Chateau Lafite Rothschild 2008 Pauillac 1er Cru Classe

Country: France Region: Pauillac, Bordeaux

Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

Vintage: 2008 Colour: Red 

Producer: Château Lafite-Rothschild

Description: Since 1975, this château, lauded by wine enthusiasts the world over, has been producing magnificent wines under the proactive management of Eric de Rothschild. Lafite's top wine is not the most outgoing of Pauillac wines, but its exceptional finesse, which appears after 15 to 30 years in the cellar, sets it apart, justifying its Premier Grand Cru classé status. It boasts a wonderful aromatic complexity and exudes a distinctive cedar aroma in particular, which is much appreciated by enthusiasts. Great Lafite vintages seem to be able to defy the decades and never die.

Tasting Note: Offers aromas of high quality unsmoked cigar tobacco, lead pencil shavings, creme de cassis, earth, cedar and asphalt. The palate is well balanced with fine grain tannin and good density Full, rich and stunningly concentrated.

98 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

 A candidate for the -wine of the vintage,- the 2008 should have been purchased before it began to soar in value because of the significance of the number 8 in the Chinese culture (denoting good luck). Representing 40% of the production, this blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc offers aromas of high quality unsmoked cigar tobacco, lead pencil shavings, creme de cassis, earth, cedar and asphalt. Full, rich and stunningly concentrated, I doubt it is inferior to the 2010, just more classic as well as slightly more forward and a degree weaker in alcoholic potency (12.5% versus 13.5%). (RP)  (5/2011)

97 points Wine Enthusiast

 Elegance in a glass, this is very upright in structure with enticing acidity and black berry fruits. It has weight as well as richness. No question about the aging potential of this superb wine. *Cellar Selection* (RV)  (4/2011)

95 points James Suckling

 Minerals, tar and sous bois with dark fruit. Sweet tobacco. Black liquorice. Full and chewy with lots of fruit but very reserved. So much mineral and sweet tobacco. It is all there. Give it four to five years of bottle age before beginning to explore the wine.  (12/2010)

94 points Decanter

 Extremely Cabernet dominant, with savoury black fruit and a ton of Pauillac character. A fairly reserved, finely-boned Lafite, with menthol and tobacco leaf. Subdued right now but in it for the long haul. The vintage with the Chinese symbol for eight engraved on the bottle, to commemorate the planting of the Long Dai vineyard in China - a fact that made the price of this bottle shoot up when it was released. (JA)  (2/2021)

94 points Jeb Dunnuck

 The 2008 Lafite-Rothschild is one of the few wines that’s still obviously closed and backward, yet nevertheless shows incredible potential. Made from a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, and 4% Cabernet Franc (which is more Merlot than normal), it offers textbook Lafite elegance and class in its perfume of lead pencil, cedarwood, cigar smoke, and mineral-laced black fruits. Playing in the medium to full-bodied spectrum, it’s deceivingly concentrated and powerful due to its perfect balance and purity as well as weightless texture. Hide bottles for 4-5 years and enjoy this classic Lafite over the following 30 years or so. (JD) 94+  (2/2019)

94 points Vinous

 The 2008 Lafite Rothschild put in a strange showing at the previous horizontal just a few weeks earlier. This bottle is much better. It has a deep color with little ageing on the rim. On the nose there is ample fruit, blackberry and bilberry with notes of pencil lead and sage, but overall there is just more intensity than the previous bottle. The palate is well balanced with fine grain tannin and good density, a facet occasionally lacking in Lafite-Rothschild. There is just a touch of brown sugar and sage towards the finish that fortunately does not attenuate like the previous bottle. This is much more representative and whilst not the best First Growth of the vintage, it certainly shows more sophistication and class even if it does not match its more stellar showings just after bottling. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 10-Year On tasting. (NM)  (5/2018)