Chateau Lafite Rothschild 1976

JAMES SUCKLING: "This is the wine of the vintage. I love the rosewater, currants and citrus character to this now. It's still full body yet so ethereal. It goes on and on in the finish turning creamy and citrusy."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 1976 Lafite clearly stands far above the crowd in this vintage. A beautiful bouquet of seductive cedarwood, spices, and ripe fruit precedes a very concentrated, darkly colored wine, with great length and texture. Some amber is just beginning to appear at the edge. The 1976 has turned out to be the best Lafite of the '70s. It is gorgeous to drink at present."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "It had been ages since I tasted a red bordeaux 1976; a Léoville Barton in 2015 was the most recent. Transparent garnet. Something very slightly mousey on the nose (I am very sensitive to mousiness). A sweet start and then a little dry and short of fruit. It still has some charm but lacked a bit of juice and freshness. The finish was very intriguing and nuanced, however. Definitely first-growth quality, but getting on a bit."

WEINWISSER: "Hell orange. Heisses Bouquet, Korinthentöne, Rosinen, etwas verbrannt, aber auch mit wunderschöner Kräuternote, Hirschleder und Pfifferlinge. Im Gaumen etwas streng, die Säure verbindet sich körnig mit dem restlichen Extrakt, zeigt etwas Rückhalt. Der Wein aber hat mehr Nase als Gaumen und befindet sich seit Jahren auf diesem Endniveau. Sehr gute Flasche."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Looking old for its age, the wine interestingly combines overripe ripe fruits with rustic tannins. The nose, with its earthy forest leaf, tobacco wrapper and lead pencil scents along with bright red fruit aromas are better than what you find on the palate."

DECANTER: "1976 was the hottest summer for 27 years, and very dry too. Harvest started on 15 September and although this is still alive, it's clearly more evolved than many of the other vintages in the line up. It has a gamey, meaty feel with wonderful sweet strawberry, bay leaf and dried herbs through the palate. The finish is salt-edged with some spicy, herbal notes joined by a touch of dry tannins. Don't count it out, of course, but this feels a little more preserved rather than beating with life. 1977 was the first year that Baron Eric arrived at Lafite full time to join his uncle, Baron Elie."

FALSTAFF: "Mittleres Rubingranat mit orangefarbenen Reflexen und breiterer Randaufhellung. In der Nase frisches Waldbeerkonfit, zart nach Gewürzen und Orangenzesten. Dezenter Zedernton, Tabak. Am Gaumen weich und elegant, hat eine gute Frische, rotbeerige Nuancen, Kirschen und etwas Cassis klingen an, balancierte mittlere Textur, Nougat, frisches Säurespiel, bleibt recht gut haften, ein mittelgewichtiger Lafite, der vom Flaschenformat sehr gut profitiert, insgesamt bereits klar im Abschwung. ! Trinken"