Fine Wine > Bordeaux Blends > France > 95-99 Pts

Cellar/Tasting Notes
"A magnificent example of Chateau Margaux and one of the most tannic, backward Margauxs of the last 50 years, the 1986 continues to evolve at a glacial pace. The color is still a dense ruby/purple with just a hint of lightening at the rim. With several hours of aeration, the aromatics become..

Cellar/Tasting Notes
"The dense ruby/purple-hued 2005 Cheval Blanc's ethereal bouquet of menthol, coffee, wet stones, black cherries, blackberries, and hints of graphite and spice soars from the glass. An equal part blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, it is medium to full-bodied with a gorgeous texture in addition to..

Cellar/Tasting Notes
"A brilliant offering and a candidate for wine of the vintage, this is classic Lafite that reminded me somewhat of the 1976, although the vintage conditions were completely different. This is a medium-weight, quintessentially elegant style of Lafite... with black currants, plums, and crushed..

Cellar/Tasting Notes
"The 2001 shows the classic Lafite nose of lead pencil shavings (graphite), plum, cherry, and black currant, with a hint of tobacco leaf, cedar, and spice box. Medium-bodied, with loads of tannin, this intensely concentrated Lafite is somehow restrained, with extraordinary precision and purity. It..

Cellar/Tasting Notes
PARKER RATING: 98 POINTS! - "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. ..

Cellar/Tasting Notes
"... The 1990 Lafite has turned out far better than my early assessment ... it boasts gorgeous aromas of cedar, tobacco leaf, cassis, and lead pencil shavings. The explosive aromas are followed by a fleshy, full-bodied wine ... and last for 25-30 more."

Cellar/Tasting Notes
"A candidate for the -wine of the vintage ... Representing 40% of the production, this blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc offers aromas of high quality unsmoked cigar tobacco, lead pencil shavings, creme de cassis, earth, cedar and asphalt. Full, rich and stunningly..

Cellar/Tasting Notes
The 1995 Lafite-Rothschild (only one-third of the harvest made it into the final blend) is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and 8% Cabernet Franc. The wine was showing spectacularly well when I tasted it in November, 1997. It exhibits a dark ruby purple color, and a sweet, powdered..

Cellar/Tasting Notes
"Deep garnet-black color. An incredible array of aromas on the nose: blackberry, black cherry, tobacco, espresso, leather, black olive and loam. The palate is absolutely seamless from first impression to finish, effortlessly building layers of complexity in the mouth and leading to a very long,..

Cellar/Tasting Notes
"Austere wine, its tannins pushing forward to give power and structure. It is dense, concentrated, with layer upon layer of bitter coffee and dark fruit flavors, acidity and sweet tannins."