Wine Advisor
Chateau Lafite Rothschild 2007
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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
Tasted blind at the 2007 Bordeaux horizontal in Southwold. The Lafite-Rothschild 2007 pips the First Growths under blind conditions. Here it has a stern nose, good definition and more herbaceous than the others, but perhaps more clarity and dare I say, a sense of what you might call “honesty”. The palate is well balanced with fine tannins, good acidity, touches of cooked meat and Chinese 5-spice (the irony!), although I wish it had a little more complexity towards the finish that seems. But it is very elegant and refined with a dark chocolate-tinged finish. Classy. Tasted January 2011.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
A deep, black/purple colour. The nose is very smooth and seductive with potent ripe black fruits and carefully interwoven new oak that should see the aromatics blossom after bottling. Excellent delineation, touches of cherry liqueur, burnt toast and crushed violets developing in the glass. Much more feminine for Lafite at this primordial stage. The palate is medium- to full-bodied, harmonious with great focus and delineation. A seductive quality to this Lafite, a vintage that wants to seduce from birth, an exoticism that one rarely finds at this early stage. It does not quite have the weight and persistency of a great vintage Lafite, but it compensates with crispness and tension. Fine. Tasted April 2008.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A candidate for the wine of the vintage, the 2007 Lafite Rothschild (84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot) reveals classic Lafite aromas of graphite, unsmoked cigar tobacco, black currants, cherries, and a hint of truffles. The complex aromatics are followed by a round, medium to full-bodied wine with silky tannins, an overall subtle smoky component, and a rich, round, generous, plump finish. Already evolved and delicious, it should continue to drink well for two decades.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at BI Wine & Spirits' 10-Years-On tasting, the 2007 Lafite-Rothschild has an elegant cigar box bouquet, with dusky black fruit and a touch of antique bureau—just classic Lafite. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, cedar and tobacco infusing the black fruit, classic in style with a conservative yet focused finish that lingers in the mouth. This is certainly the most subtle First Growth, but one of the most refined too—a sophisticated but understated Lafite-Rothschild that will age with discrete style. Tasted February 2017.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Rated - No tasting note given.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2007 Lafite-Rothschild is a strong performer in what was a challenging growing season. At 11 years of age the 2007 is beginning to drink well with blackberry, briary, graphite and smoke on the nose, perhaps still that old touch of antique bureau. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannins and tobacco, well balanced yet typically understated on the finish. The 2007 is not the greatest Lafite-Rothschild for sure, but it should offer 15 to 20 years of drinking pleasure. Tasted blind at dinner in Bordeaux.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
(84% cabernet sauvignon, 15% merlot and 1% petit verdot) Good bright ruby. Cassis, minerals, licorice and mint lifted by spices on the nose. Moderately dense and fruit-driven, with lovely mouthcoating breadth to the dark berry, spice and fresh herb flavors; remains just this side of peppery. Best today on the subtle but very persistent finish, which features very fine-grained tannins, a restrained sweetness and a captivating vibrancy. Among the most suave and refined examples of the vintage.
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