Wine Advisor
Chateau Lafite Rothschild 1987
View analysis
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: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Although light, the 1987 is an immensely charming wine. The lead-pencil, vanillin-scented, leafy, cedary bouquet has emerged in this fully mature wine. Light-bodied, displaying a soft, supple texture, crisp acidity, and an absence of tannin, the 1987 Lafite should be drunk over the next 3-7 years. Last tasted, 2/93.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
A soft charcoal-scented nose followed a classy palate that is approaching the end of life. Blackberry and coffee-tinged on palate but a short finish. Very brusque, lacking the charm of Mouton-Rothschild 1987. Drink up. Tasted September 1998.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
I would not be surprised to see this wine fill out with several additional years in the bottle, largely because Lafite is a notoriously bad performer in the first few years after bottling. Out of cask, the 1987 was the most complex wine I tasted from this vintage, but now, the nose seems only a fraction of what it was from cask. The lead-pencil, vanillin-scented, leafy, cedary bouquet is just beginning to emerge. In the mouth, the wine is light, displaying a soft, supple texture, some acidity, but little tannin. It will probably improve, and may ultimately merit a higher score. Anticipated maturity: Now-1999. Last tasted, 10/90.
1903(1)1907(1)1911(1)1913(1)1945(1)1947(1)1948(1)1949(1)1950(1)1953(1)1954(1)1959(1)1960(1)1961(2)1962(1)1963(1)1964(2)1965(1)1966(1)1967(1)1969(2)1970(4)1971(1)1972(1)1973(2)1974(1)1975(5)1977(1)1978(5)1979(4)1980(2)1981(3)1982(9)1983(8)1984(1)1985(8)1986(15)
Package Size
