1988 Château Lafite Rothschild Pauillac Bordeaux France Wine Tasting Note

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1988 Château Lafite Rothschild  (Pauillac) 94 Proving leopards can change their spots to some extent, while still on the firm side, some of its previous austere character has abated. Now, you find a charming, though firm, strict, medium-bodied, crisp, chewy wine with an herbal edge. Classic in nature, but in a good way. Drink from 2024-2048. Proving leopards can change their spots to some extent, while still on the firm side, some of its previous austere character has abated. Now, you find a charming, though firm, strict, medium-bodied, crisp, chewy wine with an herbal edge. Classic in nature, but in a good way. Drink from 2024-2048. 1,184 Views   Tasted Feb 4, 2024  • Buy This Wine For The Lowest Price DOWNLOAD TASTING NOTE | Post to Firm, old school, classically styled wine with a lean to its weedy, leafy, tobacco, mint, and crisp red berry side. It tries to soften, but it remains crisp, austere and lean. Drink from 2023-2038. Firm, old school, classically styled wine with a lean to its weedy, leafy, tobacco, mint, and crisp red berry side. It tries to soften, but it remains crisp, austere and lean. Drink from 2023-2038. 2,819 Views   Tasted Aug 4, 2023 Cassis, cedar, tobacco, graphite, earth and spice on the nose. The wine is full bodied, concentrated and still tannic. The fruit is best described at noble. You can sense its good breeding. But there is an austerity and a hint of under ripeness in the finish that takes away from the wine. The long, rich, cassis and rhubarb filled finish is joy, but the sense of under ripeness takes away from the pleasure. Fans of older, more traditional, less ripe wines will like this more than I did Cassis, cedar, tobacco, graphite, earth and spice on the nose. The wine is full bodied, concentrated and still tannic. The fruit is best described at noble. You can sense its good breeding. But there is an austerity and a hint of under ripeness in the finish that takes away from the wine. The long, rich, cassis and rhubarb filled finish is joy, but the sense of under ripeness takes away from the pleasure. Fans of older, more traditional, less ripe wines will like this more than I did 22,448 Views   Tasted Jan 4, 2010 With spicy cassis, cigar box, and earthy scents, this full bodied, concentrated wine remains tannic. The style combines regal fruit with some lean qualities. The long blackberry and cassis finish shows a touch of green. Give it another 5 years. With spicy cassis, cigar box, and earthy scents, this full bodied, concentrated wine remains tannic. The style combines regal fruit with some lean qualities. The long blackberry and cassis finish shows a touch of green. Give it another 5 years. 22,445 Views   Tasted Aug 9, 2008 Rich, big, ripe, bold, sophisticated, Cabernet fruit with smoky cassis, tobacco and spice tones. This concentrated, full bodied wine fills your palate with dark ripe berries and tannins. This has class and breed, but the finish shows signs of not being fully ripe with hints of green in the ending notes. Rich, big, ripe, bold, sophisticated, Cabernet fruit with smoky cassis, tobacco and spice tones. This concentrated, full bodied wine fills your palate with dark ripe berries and tannins. This has class and breed, but the finish shows signs of not being fully ripe with hints of green in the ending notes. 13,095 Views   Tasted Aug 15, 2007

When to Drink Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Chateau Lafite Rothschild is not a wine to drink on the young side. The wine is usually far too tannic and reserved in its youth. Young vintages can be decanted for an average of 3-6 hours, give or take. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume.

Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment. Chateau Lafite Rothschild is usually better with at least 15 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character. Chateau Lafite Rothschild offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 15 and 60 years of age after the vintage.

Serving Chateau Lafite Rothschild with Wine and Food Pairings

Chateau Lafite Rothschild is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.

Chateau Lafite Rothschild is best paired with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes. Chateau Lafite Rothschild is also good when matched with Asian dishes, rich fish courses like tuna, salmon, mushrooms, and pasta.

Chateau Lafite Rothschild is the most elegantly styled of the three First Growths from Pauillac. But do not confuse the term elegant with light. Chateau Lafite is perhaps the most aromatic of the First Growths as well, with a perfume that fills the air with cedar, cassis, spice, tobacco, truffle, lead pencil, dark, red berries, and earthy notes.

In the best vintages, the wine requires decades to develop to its full potential. Trust me on this, it is worth the wait!

Lafite Rothschild is also involved in several diverse wine investments in countries outside of France. Vina Los Vascos in Chile was their first venture outside of Bordeaux, where they make several red and white wines primarily from Coloagua Chile.

In 1999, they joint ventured with the Catena family in Mendoza, Argentina to produce Bodegas Caro.

Continuing to expand, in 1999, they purchased Domaine d’Aussieres in the Languedoc-Roussillon appellation, located just below the Southern Rhone Valley. Their first move to Asia came in 2011 when they planted vines in the Penglai Peninsula in the Shandong Province in China. The vineyards were planted by Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.

Since 1995, the DBR group has also produced "The Collection," which is a series of generic, low-priced wines from various Bordeaux appellations sold under the name of Legende.

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