"This particular vintage has cropped up several times in 2012. Here, served in Bordeaux, it has a leafy bouquet with graphite infused blackberry and briary aromas that build beautifully in the glass. It is quintessential Lafite - elegant and refined, with no desire to impress by its power. The palate is supremely well balanced with fine tannins that frame the undergrowth and cedar-tinged black fruit. It is wonderfully composed, a stately Lafite-Rothschild that is at its peak. Beautiful."
Decanter
D96
"It is starting to show some truffley, savoury maturity now and it is softening through the mid-palate, yet there is still plenty of tannic grip, particularly on the finish, and a freshness that suggests that there is more longevity here than there will be for the 1990 vintage. According to Lafite, this was the earliest harvest since 1893, and among the hottest of the 20th century, along with 1947. I have always thought of 1989 as a somewhat 'baked' year, but it seems to be holding very well, particularly compared to the 1990 and 1986 on either side of it. The final blend was 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Merlot."
