Lafite Rothschild 1989

Lafite Rothschild 1989

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Sale price 
£810.00
Regular price  £1,100.00
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  • Vinous rating 92
  • Robert Parker rating 90
  • Jancis Robinson rating 17
Lafite Rothschild 1989
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HED0442

75 cl

12.5%
Regular price  £1,100.00
Sale price 
£810.00 26% off
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A wine that has always been jockeying for position with the 1990 - both stellar examples from one of the world`s greatest wineries. The 1989 is considered by many to be the better of the two offering ripe berry fruit, tobacco, chocolate and cedar. Full bodied but with a long, silky finish.
92 Vinous
The 1989 Lafite-Rothschild has a well-defined bouquet, earthy in style, with cedar and wild strawberry at the start and later flanked by dried rose petals. Given that this is a First Growth, it does miss a bit of cohesion and horsepower. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiseled tannins and a keen thread of acidity, pliant and gentle, gaining weight towards the sour cherry and pencil lead infused finish. It's not a long-term Lafite-Rothschild, though this bottle is slightly better than previous encounters. Tasted at the 1989 Bordeaux dinner at 67 Pall Mall. — Neal Martin, 2nd July 2024
90 Robert Parker
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 1989 Lafite is also outstanding, but closed, with the tannin more elevated, and the wine so stubbornly reticent as to make evaluation almost impossible. Lafite's 1989 was far more easy to taste and understand several years ago. It appears to have gone completely to sleep. This medium ruby-colored, medium-bodied wine reveals new oak in the nose, and a spicy finish. It is a quintessentially elegant, restrained, understated style of Lafite. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2025. — Robert Parker, 28th February 1997
17 Jancis Robinson
Dry winter, dry spring, dry summer. Just a little rain in July. A severe drought, causing the remarkably early growth of vegetation. Hence for some, the harvest started as early as 31 August. That had not been seen since... 1893! The intense heat continued during the harvest and the grapes were picked in perfect condition, with a high degree of alcohol and well-ripened tannins, the fruit of the drought.This was served blind and I am ashamed of the way that both I and Jay McInerney (sitting opposite each other in the dining room of Ch Lafite) tasted with our eyes rather than our palates. We simply read in the the accompanying booklet that this was the earliest harvest since 1893 and decided before we even tasted the wine that it must be the 2003. A shocking example of mind over matter since the wine looked and tasted relatively mature (mind you, so do quite a lot of 2003s, and Eric next to me told me it was not a 1989). This was much richer and sweeter than the Lafites we had tasted in the chai. There was a slightly charred quality to it (was the fruit a bit raisined? or sunburnt? not according to the booklet). It was already well integrated on the nose but a bit unknit on the spicy palate with some notable acidity and a certain drying quality on the end. Rich and solid and a little atypical for Lafite. (JR) — Jancis Robinson, 24th May 2018

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Chateau Lafite Rothschild

Chateau Lafite Rothschild

An Iconic First Growth

A highly-coveted First Growth from Pauillac, the estate boasts a fascinating history that can be traced back as far as 1234. Spanning 110 hectares, Château Lafite Rothschild produces a legendary first wine, Lafite Rothschild, showcasing beautiful aromatics and an extraordinary capacity to age; a superb second wine, Carruades de Lafite, and Légende de Pauillac.

Located at the northerly boundary of Pauillac, adjacent to Saint-Estèphe, the Château vineyards are broadly split into two parcels - one which supplies the bulk of the grapes for the Grand Vin and a second parcel that is used to produce Carruades de Lafite. Vineyard plantings are around 70% Cabernet Sauvignon 25% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot.

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