Chateau Lafite Rothschild 1966

robert_parker96

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

My God, this is a wonderful mature Lafite. Served blind chez Rosemary George MW it has a definable Pauillac nose with subtle notes of cedar, sous-bois and a touch of dried blood. It has incredible harmony and purity – a bouquet that has you instantly captivated. The palate does not disappoint: a beguiling sense of natural harmony and delineation, not the weight of Latour nor the femininity of Margaux, but a Lafite aiming for understated sophistication. Delicate cedar and cigar box towards the finish that just goes on and on. This bottle vindicates my first encounter in Bordeaux, when it similarly bewitched its audience. Absolutely sublime. A point. Tasted April 2008.

robert_parker94

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

First tasted from a magnum in Bordeaux. A perfect example of traditional claret that places freshness and drinkability above a desire to impress. An almost Graves-like nose with cooked herbs, underbrush and cooked meats. Blossoms in the glass. The palate is fresh and vigorous, less tannic that Latour but very elegant and sophisticated. Moderate concentration, fully mature tannins and perfect acidity to give it that lift. A touch of leather, cedar and pencil-lead. Harmonious. It will not improve, but it is perfect drinking now. Superb. I scored (22/25) under the old system. A less impressive bottle at the Lafite vertical in November 2005. The first wine of the second flight to show real signs of maturity with its notable wide tawny rim. A slightly muffled, leathery, herbaceous nose, without the vigor of the 1978. The palate is well-balanced, medium-bodied, again lacking a little vigor and assertiveness. Good acidity but this seems to have lost some of its va-va voom.

robert_parker84

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Except for the 1966 and 1870 vintages of Lafite-Rothschild, these wines were poured on virgin territory on my palate. Isn't it ironic that the most disappointing wine (forgetting the spoiled 1875 Lafite-Rothschild, which had frightful levels of volatile acidity) was the youngest wine, the 1966 Lafite. With a light to medium ruby/garnet color, this wine exhibited a classy, weedy, herbal, Cabernet-dominated nose, soft, washed-out flavors, and little body and length. It is also beginning to dry out. I suppose if one were to taste a 30-year old Cabernet from Monterey County, California, it might reveal similar characteristics. The 1966 Lafite-Rothschild has consistently been a major disappointment from what is an irregular, but very good vintage. 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.