (100)Lafleur 2016 is 45% Merlot and 55% Cabernet Franc giving a deep garnet color, with a touch of purple. It storms out of the glass with profound scents of plum preserves, dark chocolate, black cherry compote, and cast iron pan, leading to fragrant hints of mossy tree bark and lilacs. Full-bodied, the palate is so multi-layered and intense it is mind-blowing, delivering densely packed layers of black fruits, exotic spices and earthy elements, framed by super-firm, grained tannins and perfectly knit freshness, finishing with epic length and depth. WOW what a wine! |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (VN (AG)) |
Inc. TAX
€1,252.49 |
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Vinous - Antonio Galloni (100)I tasted many superb 2017s, but only a few that are viscerally thrilling and emotional. The 2017 Lafleur is one of a handful of wines that ascends into the stratosphere. Rich and exotically beautiful, the 2017 possesses off-the-charts intensity, tremendous aromatic depth and an impossibly long finish. A rush of dark plum, licorice, leather and mocha leaves the last impression in a wine I can only describe as: eternal. The 2017 spent about nine months in oak, 30% new. It is a towering achievement from the Guinaudeau family and their trusted associate, Omri Ram. If you can find it, buy it. And please invite me over sometime to share it with you! |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (JD) |
Inc. TAX
€1,480.49 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (100)The Grand Vin 2018 Château Lafleur from this magical terroir checks in as 54% Cabernet Franc and 46% Merlot that comes only from the more gravelly soils of the vineyard and spent 15 months in 25% new French oak. It's as good as any wine can get and has a layered, multi-dimensional style that marries power with elegance as only this estate can do. Offering notes of black raspberries, tobacco, truffly earth, spring flowers, and chocolate, it's full-bodied and concentrated on the palate, but nevertheless is as weightless as they come, offering this "je ne sais quoi" character that's hard to describe. It's more backward and reserved than the Pensées and is going to take a decade of bottle age to hit maturity, but it's a desert Island wine if there ever was one. |
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Bordeaux | 2 | 100 (JD) |
Inc. TAX
€2,602.49 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (100)If tasting the 2019 Château Lafleur doesn't just blow you away, I'm not sure what will. A perfect wine, if such a thing exists, it offers such a complex, singular profile in its black raspberries, kirsch liqueur, licorice, exotic flowers, white truffles, and sandalwood. On the palate, it has serious structure, yet the tannins build with time in the glass, and the mid-palate density and balance are so flawlessly integrated, you have to actually hunt for the structure. Pure, sensationally rich, and at the same time elegant, with awesome depth of fruit, this is what wine dreams are made of. It might be the finest young wine to ever pass my lips. It needs a solid decade of bottle age, 15 years would be even better (it will still blow your mind any time over the coming decade), and it will evolve gracefully over the following 30-40 years. |
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| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Bordeaux | 2 | 86-88 (WA) |
In Bond
€1,105.00 |
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Wine Advocate (86-88)The 1957, while not great, is nevertheless surprisingly good (twice I have rated it in the 86-88 range). |
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Bordeaux | 2 | 70 (WA) |
In Bond
€1,105.00 |
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Wine Advocate (70)(Magnum) |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 80 (WA) |
In Bond
€940.00 |
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Wine Advocate (80)Given the overblown praise for the 1961, 1966, and 1970 Lafites, it seems as though the 1964, a wine obviously made after the rains, is a wine that has taken more criticism than it deserves. Not that it is sublime or profound, but it has consistently shown a chunky, fruity character, and a whiff of some of Lafite's fabulous bouquet. Anticipated maturity: Now. Last tasted, 7/82. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 72 (WA) |
In Bond
€771.00 |
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Wine Advocate (72)This is a vintage in which Lafite could certainly have done better. Light ruby with browning very much in evidence, this wine in the mid-1970s had a fragrant, spicy, charming bouquet, easygoing, simple fruity flavors, and light tannins. Now it is quite tired with old, faded, fruit flavors. Drink up! Anticipated maturity: Now-probably in serious decline. Last tasted, 12/80. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | - |
In Bond
€853.00 |
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Bordeaux | 11 | 93 (VT) |
In Bond
€801.00 |
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Vintage Tastings (93)The Lafite had a bit of volatile acidity to it, but some nice pencil, cedar and roasted fruit behind it. It was tender and slightly rich in the mouth, with a leathery finish. |
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Bordeaux | 5 | - |
In Bond
€940.00 |
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Bordeaux | 1 | - |
In Bond
€743.00 |
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Bordeaux | 10 | - |
In Bond
€871.00 |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 98 (WA) |
In Bond
€3,685.00 |
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Wine Advocate (98)The 1982 Lafite Rothschild is at the peak of its powers today, and the two bottles I drank this year were both exceptional. Wafting from the glass with aromas of sweet red berries and blackcurrants mingled with notions of cedar chest, cigar box, camphor and dried flowers, it's medium to full-bodied, supple and seamless, with an effortlessly elegant, harmonious profile and a long, fragrant finish. While this is far from being the most powerful Médoc of the vintage, it is among the most pleasurable. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 96 (JS) |
In Bond
€772.00 |
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James Suckling (96)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. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 86 (WA) |
In Bond
€833.00 |
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Wine Advocate (86)Lafite's light-bodied 1991 possesses moderate ruby color, a solid innercore of fruit, as well as potentially excessive tannin for its size and constitution. The wine exhibits Lafite's subtle personality with a leafy, tobacco, lead pencil nose intertwined with sweet aromas of cassis. Dry, austere, and lacking length, it should turn out to be a good representation of Lafite-Rothschild in this so-so year. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 93 (WS) |
In Bond
€821.00 |
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Wine Spectator (93)A luscious Lafite that is silky and elegant with layers of wonderful violet, berry, cherry and chocolate flavors. It's full-bodied, with racy, refined tannins and good length. Drinkable now, but best from 1999 and through another decade. 18,750 cases made. - |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 98 (JS) |
In Bond
€869.00 |
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James Suckling (98)I pulled this lone bottle out of my cellar at the last minute to remind some Italian vintners of the great quality of the 1995 Bordeaux vintage. They seem to be finally opening up! What a red with incredible depth and finesse. Cedar, cigar box and toabaaco character with currants and fresh tobacco undertones. It's full-bodied yet tight and dense. Precision. So refined and intense. Such freshness and beauty. Drink or hold. |
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Bordeaux | 2 | 100 (JA) |
In Bond
€985.00 |
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Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (100)Tasted first at the château in July, then again at a Berry Bros supper in late November, and both time it effortlessly showcased why Lafite is one of the most sought-after estates in the world. Takes its time to open, even at 25 years old, but a bit of patience and you are rewarded with rosebud, tuffle, ash, pencil lead and crushed mint, all gently playing around the cassis, bilberry and blackberry fruits. There is huge concentration here, but everything is in balance, and you rejoice in the tertiary notes that give gentleness and juice to the overall feel. Charles Chevallier estate director at the time, Jacques Boissenot consultant. Harvest began September 24, 58hl/h yield. The first Lafite to be put in an anti-fraud engraved bottle. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 96 (VN (NM)) |
In Bond
€818.00 |
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Vinous - Neal Martin (96)The 1998 Lafite-Rothschild is served from double magnum directly from the château reserves, in fact with the man who made it sitting opposite me – Charles Chevalier. I must admit to being quite amazed how well this shows at 20-years of age, trouncing all the other First Growths except Haut-Brion. Lucid in colour, it has a vivid bouquet of pure blackberry, blueberry, vanilla and graphite, perhaps just a little uncharacteristically showy in style, but beautifully defined and intense. The palate is perfectly balanced with layers of ripe black fruit, perfectly pitched acidity and a silky smooth texture that renders this utterly seductive. It is almost too good for me to recommend cellaring longer. Whatever...it is a sublime Lafite-Rothschild that on this showing, may well challenge the supremacy of the 1996. Tasted at the Académie du Vin dinner in Bordeaux. |
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Bordeaux | 3 | 100 (JS) |
In Bond
€1,355.00 |
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James Suckling (100)The nose is fresh, bright, and dense. With aromas of violets, minerals, spices, cool stones, mint, dark fruits, and plum skins, this is beautiful. Very much still a baby right now, it needs much more time. This is a wine for the next generation. Finesse and elegance, truly a wine that makes you contemplate life. This is not about power, there is really nothing like it. 93% Cabernet Sauvignon. Do not even think about touching this for another ten years, 2020. 15+25+25+35. Find the wine |
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Bordeaux | 4 | 95-100 (WS) |
In Bond
€808.00 |
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Wine Spectator (95-100)Crushed berries and intensity to this, with grapey, toasted oak and cedar notes. Big and concentrated, with chewy and firm tannins. Very long. Very tight, though, and just beginning to show its true nature. Score range: 95-100 |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (WA) |
In Bond
€1,020.00 |
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Wine Advocate (100)The 2003 Lafite Rothschild comes as close to perfection as any of the great Lafites made over the past three decades (1982, 1986, 1996, 2000, 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2010). This sensational effort came in at 12.7% natural alcohol, it is made in the style of one of this estate’s great classics, the 1959. Composed of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it exhibits a dense ruby/purple color to the rim along with a luxurious bouquet of cedarwood, lead pencil shaving, white chocolate, cocoa and cassis. Fat, rich, opulent and full-bodied with low acidity and stunning seductiveness and complexity, this noble wine possesses a bountiful, generous, heady style. It is just coming into its plateau of maturity where it should hold for 20-25 years. This is one of the candidates for the wine of the vintage – make no mistake about that. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 96 (WE) |
In Bond
€778.00 |
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Wine Enthusiast (96)As so often with Lafite, it is power that marks this wine. That, and density of texture. The additional element in this vintage, and at this stage of the wine's development, is a dominant wood element. The vanilla and tannins from the wood match well with the concentrated tannins of the fruit, which is dark, dense and tight. This is a wine for long-term aging: in 15 years this will have superb richness. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (WI) |
In Bond
€1,295.00 |
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The Wine Independent (100)The 2018 Lafite Rothschild is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a little swirling to unlock notes of baked plums, boysenberry preserves, and crème de cassis, with touches of menthol, Indian spices and smoked meats. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers mouth-filling, spicy black fruits with velvety tannins and a long, energetic finish. |
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Bordeaux | 22 | 100 (WA) |
In Bond
€766.00 |
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Wine Advocate (100)One of the greatest wines produced in Bordeaux this year is the 2019 Lafite Rothschild, an impeccably balanced classic of immense charm and grace. Wafting from the glass with arresting aromas of cassis, blackberries and cherries mingled with violets, cigar box and warm spices, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and seamless, its velvety attack segueing into a layered, concentrated mid-palate framed by exquisitely powdery tannins and ripe acids, and concluding with a long, perfumed finish. This rivals the 2010 and 2016 as the greatest Lafite of the decade, and of those three vintages, it's clearly the most sensual and demonstrative out of the gates. The blend contains fully 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and attained a modest 13.4% alcohol. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | - |
In Bond
€999.00 |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 93 (VN (NM)) |
In Bond
€896.00 |
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Vinous - Neal Martin (93)The 1999 Lafleur flies under the radar between the feted 1998 and 2000 vintages. However, it should not be under-estimated. It has a lucid deep color. The bouquet is not dissimilar to the previous bottle tasted in 2012, blessed with pure blackberry and briary scents, hints of gravel that render it not a million miles away from a Left Bank. The palate is very well balanced and seems silkier than ever. Whilst it does not possess the mineral core of the 1998, it has a disarmingly pure and graceful finish. Whilst not a Lafleur of immense length or grandeur it is approachable and beautifully crafted. Tasted at the “International Wine & Business” Lafleur dinner at Ten Trinity, London. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 95-100 (WS) |
In Bond
€778.00 |
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Wine Spectator (95-100)Starts off slow, then cascades like a waterfall. Full and superlong, this is structured and racy. Tight and in reserve. A classic beauty for the vintage. Score range: 95-100 |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 96 (VN (NM)) |
In Bond
€971.00 |
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Vinous - Neal Martin (96)The 2008 Lafleur is a wine that I have tasted several times. It mirrored my previous encounters. There is still impressive fruit concentration on the nose, equally distributed between red and black, a hint of clove and just a touch of Italian delicatessen emanating from the Cabernet Franc. The palate has just melted a little since its obdurate infancy, although it is still quite linear and strict. You might argue that the 2008 Lafleur is a little charmless at the moment, but bottle age will sculpt and abrade this Pomerol into a very fine, if slightly aloof wine. (This was not shown at BI Wine & Spirit’s horizontal but a bottle was opened at a private dinner when I was in Bordeaux a few days earlier.) |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (WI) |
In Bond
€1,295.00 |
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The Wine Independent (100)Lafleur 2016 is 45% Merlot and 55% Cabernet Franc giving a deep garnet color, with a touch of purple. It storms out of the glass with profound scents of plum preserves, dark chocolate, black cherry compote, and cast iron pan, leading to fragrant hints of mossy tree bark and lilacs. Full-bodied, the palate is so multi-layered and intense it is mind-blowing, delivering densely packed layers of black fruits, exotic spices and earthy elements, framed by super-firm, grained tannins and perfectly knit freshness, finishing with epic length and depth. WOW what a wine! |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (VN (AG)) |
In Bond
€1,040.00 |
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Vinous - Antonio Galloni (100)I tasted many superb 2017s, but only a few that are viscerally thrilling and emotional. The 2017 Lafleur is one of a handful of wines that ascends into the stratosphere. Rich and exotically beautiful, the 2017 possesses off-the-charts intensity, tremendous aromatic depth and an impossibly long finish. A rush of dark plum, licorice, leather and mocha leaves the last impression in a wine I can only describe as: eternal. The 2017 spent about nine months in oak, 30% new. It is a towering achievement from the Guinaudeau family and their trusted associate, Omri Ram. If you can find it, buy it. And please invite me over sometime to share it with you! |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (JD) |
In Bond
€1,230.00 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (100)The Grand Vin 2018 Château Lafleur from this magical terroir checks in as 54% Cabernet Franc and 46% Merlot that comes only from the more gravelly soils of the vineyard and spent 15 months in 25% new French oak. It's as good as any wine can get and has a layered, multi-dimensional style that marries power with elegance as only this estate can do. Offering notes of black raspberries, tobacco, truffly earth, spring flowers, and chocolate, it's full-bodied and concentrated on the palate, but nevertheless is as weightless as they come, offering this "je ne sais quoi" character that's hard to describe. It's more backward and reserved than the Pensées and is going to take a decade of bottle age to hit maturity, but it's a desert Island wine if there ever was one. |
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Bordeaux | 2 | 100 (JD) |
In Bond
€2,165.00 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (100)If tasting the 2019 Château Lafleur doesn't just blow you away, I'm not sure what will. A perfect wine, if such a thing exists, it offers such a complex, singular profile in its black raspberries, kirsch liqueur, licorice, exotic flowers, white truffles, and sandalwood. On the palate, it has serious structure, yet the tannins build with time in the glass, and the mid-palate density and balance are so flawlessly integrated, you have to actually hunt for the structure. Pure, sensationally rich, and at the same time elegant, with awesome depth of fruit, this is what wine dreams are made of. It might be the finest young wine to ever pass my lips. It needs a solid decade of bottle age, 15 years would be even better (it will still blow your mind any time over the coming decade), and it will evolve gracefully over the following 30-40 years. |
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Bordeaux's relatively diverse weather, particularly its rainfall, means that vintage variation can be quite broad between some years. However advances in wine making techniques, technology and investment has meant that many chateaux are still able to create very good wines in "lesser vintages". From the best vintages wines are made that are clambered for all over the world and mature excellently for many years.
This is a selection of some of our favourite vintages from Bordeaux over the last few decades, as well some more recent ones.
