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19 Vintages of Lafite tasted in Belgium (at a great restaurant)

Wednesday, 16th December 2009 by Stephen Browett

With the extraordinary surge of interest in (and prices of) Chateau Lafite Rothschild it seemed appropriate to arrange a comprehensive tasting of recent vintages. Oliver East and I travelled to Belgium last week where a "bring a bottle" tasting was organised featuring all the important vintages from 2006 back to 1982 and three older years. The same group of people tasted a similar range of Haut Brion last year, Cheval Blanc two years ago and Latour three years ago.

If one is looking for some simple conclusions from this tasting, they would be as follows:-

  • Lafite made genuinely great wines in 2000, 2003 and 2005
  • Thanks to its "mere" 96 Parker points the 2005 vintage is under-priced in comparison with the 2000.
  • Lafite has been producing some really top quality wines since 1996.
  • The wines of the twin vintages 1989 and 1990 are good rather than great (well behind Haut Brion)
  • The 1986 is a classic and better than the 1982 (but probably not worth 100 points)
  • The 1982 continues to disappoint (in the context of its price). This is certainly a contender for the title of "World's Most Overpriced Wine".
  • That pre-1982, Lafite (as with so many Bordeaux Chateaux) was not making wines of the same quality as today.

19 vintages of Lafite line up to be tasted.

The problem that Lafite now faces is that the incredible recent demand from China has resulted in prices of many vintages doubling in the last two years. Consequently, we have the absurd situation that some vintages of Carruades Lafite - the second label - are now trading at higher prices than Haut Brion. That really is bonkers! Lafite itself is now establishing a market price of £4000 per case regardless of the year - even in off vintages. Strangely, a great vintage like 2006 sells for around the same price as a lesser year such as 1992 or 1997. Certainly it is now impossible to recommend years such as 1999, 2001, 2002 or 2004 when customers can buy Latour (for example) at over £1000 per case less. The end result of this is that nearly all Lafite on the market is now being re-sold to China with few in the West prepared to pay current market prices to drink the wine.

The wines were tasted in flights of three.

This was a great tasting that included some really fine wines but overall Lafite did not outscore the wonderful range of Haut Brions that we tasted last year, nor the great Latours that we tasted three years ago. My tasting notes are printed below.

Lafite Rothschild tasted December 2009 - double decanted and not served in this order.

2006 - Deep colour, black at the centre with a little light fade at the rim. A powerful nose that still smells like a raw cask sample. Very oaky on the palate with black fruit behind. At the moment the oak dominates. This does not have the voluptuousness or density of fruit of a truly great vintage but it is still undeveloped and very youthful. Certainly needs time to knit together. This could develop into a very good wine as long as the tannins soften and the fruit can overcome the strong oak character. 17.5

2005 - A deep colour but not completely black. A huge wafting nose. The palate is dense with thick black fruit and a really intense solid core. Licorice, cassis and spice and a silky texture. It's not a crime to drink this now as the fruit matches the tannins stride for stride. Of course, it will get better and better. This is a top class wine but not a heavyweight. Great purity and lovely polish. Really classy. 19

2004 - Medium colour with some fade. A fragrant smoky nose. The palate is not hugely concentrated and it's relatively forward. There is an attractive veneer of vanilla oak and a creamy texture. Already smooth, with fine tannins. This will be an early drinker and is good but not great. 16.5

2003 - A deep colour and a huge, soaring fruit-filled nose. This is really in your face and drop dead gorgeous. Sensationally stacked with ripe, dense black fruit. Velvet texture. Big and decadent. Hard not to be seduced by this opulent fruit bomb that is cloaked in sweet oak. As sexy as a Pauillac could ever be. 19.5

Young vintages of Lafite.

2002 -Medium colour. Quite solid on the nose. The palate is fairly firm with fruit that already shows maturity. Maybe slightly lacks flesh in the mid palate - this will never be an opulent wine. Maybe needs a couple more years to open out fully. A slightly dry edge to it at the moment. Decent but not top class. 16

2001 - A fairly deep colour. A solid, young Cabernet Sauvignon nose. On the palate this is chunky and deep with a good central core of fruit. Certainly more to it than the 2002. Not yet mature but it is well balanced with fine tannins, plenty of fruit and a nice touch of spicy oak. A big step up from the 1999 and just ahead of the 2002 and 2004.17

2000 - Still a deep colour. This is big, serious and powerful but exotic too. This wine offers a huge mouthful of dense black cassis fruit that rivals the 2003 for intesity but there is so much more structure. Impressive tannins that are still unresolved. A great wine that is still a baby. Classic, firm and not fully singing yet. Needs a few more years to open out fully. 18.5+

1999 - Showing quite a bit of maturity at the rim. Ripe red fruit on the nose. The palate is soft and mature. Very open-knit in style and at 10 years of age, this wine is at its peak and ready to go. In the context of First Growth Bordeaux it's relatively simple (and not worth the money) but it will give much easy-drinking pleasure to those who try it over the next few years. Thanks to the recent huge jump in price, that won't include me. 15.5+

1998 - A very impressive colour. Full and intense on the nose. Big and serious on the palate. This is a lot of power and depth here. Thick and rich with layers of strong blackcurrant fruit. Big, but ripe tannins complement the fruit. A long and lingering finish. This is way ahead of the 1999 in concentration and pretty close to the 1996. Must be the Medoc's wine of the vintage in 1998. Impressive. 18

1996 - A dense, black colour and looks younger than 13 years of age. A powerful solid nose. This is a big brute of a wine that is full of brooding, black cassis fruit and with a firm tannic structure. Strong, dense, robust and serious. Still youthful and not ready to drink. There must be a slight risk that this wine will always be a bit too firm and dry? However, there is probably enough density of fruit for everything to come together perfectly in a few years. Clearly a long distance runner, some way from the finishing line. Deeply impressive if not a typical example of Lafite. It could maybe use a little more charm. 17.5+

1995- Undoubtedly more developed than the 1996. An attractive, forward nose. On the palate it doesn't have great depth but is fairly solid with a slightly dry finish. This does not have the class of a great vintage but it's not an easy-drinker charmer either. A very good effort that slightly falls between two stools. Nearly classic but not quite. 16+

1990 - A mature colour with brown fade at the rim. This is velvetty smooth. Supple and seductive. Really lovely and perfect to drink now but, if being critical, it doesn't pack much of a punch. Gorgeous, ripe, round and easy with smooth edges. Not a profound wine but lovely. 17.5

1989 - Mature colour. A sweet nose with exotic fruit and Asian spices. The palate is soft and easy with some brown sugar sweetness. Creamy, smooth but not much here to challenge the intellect. A slightly papery finish puts this behind the 1990. A very nice Lafite that lacks a sense of greatness. 16.5+

1986 - Still a deep colour after 23 years. An intense cassis nose. The palate has great concentration with raisiny Cabernet Sauvignon fruit. Dark chocolate richness and power without vulgarity. This is a serious classically structured claret of great breed and class. Not the fatness of an opulent vintage but very fine indeed. Served next to the 1982 in the final flight and clearly superior. 18

1985 - Some significant browning at the rim here. A mature nose with a slightly herbal element. On the palate it is losing fruit and is a little short. A touch of green at the finish. This would have been better 5-10 years ago and it now lacks flesh. Not bad but hard to get excited about this Lafite. the last taste is the driest which suggest that its best days are now behind it. 15.5

1982 - Showing maturity now and open-knit on the nose. Easy-drinking and soft - closer to the 1990 stylistically than it is to the 1986. Medium weight with some soft sweetness but a slightly herbal edge. Nice enough but I think that Mouton and Latour would walk all over it. Attractive and a pleasure to drink but I'm glad that I'm not paying for it. Is this the world's most over-priced wine? 16.5

1976 - A very evolved colour with a watery rim. Sweet and spicy but lacks grip. Likeable but there is a definite lack of depth in the middle. A bit one-dimensional and simple. Nice enough but was much better in its early days. Just hanging on but needs drinking up quickly before it falls off the edge. 14.5

1975 - An evolved colour with a touch of orange. This is a bit on the lean side. Some fading fruit on the mid palate but it's drying out and lacks flesh. Short and too dry. A fairly typical example of this mean Medoc vintage. 14

1960 - A curiousity and far better than one might have expected. It looks like an old red Burgundy and tastes like one too with forest floor notes and the sweetness of old Pinot Noir. A bit mushroomy but not too dry. For a 50 year old off vintage this is quite an achievement. 15.5

Chef Peter Goosens of Hof van Cleve.

The tasting was held at Hof van Cleve which is widely regarded as the best restaurant in Belgium. I would go so far as to say that it is one of the very best restaurants in the world (and I've been to El Bulli, The Fat Duck and Can Roca recently). Despite its massive reputation, the restaurant is small and friendly. The staff looked after us wonderfully well. For us British it is very easy to get there. Take the Eurostar from Saint Pancras to Lille (1 hr 20 mins) and then it's 40 minutes in a taxi. The only problem is getting a reservation. Here, loosely translated from the Flemish, is what we ate. There was no need for breakfast the next morning....

Hare pate on toast with figs and cranberry

Crab with Japanese seaweed

Veal brains with tartare sauce

Marinated mackerel with beetroot and red pickle

Consomme of mussels with wasabi sorbet

Belgian grey shrimps with quails egg and butter milk

Namur snails in a veloute of Brie-colomiers with croutons and parsley

Scallops with cream of parsley root, salsify, comte and bacon

Celery soup with smoked eel

Sweetbreads, foie gras, spinach, lobster and artichoke cream

Risotto of trompettes d'amour wild mushrooms, belotta bacon, parmesan and a poached egg

Ravioli of veal cheeks with mozarella cheese, rocket and lemon zest.

Iberico pork - neck and bacon on toast with mushrooms and butternut squash cream. White truffle shavings.

Fillet of hare with brussel sprouts, fried shallots and a cream of jerusalem artichokes. Hare liver pate.

Wagyu Beef no 11 from Australia with chips and mayonnaise (only 2 restaurants in Belgium have no 11 Wagyu)

Sorbet of grapes with vervene pearls

Lemon and green apple mojito

Cream of lemon, lime and yoghurt with a lime sorbet and granite of lemon grass and white chocolate

Pear with arabica coffee bean, chocolate brownie, vanilla ice cream with tonka beans and poire williams sauce

Raspberry and beetroot, covered in frozen white chocolate and pistachio crunch

Hot chocolate madeleines

Petits Fours

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