Château Lafite Rothschild

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1988

9.4

In perfect condition and drinking much more youthful than nearly 40 years!! Paired with grilled chicken thighs which went very well given the tannin structure has mostly receded. Acid still very much keeping things together and in check. Nice balance - still some good fruit, great earth, long finish. Hard to argue! — 18 days ago

Tom, Joel and 10 others liked this

Château Calon-Ségur

Saint-Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend 1982

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I haven’t had a Bordeaux in a while. Especially, with a Ribcap. So, why not an 82? The vintage Robert Parker made his career as the only critic who called it correctly.

Very good 80’s Bordeaux were my first true wine love. Their style & 12-13% ABV will always be my cherished infatuation. Wished it had never changed.

Bought this Calon Segur on the secondary market several yrs ago. Tricky cork. Used my Durand. All good. Fill line perfect, no bottle neck tannin burn but plenty of velvety sediment.

If any of you ever wondered why there is a heart on the label. Here is the interesting reason…

It symbolizes the estate's deep-rooted history and the affection of its former owner, the Marquis de Ségur. Despite owning prestigious estates like Château Lafite and Château Latour, he famously declared, "I make wine at Lafite and Latour, but my heart is at Calon." His sentiment is immortalized by the heart emblem on the label.

Opened it and let it breathe from the bottle for 45 minutes. Tasted it and decanting it in stages. Then, stopped 1/2 way through and poured the bottom half of the bottle from the bottle.

82 is such a grand, classic vintage. For the most part, I drink Calon Segur’s too early, even at 20 yrs of age. I don’t want to say it is a long in tooth as its neighbor, Montrose, but it is close. This 82 is drinking perfectly w/ 41 yrs in bottle and will hold another 5 yrs. Such soft, perfectly darkish spices with elegantly ripe fruits.

This 82 glides over the palate. There is only beautiful elegance, nothing bites back. The fruits are older (not old or past their prime), ripe fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, both plums but lean plum vs black, dark cherries, crazy, outstanding, hoovering raspberries with notes of blueberries & shades of freshly picked rhubarb. Some black cherry cola, anise to understated black licorice, dark chocolate pudding, caramel, layered, gentle baking spices-nutmeg, clove, cinnamon & vanillin, touch of sun tea, old leather, dryish to fresh tobacco w/ash, charcoal, elegant graphite, dry limestone powder, dry river pebbles, black, rich earth w/ dry leaves, magical, dark spices, grey volcanics, dry stems, just a hint of dry herbs, dry top soil, fresh & withering dark, red flowers, red roses, grand acidity with perfect; balance, tension, structure and a grand, gentle finish that goes on & on and eventually lands on an amazing soft buffet of earthiness.

This is a wine that is technically a 94, but w/ evolution & style a 97. Amazing bottle that you don’t want to end.

$500 a bottle today through the app. Somewhere around $10 upon release. — 4 months ago

Somm, Jay and 22 others liked this

Peter van den Besselaar

Fine story

Somm David T

@Jay Kline Grand love for 82 & the Left Bank. Cheers! 🍷

Somm David T

@Peter van den Besselaar Thank you. Happy to bring it. Cheers! 🍷

Château Lafite Rothschild

Carruades de Lafite Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2006

Andrew Cullimore

9.1

Lighter in colour than the GPL, with ruby , garnet core and wider ruby garnet rim . Quite open , cool , lightly herbal nose with redder fruit , red currant , touch of red plum , cedar , grafite and tobacco . Quite light and elegant on the palate , cool , mineral, earthy tobacco . Quite good mouthfeel but certainly more focused and reserved , nothing showy . Quite ‘Lafite lite’ in style, doesn’t have the complexity or depth of the 1st wine obviously, but gives a good impression as to the style of the Chateau . Resolved tannins , balanced acidity , reasonable length . Grafite and tobacco tinged finish. Drink now and over the next 5 years or so — 2 months ago

Martin, Jamie and 13 others liked this

Somm David T

I have never been happy with their second at its price point.