1986 Chateau Lafite Rothschild 750ml

minor label stains/damage, minor capsule damage.

Awards, Ratings & Reviews

100/100 — Revista Adega · 1986 Vintage · Tasted: Mar 2020
“Neste flight, o Lafite vence o Las Cases pelo equilíbrio e pela evolução. O nariz do Lafite é um bouquet de flores, com cereja expressiva e uma textura de taninos que permite concluir que vale esperar até completar seus 40 anos. Ervas secas, pimenta e estrevaria vão se desenvolvendo em camadas até o final de boca etéreo.”

100/100 — Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux · 1986 Vintage · Tasted: Jul 2021

98/100 — Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider · 1986 Vintage · Tasted: Feb 2024
“As good, or better than any bottle of 86 Lafite I have ever tasted, time has been kind to this wine. The nose sports a complex array of spices, dried tobacco leaves cedar, leather, and bright red berries. The palate is energetic, firm, and most importantly, regal in character, with loads of ripe, bright, chewy, currants and cassis in the mid-palate and finish. This could be a 100-year wine. Drink from 2024-2080.”

96/100 — Falstaff · 1986 Vintage · Tasted: Feb 2019
“Kräftiges Karmingranat, breiter Ockerrand, Orangereflexe. In der Nase feine tabakige Nuancen, zarter rotbeerige Nuancen, mit etwa Luft feuchtes Unterholz, Noten von Brombeeren und reifen Kirschen. Am Gaumen dunkle Beeren, frisch strukturiert, mineralischer Touch, wirkt kernig, die Tannine sind noch immer etwas fordernd, rotbeeriger Frucht im Nachhall, zitroniger Touch im Finish, ein Grenzgänger zwischen altem Stil und neuer Zeit, hier ist nach wie Geduld geboten. Peter Moser”

95/100 — Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate · 1986 Vintage · Tasted: Mar 2022 · Drinking Window: 2016–2046

94/100 — Decanter · 1986 Vintage · Tasted: Mar 2022 · Drinking Window: 2022–2042

About This Wine

At the dawn of the 1986 harvests, after half a decade of success, the winemakers and wine enthusiasts were sceptical of yet another fine vintage. Yet a fine vintage it was: excellent spring weather followed by a dry summer with occasional light rain, led to a very abundant, high-quality yield. The wines are almost black in colour, very concentrated without being heavy, with distinguished, dominant tannins.

Bud break was late, but the vines caught up thanks to May and June, and hotter, drier weather until early September, when rain arrived to help a somewhat complicated start to the ripening process - however, there was less rain in Pauillac than in the rest of the Bordeaux region where rainfall was very heavy. This was followed by a period of fine weather. Ripening levels were excellent, with the right amount of moisture and steady sunshine until the end of the harvests.

Pauillac is located on the left bank of the Gironde estuary, approximately 40km North of Bordeaux. With the tempering influence of the estuary and a great diversity of soils originated from both the Massif Central and the Pyrenees, Pauillac boasts exceptional climatic and geological conditions to make outstanding wines. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

Chateau Lafite Rothschild is located to the north of the appellation, bordering Saint Estèphe. Lafite's best terroirs stretch on the 50ha Plateau des Carruades to the west of the Château. This plateau, which is the highest point of the Pauillac appellation, is well-drained and enjoys optimal sun exposure. Its clayey gravel soils offer excellent water regulating abilities, and provide optimal ripening conditions for the Cabernet Sauvignon. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

Producer Notes

This wine offers a surprising blend of many of the characteristics of the vintages from 1945 to 1949. It is a fine wine for laying down, that should age well due to its exceptional structure.

A complex nose with notes of very dense black fruit.

On the palate, the wine has a nice freshness with a large amplitude and a very pleasant net length.

Specifications

• Vintage: 1986
• Grape Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon 69%, Cabernet Franc 16%, Merlot 15%
• Region: Pauillac / Medoc / Bordeaux / France
• Classification: 1er Grand Cru Classé
• Maturation: Aged for 20 months in French oak barrels
• Production Attributes: Oaked; French oak
• Alcohol: 12.5%
• Sweetness: Dry
• Ownership: Barons de Rothschild
• Closure: Cork
• Drinking Window: 2000–2050