x
  • Country ranking ?

    536
  • Producer ranking ?

    23
  • Decanting time

    45min
  • When to drink

    now
  • Food Pairing

    None

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1865 Chateau Lafite Rothschild:

98 Points Robert Parker
“Except for the 1966 and 1870 vintages of Lafite-Rothschild, these wines were poured on virgin territory on my palate. The other great classics from the last century were remarkable wines, all with original corks, and in extraordinary condition. Their age was authenticated by Michael Broadbent, who is the only person in the world to have the good fortune to have tasted these wines on ...

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The Story

The Château Lafite estate run by the Rothschilds is, with its 100 hectares of cultivated land, the largest of the main Pauillac vineyards.

It is located in the highest part of the area and the view from its château, with its conical towers that appear on the label, takes in the banks of the River Gironde, which flows nearby. The wines are a blend of four different varieties of grape – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petite Verdot and Cabernet F...

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Vintage 1865

Bordeaux: An early harvest, starting on September 6th, with good wines that were high in tannins. Many took decades to come round but proved exceptionally long-lasting. The American Civil war finished on April 9 of this year.

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Average Bottle Price

2017 2016 2013 2011 2010 2005 2000
9 956€ -6.7% 10 670€ +21.4% 8 790€ -23.0% 11 421€ +34.9% 8 466€ -22.7% 10 954€ +46.7% 7 465€

This data comes from the FINE Auction Index, a composite of average prices for wines sold at commercial auctions in 20 countries. The average prices from each year have been collected since 1990. This chart plots the index value of the average price of the wines.

Tasting note

ending

Smooth and Extensive

nose

Mature, Opulent and Tempting

taste

Perfectly balanced, Multi-dimensional, Mature, Medium-bodied, Round, Focused and Vigor

Verdict

Sophisticated and Impressive

Written Notes

The 1865 Lafite Rothschild stole the thunder from the anticipated 1870. It had a fantastic nose that was so complex, possessing all the elements of the forest. The trees, the twigs, the earth, the animals, the dew, the moss, the rocks, the wet, the dry, the smells, even the sounds…all it needed was Bear Grylls to jump into the picture with a perfect scoop of butter pecan ice cream in one hand, because that was also definitely in the nose. There was a kiss of banana to its black and purple duopoly. It had an intense finish in an elegant way, bringing cedar, spice and Christmas joy flavors to those both naughty and nice (97).
  • 97p
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Information

Origin

Pauillac, Bordeaux

Vintage Quality

Outstanding

Value For Money

Unsatisfactory

Investment potential

Very Good

Fake factory

Serious

Glass time

30min

Inside Information

Wine Advocate #103
Feb 1996
Robert M. Parker, Jr. 98 Drink: N/A  
Except for the 1966 and 1870 vintages of Lafite-Rothschild, these wines were poured on virgin territory on my palate. The other great classics from the last century were remarkable wines, all with original corks, and in extraordinary condition. Their age was authenticated by Michael Broadbent, who is the only person in the world to have the good fortune to have tasted these wines on several occasions. The 1865 Lafite-Rothschild was other-worldly. The first word I wrote after smelling it was "wow!". The color is a medium garnet with considerable rust and orange at the edge. The wine possessed an extraordinary fragrance, great density, and fabulous intensity of chocolate, herb, and cedar-like flavors with a wonderful, sweet, inner-core of opulent fruit. The finish is long and velvety, with no hard edges. It is hard to imagine a 130-year old wine (made when American Civil War adversaries, Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant, were alive) tasting so extraordinary, but I was there - I saw it, I smelled it, I tasted it, and I drank it! Unreal! 

The notes for this wine are taken from the description of Series V - Flight A of the 1995 tasting conducted in Munich by Helga and Hardy Rodenstock. Many years after the tasting from which this note derives allegations were made concerning the authenticity of old and rare bottles of wine sold by Hardy Rodenstock to collectors around the world. The matter has been the subject of numerous articles, litigation and at least one book. Mr. Parker believes that the wines served to him at this tasting were authentic so this note and the others from that specific tasting continue to be posted on eRobertParker.com.
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