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Lafite-Rothschild 1988

Château Lafite-Rothschild, Bordeaux, France

Château Lafite-Rothschild
Bordeaux France
  • 94
    Points
  • The 1 272 best
    of 3 290 954
    wines globally
  • 16 Pros of
    16 recommend
    this wine
1058 94
  • Taste
  • Moment

  • Country ranking ?

    1 107

  • Producer ranking ?

    52

  • Decanting time

    2h

  • When to drink

    now to 2025

  • Food Pairing

    Beef

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The Story

El Grand Vin de Château Lafite Rothschild no necesita presentación. Ya en 1815, Abraham Lawton lo había elevado a la cima de su clasificación: “Lo he calificado como aquel de mayor elegancia, delicadeza y fina esencia de los tres [premiers crus]” una calificación posteriormente confirmada en 1855. Para caracterizarlo más allá de las cosechas, presentamos las palabras de un aficionado inspirado: “…suceda lo que suceda, ¡todos los vinos de Châte...

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Tasting note

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Written Notes

I haven’t always been lucky with my Lafites. Despite very complimentary tasting notes, many vintages from the 1960s and 1970s showed disappointingly lean constitution in the bottles I opened. I waited a long time before finding what I had dreamed of as a young wine-lover: the heights of finesse and distinction that had placed it at the absolute summit of Pauillac and Bordeaux in the 19th century.

Even the 1982 and 1990 never matched the magic of 1988 for me, a type of in-between vintage that gives priority to the grapes and the terroir rather than the climate. With exemplary consistency (I bought a case of it en primeur, which is no longer possible at today’s prices), each bottle I opened was seductive, with an incomparable refinement of texture and cedar aromas of textbook perfection, as Pierre Casamayor, one of my tasting masters, would have said. This type of wine gives you the feeling of hovering above any oenological contingency, in a naturalness that combines unbounded flavour and rigorous construction. In short, everything we love about our great Cabernet Sauvignons. In recent vintages, these incomparable qualities that have been absent for so long will be found again, perhaps with even more substance. And we didn’t have to wait more than twenty years for it to blossom.

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Dark, brick red colour. Pronounced and evolved earthy nose with leather and volcanic spicy notes. Intense medium-bodied palate, vivid texture and supple tannins, savoury lingering mineral finish. Drinki now and decant for 1.5 hours. – JL 97p (May 2023) 

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  • 97p

Tasted blind, the 1988 Lafite-Rothschild surprises everyone by surpassing both the 1989 and 1990. It has that unmistakable classic nose of pencil lead and cedar, less primary fruit than that aforementioned pair, yet greater precision, more focus and more class. The palate is both clean and precise with exquisite balance, fine tannins, cedar and tobacco infusing the black fruit with pencil lead notes becoming more accentuated towards the finish. It has been a while since I last tasted the 1988 and to be honest, I cannot remember it being this good. But now, of the three vintages that tailend the decade I would choose the 1988 Lafite-Rothschild. Tasted at the Lafite-Rothschild 150th anniversary dinner at the property.

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  • 94p

Ruby. Anise, cherries, figs, dates, some spices, lightly scented nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark berries, anise, some spices, nuanced, detailed, long. 93

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  • 93p
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Information

Origin

Pauillac, Bordeaux
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