TN: 1970 Château Lafite Rothschild (France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac)

Pat_Burton · November 22, 2015, 7:10pm

1970 Château Lafite Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (11/21/2015)
When I first opened this, it smelled and tasted like an over the hill bordeaux. After an hour in the decanter, the wine came alive. Strawberry, graphite, and cassis were most prominent with hints of tobacco leaf, wet rocks, and rhubarb all present. I see why Lafite commands such a following.

Posted from CellarTracker

Brian_Gilp · November 22, 2015, 7:52pm

Interesting. My one and only experience with this wine in the mid 1990’s was very disappointing.

Howard_Cooper · November 23, 2015, 12:51am

Mine also

George_Chadwick · November 23, 2015, 6:26am

I love it when dead old wines come alive after an hour.

I was told to be careful of Lafite and Margaux, in particular, in the 1970’s, not their best decade for quality control.

I put together a tasting of 1970 Bordeaux a couple of months ago but for the first growths, coincidentally Lafite and Margaux, the provenance had killed the wines. Muddy. The lesser wines from another source were lively.

I think yours had above average provenance.

Pat_Burton · November 23, 2015, 2:46pm

George Chadwick:

Pat Burton:

1970 Château Lafite Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (11/21/2015)
When I first opened this, it smelled and tasted like an over the hill bordeaux. After an hour in the decanter, the wine came alive. Strawberry, graphite, and cassis were most prominent with hints of tobacco leaf, wet rocks, and rhubarb all present. I see why Lafite commands such a following.

Posted from CellarTracker

I love it when dead old wines come alive after an hour.

I was told to be careful of Lafite and Margaux, in particular, in the 1970’s, not their best decade for quality control.

I put together a tasting of 1970 Bordeaux a couple of months ago but for the first growths, coincidentally Lafite and Margaux, the provenance had killed the wines. Muddy. The lesser wines from another source were lively.

I think yours had above average provenance.

Very strong provenance, and acquired on Commerce Corner