Chateau Lafite Rothschild 1999

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 1999 Lafite Rothschild sports an engraved "1999" on the bottle along with an eclipse to mark that significant historical event of August, 1999. It is a quintessential offering from Lafite Rothschild. This prodigious wine is both elegant and intensely flavored, and almost diaphanous in its layers that unfold with no heaviness. An opaque ruby/purple color is accompanied by a complex bouquet of lead pencil, graphite, cedar, creme de cassis, toast, and vanilla. It is medium-bodied, with extravagant layers of richness yet little weight, and a finish that is all sweetness, ripeness, and harmony. This extraordinary Lafite increasingly appears to be a modern day clone of the majestic 1953. A mere one-third of the crop made it into the grand vin! Anticipated maturity: 2007-2030."

WEINWISSER: "Magnum. Sehr dunkle Farbe. Bakelitnoten, Trüffel, erstaunlich tiefgründig, Mokkatouch, grünwürzige Cabernet-Spuren und auch mit viel schwarzen Pfeffernoten unterlegt. Kräftige Statur mit noch verlangender, leicht körniger Adstringenz, wirkt irgendwie unlogisch konzentriert für diesen Jahrgang. Eine geniale, extrem junge Magnum. Von diesem Lafite-Jahrgang gab es immer wieder zwiespältige Eindrücke. Das war einer der besten bisher."

DECANTER: "1999 was a more difficult vintage, but this is a classic Pauillac at 20 years old, and we should expect it stay on its plateau for the next 20-30 years. You can feel the edges of an older Cabernet beginning to creep in as cigar box and gentle tobacco notes, but there is still dense but savoury fruit on display, with real elegance and finesse to the tannins. Showing great harmony, this is where the beauty of Lafite is on display - you can find many wonderful 2009 and 2010s, but not so many wonderful '99s. All four grapes - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc - are in the blend here, perhaps something that happens only once every ten years or so. This vintage demonstrates how Lafite doesn't need concentration to still be something incredible. A mixed year weather-wise with a good spring followed by a rainy summer until mid-August when the sun returned. There was an excellent Indian summer, then a few drops of rain again during harvest, which sped things up. These challenges, says Baron Eric, meant that they forgot about it for a good 15 years, as the wine was extremely closed, but around three years ago it started to open back up. This is ready to be enjoyed. Drinking Window 2018 - 2030"

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Mid crimson/garnet. Such perfume and Lafite aroma! No obvious sweetness but real lift and delicacy. Racy Lafite character on the palate; this dances. Real class with some velvety texture and a bone-dry finish. Very clean and pure. It reverberates on the end – thanks to the Indian summer, we were told. Apparently this was chosen for the 150th celebration tasting because it has really started to open out since 2016."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Delivers wonderful dark chocolate, with raspberry and currant undertones. Full-bodied, featuring soft, silky tannins and a long finish. Very tight still. Needs time. Very layered and holding back.—'89/'99 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2009). Best after 2012."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Quite young, but fine to drink today, if you enjoy a wine in the middle of the primary stage that is just starting to become secondary. The medium bodied, elegant wine is on the bright, fresh, crisp, red berry side of the style range. Here you find forest leaf, tobacco, cedar, cassis, cherry and spice notes. Softly textured, with fresh, spicy, red fruits, tobacco and herbs in the finish."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, tiefer Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. In der Nase nach dunklen Beeren, zeigt zunächst eine süße Fruchtkomponente, mit Luft stellen sich etwas Cassis, aber auch Schlehen und frische Zitruszesten ein, die etwas vegetalere Töne anschlagen. Am Gaumen mineralisch, zeigt einen mittleren Körper, etwas Kirschen, dann wiederum zitronige Nuancen, recht frisch, endet mit angenehmem Schokoanklang, wirkt bereits gut antrinkbar. ! Trinken +20 Jahre"