List Price:
$1,497.95
Scores:
WA 98 / WS 93 / IWC 94 (+?)
Type: Still
Country: France
Region: Bordeaux
District/Appelation: Pauillac
Designation: 1er Cru
Varietal(s): Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc
REVIEWS:
Wine Advocate / 98
''A blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot, this wine represents only 34% of Lafite's total harvest. In a less than perfect Medoc vintage, it has been spectacular since birth, putting on more weight and flesh over the last year. This opaque purple-colored 1998 is close to perfection. The spectacular nose of lead pencil, smoky, mineral, and black currant fruit soars majestically from the glass. The wine is elegant yet profoundly rich, revealing the essence of Lafite's character. The tannin is sweet, and the wine is spectacularly layered yet never heavy. The finish is sweet, super-rich, yet impeccably balanced and long (50+ seconds). Anticipated maturity: 2007-2035.'' - RP
Wine Spectator / 93
"Beautifully proportioned. Aromas of blackberry and spice, with a hint of toasted oak. Full-bodied, with well-integrated tannins and a long finish. Very well done. Best of the Médoc first-growths. Best after 2008. 21,665 cases made." –JS
International Wine Cellar / 94 (+?)
"Saturated bright ruby. Noble aromas of blackcurrant, cedar, lead pencil, licorice and nutty oak. Very intensely flavored and penetrating, with great class and grip. Impressively concentrated and juicy, but still rather imploded in the middle palate. This showed terrific subtle sweetness as it opened in the glass. Offers quintessential Lafite elegance as well as the strong backbone to support long aging. The finish features firm but ripe tannins and uncanny persistence of flavor. A candidate for the Medoc wine of the vintage."-Stephen Tanzer