Lafite Rothschild - Pauillac 1998

Wine Advocate

96

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe5/31/2018

A blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot, the 1998 Lafite Rothschild is deep garnet with a hint of brick and gorgeous notions of sandalwood, crème de cassis, smoked meats, black pepper and garrigue with touches of chargrill, dried herbs and mincemeat pie. Medium-bodied, soft and plush on the palate, it has tons of mouth-filling savory and plum preserves flavors and a very long, savory finish. Delicious now, it should keep for 15-20 more years. 2018 - 2038

Wine Advocate

92

byNeal Martinthe1/31/2012

Tasted at Hermitage Wines’ seminar in Hong Kong. I must admit that this was a rather underwhelming bottle of one of the finest Lafites in recent years, principally because the fruit seems very subdued. Perhaps this is going through a dumb stage of adolescence: bolshie and introverted. I like the weight and persistency towards the finish, suggesting that bottles should not be approached into the real Lafite 1998 comes back in ten year’s time. Tasted November 2011.

Wine Spectator

95

byJames Sucklingthe4/1/2009

Amazing aromas of crushed blackberries, toasted oak and currant, spices. Really a great nose. Full-bodied, with round and velvety tannins and a long, long finish. It lasts for minutes on the palate. Superb. Best wine of the Médoc, without a doubt.—'88/'98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Best after 2011. 21,665 cases made.

Wine Advocate

98

byRobert Parkerthe4/30/2001

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.

Wine Spectator

93

byJames Sucklingthe1/31/2001

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.

Wine Advocate

92-94

byRobert Parkerthe4/1/2000

Thirty-four percent of the harvest made it into this wine, which is one of the best balanced wines in this difficult vintage in the Medoc. An exquisite effort, it exhibits an opaque purple color, as well as generous quantities of complex, smoky, lead pencil, mineral, and red and black fruit aromas. Rich, with remarkable levels of sweet tannin, this layered, super-concentrated 1998 reveals supple tannin for the vintage. It is an amazing effort! The final blend was 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2035.

Wine Advocate

91-94

byRobert Parkerthe4/1/1999

Kudos to Charles Chevalier who has fashioned this brilliant Lafite. The 1998 (40% of the crop made it into the grand vin) is a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot. It is a great success for the vintage, and one of the superstars of the Medoc. The 1998 Lafite-Rothschild offers extraordinary nobility and accessibility. It already reveals a remarkably complex nose of black currants, lead pencil, minerals, and subtle new oak. Rich, with a gorgeous symmetry, sweet tannin, and a concentrated, profoundly long finish, it possesses a sense of surreal elegance. In spite of its richness and intensity, it has retained the finesse for which Lafite is renowned. This should develop into an aromatic Lafite that will surprise people by its richness and harmony. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2030.