1990 Lafite Rothschild

96 POINTS

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

Interestingly, a bottle of 1990 Lafite Rothschild I pulled from my cellar for a video blog on my web site was still buttoned down, tight, and even with extended decanting was not showing as much as I would have hoped. However, a bottle tasted, of all places, in Seoul, Korea in February, was only a few points short of perfection. That amazing performance motivated me to pull another bottle out of my cellar and follow it over the course of two days. Sure enough, by the second day the wine was roaring from the glass. The 1990 Lafite has turned out far better than my early assessment. While it still possesses some firmness, and performs like a late adolescent in terms of its evolution, it boasts gorgeous aromas of cedar, tobacco leaf, cassis, and lead pencil shavings. The explosive aromas are followed by a fleshy, full-bodied wine that should hit its peak in 5-8 years, and last for 25-30 more. Release price:($1400.00/case)

96 POINTS

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

As I suspected, the 1989 and 1990 vintages of Lafite-Rothschild have gone dormant. Both wines were among the more closed, backward examples in my blind tasting. The 1990 is riper, richer, and more textured, but mouthsearing tannin and a closed personality make it hard to fully assess. The wine possesses excellent richness, a hint of the unmistakable Lafite perfume of minerals, cedar, lead pencil, and red fruits, medium to full body, moderate weight, admirable richness and overall balance, and a tough finish. Give it a decade of cellaring to shed some tannin and evolve; it may be a 40-50-year Lafite. As outstanding as I believe it will ultimately turn out to be, I do not think the 1990 Lafite will ever match the sheer class, quality, and complexity of the 1988, 1986, and 1982. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2035.

95 POINTS

Jane Anson - Decanter

This is an elegant, balanced Lafite that remains mouthwatering and juicy on the finish. It is not the most immediately impressive of the 1990 firsts, but then when does Lafite ever try to shout the loudest? Instead, it is all about a quiet but relentless building of layers, with brambled black fruits, graphite, cold ash and soft leather alongside a spicier rosemary and clove edging. Gilbert Rokvam was the technical director at this time, working with owner Baron Eric de Rothschild. Harvest began on September 13, and the scorching summer temperatures were compared by the property to 1947 and 1949.

95 POINTS

James Suckling - Wine Spectator

Very serious fruit, with juicy berry, tobacco and cedar character. Slightly more body than the 1989, but they are very close in character. I would give this a little more time. '89/'90 Bordeaux non-blind horizontal. Best after 2007.

92 POINTS

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

As I suspected, the 1989 and 1990 vintages of Lafite-Rothschild have gone dormant. Both wines were among the more closed, backward examples in my blind tasting. The 1990 is riper, richer, and more textured, but mouthsearing tannin and a closed personality make it hard to fully assess. The wine possesses excellent richness, a hint of the unmistakable Lafite perfume of minerals, cedar, lead pencil, and red fruits, medium to full body, moderate weight, admirable richness and overall balance, and a tough finish. Give it a decade of cellaring to shed some tannin and evolve; it may be a 40-50-year Lafite. As outstanding as I believe it will ultimately turn out to be, I do not think the 1990 Lafite will ever match the sheer class, quality, and complexity of the 1988, 1986, and 1982. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2035.

90 POINTS

Neal Martin - Vinous

This bottle of 1990 Lafite-Rothschild replicates the one poured at the château several months earlier. The bouquet offers black fruit, a little dustiness, leather and light marine notes, but again, it never slips into fifth gear. It just lacks vivacity. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly hard tannin, modest fruit concentration and a monochromatic finish that feels suppressed by that summer’s warmth. To reiterate, there are Super Seconds that clearly outperform this First Growth in 1990. Tasted at Noble Rot's “Xmas” dinner.

90 POINTS

Neal Martin - Vinous

The 1990 Lafite-Rothschild is a wine that often felt a little green around 15 years ago and then became good for a brief period. I was less impressed when Charles Chevalier showed several vintages in London some years ago. This bottle reinforces my opinion that this is a second-rate Lafite in a first-rate vintage. Quite youthful in color, it has a modest nose of blackberry, mulberry, a distant tang of seaweed and leather. It lacks the vivid aromatic color of the 2000 by direct comparison. The palate is medium-bodied with robust, slightly hard tannins that are not quite in sync with the fruit. Like previous bottles, I find this rustic and feral towards the finish, as if the warmth of that summer directs the wine rather than terroir. Lafite is an enjoyable 1990, but it is not in the same class as 1990 Lynch Bages or 1990 Pichon Baron. Tasted at the Lafite-Rothschild dinner at Amuse Bouche in Hong Kong and then blind at the Lafite-Rothschild 150th anniversary dinner at the property.