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Lafite-Rothschild 1989

Château Lafite-Rothschild, Bordeaux, France

Château Lafite-Rothschild
Bordeaux France
  • 96
    Points
  • The 927 best
    of 3 290 954
    wines globally
  • 14 Pros of
    16 recommend
    this wine
1049 96
  • Taste
  • Moment

  • Country ranking ?

    803

  • Producer ranking ?

    31

  • Decanting time

    2h

  • When to drink

    now to 2030

  • Food Pairing

    Lamb Stew with Spring Vegetables

The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.

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The Story

„Lafite hat eine Seele. Eine schöne, großzügige, freundliche Seele. Lafite verwandelt bloße Erde in einen Traum. Lafite ist Harmonie, die Harmonie zwischen Mensch und Natur. Ohne die Winzer auf Lafite gäbe es auch keinen Wein. Aber ohne den himmlischen Odem dieses einzigartigen Fleckens Erde könnten sie niemals etwas derart Herausragendes erschaffen.“

Baron Eric de Rothschild

Die Qualität des Château Lafite Rothschild bedarf keiner näheren Vorstellung. Schon 1815 verlieh ihm Guillaume Lawton höchste Ehren: „Er besitzt am meisten Eleganz und Delikatesse und hat den feinsten Körper der drei [premiers crus]“ – eine Klassifizierung, die 1855 bestätigt wird. Seine Weinberge zählen zu den schönsten Lagen im Médoc.“ Im Rahmen der Klassifizierung der Grand Crus von 1855, die anlässlich der Weltausstellung erschien, wurde das Château in der Tat in den Rang eines „Premier Grand Cru“ erhoben.

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Average Bottle Price

2023 2020 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2005
624€ +27.3% 490€ -3.9% 510€ -14.7% 598€ +2.9% 581€ -4.9% 611€ -30.0% 873€ +24.9% 699€ +292.7% 178€

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.

Latest Pro-tasting notes

14 tasting notes

Tasting note

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Written Notes

The 1989 Lafite-Rothschild, a wine that I have had several times both from bottle and magnum, is a better wine than the 1990, although I wonder whether its best days are now behind it. There is noticeably more bricking on the rim compared directly with the succeeding vintage. I also notice a touch of VA on this bottle with scents of molasses, cedar and a dab of the old boot polish. I find that the 1989 has more personality than the 1990 Lafite. The palate is supple and rounded in the mouth, a sense of warmth here although not complex and I would prefer more tension on the finish as it delivers allspice, mulberry and sage on the aftertaste. I wonder where this will go? At the moment it is difficult to see: heading down a cul-de-sac or Route 66? Tasted at the Lafite-Rothschild dinner at Amuse Bouche in Hong Kong and then blind at the Lafite-Rothschild 150th anniversary dinner at the property.

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  • 91p

I have never been a huge fan of this Lafite but it seems to be coming into its own now. It's a wine with a character of cloves and berries with hints plums. It shows loads of potpourri. Roses too. Full and so balanced. Tight and youthful. The winemaker at Lafite says that when he wants to show someone a perfect example of Pauillac this is the Lafite he pours. Maybe he is right?

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  • 97p

Magnum. 3 hours in decanter. Ruby. Floral, scented, red berries, cherries, cassis, elegant and refined, touch of cedar and tobacco behind, not the most up front but such layers. Highly seductive. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, elegant, detailed, layered, playful, nuanced, superb balance, layers of fruit and freshness to back it up in such a balanced and refined way, superb length, stunning. Filigree. 100

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  • 100p

On being poured there was real tension in the glass, I felt, between Lafite's delicate style and the big, ripe character of this vintage, warmed as it was by a particularly hot summer, the summer of the bicentenary of the French revolution. There was a slightly burnt note and quite a bit of tannin on the finish. But then it really mellowed in the glass and became super voluptuous. And fragrant. But edgier than the 1997. Unusually spicy for Lafite and wonderfully persistent. 18.5/20 Points (04/2011)

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  • 95p

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.

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  • 90p
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Information

Origin

Pauillac, Bordeaux

Vintage Quality

Excellent

Value For Money

Satisfactory

Investment potential

Average

Fake factory

There is a possibility

Glass time

1h
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