Château Lafite Rothschild 1993
Review of the Estate
Château Lafite Rothschild is one of the most renowned wine properties in the Médoc. Owned by Baron Eric de Rothschild and Lafite Rothschild is also one of the largest Médoc estates. The vineyards of Ch. Lafite are found at the northern tip of the Pauillac appellation, just below the boundary with St. Estephe.
There is evidence of an estate on this site as far back as the 14th century, and of exports of wine to the UK in the early 17th century. The current owners, the Rothschilds of the famous banking dynasty, bought the property in 1866, but this is a different side of the family from that which purchased Chateau Mouton Rothschild.
Vineyard
Surface area: 247 acres
Grape Varieties: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot
Average age of vines: 45 years
Density of plantation: 7,500 vines per hectare
Average yields: 48 hectolitres per hectare
Average cases produced: 17,500 per year
Plateau of maturity: 10-50 years
Château Lafite Rothschild 1993 Reviews / Tasting Notes
Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate
Point Score: 88
Because Lafite-Rothschild (1) tends to lack the weight of many wines of the northern Medoc, and (2) is never a flashy, ostentatious style of wine, it is often more difficult to evaluate when young than some of its neighbors. A successful wine for Lafite, this dark ruby/purple-colored 1993 is tightly-wound, medium-bodied, with a closed set of aromatics that reluctantly reveal hints of sweet blackcurrant fruit, weedy tobacco, and lead pencil scents. Polished and elegant, with Lafite's noble restraint, this is an excellent, classy, slightly austere wine. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2020.
James Suckling - Wine Spectator
Point Score: 91
Aromas of peat and fruits, with hints of cedar and berries. Full and velvety with good fruit and a medium finish. Goes mushroomy. A little light.
Neal Martin - The Wine Advocate
Point Score: 85
Tasted blind as a vintage comparison at the Valandraud vertical, the 1993 Lafite-Rothschild is a vintage that has never really appealed to me and this bottle did nothing to alter that view. It has a very austere, foursquare bouquet that leaves you wondering where the fruit went. The palate actually starts well with crisp acidity that leads into what feels like the vestiges of fruit that feel a little raw and green. Then it feels rather hollow in the middle, the finish a husk of what it might once have been. Not a successful wine for the estate, I would consume bottles in the near future.