Château Lafite Rothschild 1999 Bottle (75cl) VSD

Reviewed by

William Kelley

Published

2022-02-28

Drink Date

2009-2039

The 1999 Lafite Rothschild is entering adolescence and beginning to show very well after an hour in the decanter. Offering up aromas of rich dark fruit mingled with cigar box, loamy soil, spices and subtle animal top notes. Medium to full-bodied, muscular and concentrated for the vintage, with lively acids and still rather youthfully assertive tannins, it's a fine effort that would rate higher if it displayed greater aromatic purity.

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Reviewed by

Jancis Robinson

Published

2018-05-24

Drink Date

2017 - 2035

'A fine vintage for the end of the millennium, barely disturbed by a few drops of rain during harvest. The previous winter had been mild, as during most of the decade, followed by a beautiful spring and early flowering. In July and until mid August, wet days with sparse sunshine, but fortunately, from 15 August and until the rainy harvest, there was a heatwave. At the time, we were already talking about global warming because the average dates for flowering and harvest in the 1990s were about ten days ahead of those in the 1970s.' Unusually this often-overlooked vintage (in general for bordeaux) contained all four grape varieties planted at Lafite: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Eric Kohler told us that this is true of only four of the 24 vintages with which he has been involved. Mid crimson/garnet. Such perfume and Lafite aroma! No obvious sweetness but real lift and delicacy. Racy Lafite character on the palate; this dances. Real class with some velvety texture and a bone-dry finish. Very clean and pure. It reverberates on the end – thanks to the Indian summer, we were told. Apparently this was chosen for the 150th celebration tasting because it has really started to open out since 2016.

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