1999 Château Lafite Rothschild***

Winemaker Eric Kohler recalled the 1999 Lafite-Rothschild as being born in a "sad summer." Personally, I have liked this First Growth since I first tasted it in barrel. Now 20 years old, it is beginning to show a little bricking on the rim. The bouquet is clean and detailed, with black currant, raspberry, melted tar and cedar developing in the glass (but less of the allspice that I observed in previous bottles). The palate is medium-bodied and maybe more compact than expected, possibly due to this being ex-cellar. While not a concentrated Lafite-Rothschild, it is very harmonious and elegant, brushed with a subtle pepperiness toward the finish and a tang of dried orange peel on the aftertaste. Delightful. Tasted from an ex- château bottle at the estate.

'A fine vintage for the end of the millennium, barely disturbed by a few drops of rain during harvest. The previous winter had been mild, as during most of the decade, followed by a beautiful spring and early flowering. In July and until mid August, wet days with sparse sunshine, but fortunately, from 15 August and until the rainy harvest, there was a heatwave. At the time, we were already talking about global warming because the average dates for flowering and harvest in the 1990s were about ten days ahead of those in the 1970s.' Unusually this often-overlooked vintage (in general for bordeaux) contained all four grape varieties planted at Lafite: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Eric Kohler told us that this is true of only four of the 24 vintages with which he has been involved. Mid crimson/garnet. Such perfume and Lafite aroma! No obvious sweetness but real lift and delicacy. Racy Lafite character on the palate; this dances. Real class with some velvety texture and a bone-dry finish. Very clean and pure. It reverberates on the end – thanks to the Indian summer, we were told. Apparently this was chosen for the 150th celebration tasting because it has really started to open out since 2016. (JR)