Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend

Capitol Region Wine Collectors Club (WCC), Bordeaux; 30 March 2023 at Yono's, Albany, NY

Still showing some youth. After 31 years, the tannins have mostly mellowed out, but still holds on to ripe red fruit and wild sage flavors.

This bottle of 1990 Lafite-Rothschild replicates the one poured at the château several months earlier. The bouquet offers black fruit, a little dustiness, leather and light marine notes, but again, it never slips into fifth gear. It just lacks vivacity. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly hard tannin, modest fruit concentration and a monochromatic finish that feels suppressed by that summer’s warmth. To reiterate, there are Super Seconds that clearly outperform this First Growth in 1990. Tasted at Noble Rot's “Xmas” dinner. (Neal Martin, Vinous, December 2019)

The 2019 Lafite-Rothschild is a mesmerizing wine that shows how compelling the vintage is on the Left Bank. Elegant, creamy and exquisitely layered, the 2019 Lafite conquers all the senses. There is tremendous density and power that belies the 12.8% alcohol, but then again, that can be the magic of Bordeaux. Classic Lafite red plum fruit, spice, cedar, licorice and rose petal linger on the striking, persistent finish. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, February 2022)

A bit spent but you can still taste the pedigree. Purple fruit and amazingly enough acidity to still slide down

Hard to drink w/o preconceptions. Contemplative, old shrooms, earth, still felt coiled. Did a 1 hr decant but my guess we could have pushed it. ,

Drinking superbly now. Authentically classy.

Loving the '90

Such a beautiful expression of this fabled estate, I must say that I really love high-end Bordeaux at this age, just the right amount of oak/fruit/development, quite magical.

Elegant lengthy aromatic really showing well.