1990 - Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac

The 1990 Lafite-Rothschild put in a great performance at this dinner. In fact, this bottle was better than one opened at the château in 2018. Stunning delineation, almost crystalline, with youthful, mineral-laden black fruit laced with truffle and allspice. Very complex. The palate is medium-bodied with finely woven tannins, perfect acidity and a real peacock's tail on the finish. By far the best '90 Lafite-Rothschild that I have encountered, so perhaps it just endured a dumb phase several years ago. Tasted single blind at the 1990 Bordeaux dinner at Medlar.

Interestingly, a bottle of 1990 Lafite Rothschild I pulled from my cellar for a video blog on my web site was still buttoned down, tight, and even with extended decanting was not showing as much as I would have hoped. However, a bottle tasted, of all places, in Seoul, Korea in February, was only a few points short of perfection. That amazing performance motivated me to pull another bottle out of my cellar and follow it over the course of two days. Sure enough, by the second day the wine was roaring from the glass. The 1990 Lafite has turned out far better than my early assessment. While it still possesses some firmness, and performs like a late adolescent in terms of its evolution, it boasts gorgeous aromas of cedar, tobacco leaf, cassis, and lead pencil shavings. The explosive aromas are followed by a fleshy, full-bodied wine that should hit its peak in 5-8 years, and last for 25-30 more. Release price:($1400.00/case)