1 bottle per lot
Details
Château Lafite-Rothschild--Vintage 1900
Pauillac, 1er cru classé
Lot 50 damaged and damp-stained label. Level top-shoulder. Lot 51 remains of wax capsule. Château and vintage whitewashed on bottle. No label. Level upper-shoulder
Tasting Note: Tasted on six occasions. Variable, mainly because of provenance, storage conditions and cork failure; and possibly because Lafite at the time sold mainly in bulk, relying on either the various négociants to do the élevage and bottling, or, having sold on in barrique, for the overseas customers to bottle - not any Tom, Dick or Harry, but dependable importers and merchants.
First tasted at Dr Marvin C Overton's tasting of Lafite, representing every decade from the 1790s to 1970s. With high fill, its appearance was warm and attractive, not deep; the bouquet opened up in the glass magnificently. A rich, full-flavoured wine, its life-supporting tannins and acidity still in evidence. I gave it a rare 20/20. In the early 1980s, an exciting Réserve du Château, its overripe gibier (gamey) bouquet like an old cedar cigar box - or singed hair. 'Over the hill', it cracked up but was fun while it lasted. Skipping over the ullaged and oxidised, including a very disappointing bottle at Lloyd Flatt's marathon (116 vintages of Lafite, 1784 to 1986), an excellent magnum, recorked at the château in 1991: still very sweet, rich, good flavour and length, delicious. Last tasted in 'flight' 5 of Hardy Rodenstock's wine weekend, Sept 1996. At best ***** M.B.
1 bottle per lot
Pauillac, 1er cru classé
Lot 50 damaged and damp-stained label. Level top-shoulder. Lot 51 remains of wax capsule. Château and vintage whitewashed on bottle. No label. Level upper-shoulder
Tasting Note: Tasted on six occasions. Variable, mainly because of provenance, storage conditions and cork failure; and possibly because Lafite at the time sold mainly in bulk, relying on either the various négociants to do the élevage and bottling, or, having sold on in barrique, for the overseas customers to bottle - not any Tom, Dick or Harry, but dependable importers and merchants.
First tasted at Dr Marvin C Overton's tasting of Lafite, representing every decade from the 1790s to 1970s. With high fill, its appearance was warm and attractive, not deep; the bouquet opened up in the glass magnificently. A rich, full-flavoured wine, its life-supporting tannins and acidity still in evidence. I gave it a rare 20/20. In the early 1980s, an exciting Réserve du Château, its overripe gibier (gamey) bouquet like an old cedar cigar box - or singed hair. 'Over the hill', it cracked up but was fun while it lasted. Skipping over the ullaged and oxidised, including a very disappointing bottle at Lloyd Flatt's marathon (116 vintages of Lafite, 1784 to 1986), an excellent magnum, recorked at the château in 1991: still very sweet, rich, good flavour and length, delicious. Last tasted in 'flight' 5 of Hardy Rodenstock's wine weekend, Sept 1996. At best ***** M.B.
1 bottle per lot
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