Nose: perfumed nose that shows waves of cassis, black cherry, graphite, violets, cedar and herb. Beautifully layered and showing young. Palate: spherical wine in the mouth with supple elegant tannin and inner mouth perfume. Florals, cassis, tobacco and pencil meld beautifully and the wine has put on some flesh since my last bottle. Finish: lengthy and classic. A delight. Wow! This has moved quite a bit in the last 8 years, and I love the direction it has taken.

---

Show more

---

---

Show less

---

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.

---

Show more

---

---

Show less

---