Category: | Red Wines |
Sub-Category: | Red Wines |
Producer: | Lafite |
Label Name: | Pauillac 1er Cru (ex Château 2022) |
Vintage: | 1990 |
Country: | France |
Region: | Pauillac, Bordeaux |
Volume: | 750ml |
ABV: | 12.5% |
Grape(s): | Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot |
Acidity: | 3 |
Tannins: | 5 |
Sweetness: | 1 |
Body: | 4 |
Length: | 4 |
Aroma Intensity: | 4 |
Best Temperature: | 16-18°C |
Awards/Ratings
Noted by Robert Parker (Wine Advocate #109) as riper and textured but very tannic; Decanter review and multiple Christie's auction notes describe cedar, lead-pencil, black fruits and long ageing potential. Jeff Leve/Neal Martin tasting notes cited; generally regarded as a classic but backward 1990 requiring cellaring
Tasting Note
Closed but concentrated: cedar, lead-pencil, blackcurrant, tobacco, leather and mineral notes. Ripe core with firm, mouthsearing tannins and dusty oak; medium–full body and a long, austere finish—benefits from extended cellaring.
Food Pairing
Western: entrecôte, roasted lamb, venison, game, mushroom risotto. Asian: Peking/Cantonese roast duck, Korean BBQ (bulgogi), braised short ribs, soy-mushroom stir-fries.
Production Method
Traditional Bordeaux vinification: hand-harvest, destemming, fermentation in temperature-controlled vats, malolactic conversion and 18–20 months ageing in oak barrels (significant new oak).
Vineyard Info
Château Lafite-Rothschild, a First Growth (1855) in Pauillac, long-owned by the Rothschild family; renowned for gravel soils and Cabernet-led, long-lived wines.