Wine Advisor
Chateau Lafite Rothschild 1949
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Description
Within the five rarefied first growths, Lafite is perhaps the wine with the best reputation for quality and longevity, commanding correspondingly high prices. It is considered by some to be the best wine to come out of Bordeaux. In 1815, Guillaume Lawton said of Château Lafite, “I consider it to be the the most elegant and delicate, with the finest substance of the three (Premier Crus). The location of its vines is one of the finest in the Médoc”. In 1855 the Château was ranked as a Premier Grand Cru in the famous classification that was prepared for the Universal Exhibition of that year. Lafite is also known as the ‘King’s wine’, after being introduced to the Court at Versailles by Maréchal Richelieu.
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The bottle of 1949 Lafite-Rothschild was reconditioned at the property in 1989, and although featherweight compared to the 1949 Latour, it is a wonderful mature Pauillac. Clear in color, the 1949 has a tuile core commensurate with its age. It delivers an ethereal, transparent bouquet with red cherry, meat juices, cedar and pine trees, all beautifully defined and with exquisite detail, if never a powerful set of aromatics. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannin, perfectly judged acidity, lighter in style than other 1949s but with a beguiling pretty, slightly savory finish with black truffle shaved over the aftertaste. This is a classic and quite understated Lafite-Rothschild that steps aside and allows Mouton-Rothschild and Latour to take all the accolades. Tasted at the Lafite-Rothschild dinner at Amuse Bouche in Hong Kong.
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