Wine Advisor
Chateau Lafite Rothschild 2004
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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
This is very refined on the nose with blackberry, wild strawberry and a touch of graphite and road tar, with cedar notes becoming ever more prominent with aeration. Very good definition. The palate has definitely come alive since its showing at primeur. Medium-bodied with very pure black fruits, superb minerality and very fine tannins. It is not quite as complex as one might expect a Lafite, but it does exude minerality and verve. Pure and sleek on the finish with wonderful poise. Excellent. Drink 2012-2030. Tasted November 2008.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
A soft, slightly "fluffy" nose, Blackberry mixed with tar. Lacks the ebullience of Latour. The palate is full of rounded plum and blackberry fruit. Lacks the harmony and focus I was expecting. Lacks chutzpah. Definitely not what I was expected 30 minutes after tasting Latour. Tasted April 2005.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2004 Lafite-Rothschild appears to be another late-bloomer in the sense that this 12-year-old bottle is the best I have tasted, implying an upward swing in quality. It has a wondrous bouquet, very sensual and pure with blackberry, graphite and cedar - all the hallmarks of Pauillac, delivered with great panache. It is more opulent than I recall. The palate is medium-bodied with silky tannins, pitch-perfect acidity and a beautiful structure. There is a regal sense to this Lafite, understated compared to the other First Growths and yet the persistence on the finish deserves a round of applause, especially in the context of the vintage. This is superb and could possibly turn out to be the pick of the Firsts. Tasted September 2016.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
One of the better wines of the vintage, the elegantly-styled 2004 Lafite Rothschild reveals hints of lead pencil, crushed rocks, flowers, creme de cassis, and cranberries. Medium-bodied with considerable finesse, length, ripeness, and structure, this blend of 90.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, and a dollop of Petit Verdot requires 3-5 years of cellaring. It should be drunk over the following three decades.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Only 40% of the crop made it into the 2004 grand vin, which is the antithesis of the opulent, powerful, concentrated 2003. The linear, elegant 2004 is a classic Lafite, revealing cassis, raspberry, graphite, and new earth-like characteristics. With terrific concentration, medium body, fresh acidity, and a vibrant, stylish taste, this blend of 90.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, and 0.5% Petit Verdot should be at its finest between 2010-2030.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
This beautiful, stunningly dense purple-colored effort (includes about 90% Cabernet Sauvignon) offers up precise notes of graphite, black cherries, cassis, scorched earth, and minerals. Medium to full-bodied with fabulous fruit, impressive richness, refreshing acidity, and sweet tannin, this beauty should be approachable in 4-5 years, and last for three decades. As Lafite Rothschilds go, this is somewhat of a sleeper vintage. Also tasted: 2004 Carruades de Lafite (88)
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Medium ruby-red. Scented nose offers plum, mocha, licorice, graphite, flowers and tobacco. Suave, silky and fine-grained, with lovely inner-mouth aromatic character and energy. Perfumed flavors of redcurrant, minerals and cedar. Finishes very long and firm, with terrific grip for this mostly gentle vintage.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
(90.5% cabernet sauvignon, 9% merlot and 0.5% petit verdot) Bright ruby. Highly expressive aromas of cassis, violet, licorice, minerals and cedar. Intensely flavored and penetrating but not at all hard. A moderately dense vintage for Lafite but extremely suave and sharply delineated. Conveys an impression of urgent cabernet fruit. Firmly built, classy wine, finishing with sweet tannins and lovely floral persistence. A bit less inscrutable than usual for Lafite at this early stage. This will need eight years or so of bottle aging.
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