Wine Advisor
Chateau Lafite Rothschild 1971
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Description
Within the five rarefied first growths, Lafite is perhaps the wine with the best reputation for quality and longevity, commanding correspondingly high prices. It is considered by some to be the best wine to come out of Bordeaux. In 1815, Guillaume Lawton said of Château Lafite, “I consider it to be the the most elegant and delicate, with the finest substance of the three (Premier Crus). The location of its vines is one of the finest in the Médoc”. In 1855 the Château was ranked as a Premier Grand Cru in the famous classification that was prepared for the Universal Exhibition of that year. Lafite is also known as the ‘King’s wine’, after being introduced to the Court at Versailles by Maréchal Richelieu.
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Served at the property, it has been some ten years since I last tasted this off-vintage First Growth. At 42-years of age, is offers a simple bouquet of wild hedgerow, sous-bois and a musty, second-hand cigar box. The palate is medium-bodied with light grainy tannins and a pleasing soft texture. Strangely, it feels more aligned to a merlot-dominated wine rather than a Cabernet at the finish. This bottle of perfect provenance was sound, but I suspect that others will be in decline. Drink now. Tasted November 2012.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
A dry austere leafy nose. Palate has less body than Latour or Mouton but is not undrinkable. The fruits are drying out rapidly but there is still a certain breed and quality here. Past its best but warrants a little more than a paltry 60 points from Mr. Parker. Tasted March 2002.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A disappointment for Lafite, the 1971 has always tasted flat, is quite brown in color, with a stewed, slightly dirty, rusty, nondescript bouquet suggesting a poor elevage (the French term for bringing up the wine). Now close to its demise, this wine is of no value except to those who care only for labels. Last tasted, 11/82.
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