Lafite Rothschild - Pauillac 1994

Vinous

92

byNeal Martinthe8/9/2024

The 1994 Lafite-Rothschild is served from a large format whisked straight from the château. Perhaps that goes some way to explain the impressive showing. Very youthful in hue, it has a captivating bouquet with black fruit infused with cedar and melted tar, kind of old school but in a positive way. The palate is medium-bodied and surprisingly muscular for a Lafite, with plenty of black fruit interwoven with graphite and a succulent finish. I've had this from bottle a few times, but this format is certainly better. Tasted from an ex-château double magnum at the Académie du Vin dinner in Bordeaux.

Wine Advocate

90

byRobert Parkerthe2/28/1997

Because Lafite-Rothschild (1) tends to lack the weight of many wines of the northern Medoc, and (2) is never a flashy, ostentatious style of wine, it is often more difficult to evaluate when young than some of its neighbors. Made from nearly 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, this dark ruby/purple-colored wine is stubbornly backward, unappealing, and severe and astringent on the palate. There is plenty of weight, and the wine possesses admirable purity, with no suggestion of herbaceousness or underripe fruit, but the wine's personality refuses to be coaxed from the glass. The 1994 Lafite may turn out to be austere and disappointing flavor-wise, but possesses a fabulous set of aromatics (does that sound reminiscent of the 1961, another Lafite that was primarily Cabernet Sauvignon?). I am not giving up on this wine, but purchasers should be willing to wait 15-20 years before pulling a cork. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2030.

Wine Spectator

93

byJames Molesworththe1/31/1997

A luscious Lafite that is silky and elegant with layers of wonderful violet, berry, cherry and chocolate flavors. It's full-bodied, with racy, refined tannins and good length. Drinkable now, but best from 1999 and through another decade. 18,750 cases made.

Wine Advocate

90

byRobert Parkerthe4/1/1996

As I wrote last year, Lafite's 1994 is the first 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wine made at this estate. The only other wine that had such a high Cabernet content was the 1961. The 1994 is not an easy wine to figure out. I felt more positively about it this year than last, but it is an atypically powerful, ferociously tannic, frightfully backward Lafite that appears to require 15-20 years of cellaring before its huge tannin level will begin to melt away. The extraordinarily dense color saturation and intense ripeness undoubtedly suggest that something profound may well emerge from this wine in two decades. On the other hand, 20 years of aging could result in a marvelously well-constructed wine that remains hard, tough, and charmless. It's a gamble, but for readers who love Lafite and have the necessary income, it may be worth it. Although it appears even more backward than the 1986 Lafite, it possesses enough positive components to elicit considerable interest. For your children's children's children?

Wine Advocate

86-90

byRobert Parkerthe4/1/1995

Lafite-Rothschild's harvest began on September 20th and finished surprisingly late (especially in the Medoc), on October 7th. Only 55% of the harvest was deemed of high enough quality to be put in the final wine. The 1994 Lafite may contain the highest percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon of any Lafite produced this century. The final blend includes 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit-Verdot, and 2% Merlot. I found it difficult to understand the 1994 Lafite. Certainly the color is about as dense as one would want from a top class, six month old Bordeaux, but the nose is tight, and the wine compressed, compact, and brutally tannic and impenetrable. I kept searching for an inner core of fruit on the mid-palate, without any luck. While sweet fruit is present, the wine is frightfully backward and tannic, thus Lafite's famed subtleness, finesse, and elegance are buried behind a wall of tannin. This should turn out to be an outstanding wine, but it will need 15+ years of cellaring. A more accurate assessment will only be possible after another year of cask aging. For now, I prefer the 1993 Lafite-Rothschild to the 1994.