Category:
 
Red Wines
Sub-Category:  
 
Red Wines
Producer:
 
Lafite
Label Name:
 
Pauillac 1er Cru
Vintage:
 
1986
Country:
 
France
Region:
 
Pauillac, Bordeaux
Volume:
 
1500ml
ABV:
 
12.5%
Grape(s):
 
Cabernet Sauvignon 69%, Cabernet Franc 16%, Merlot 15%
Method:
 
Parcel vinification with ~20-day maceration, malolactic fermentation, barrel aging ~18–20 months in French oak (high new-oak proportion), then blended from selected barrels.
Acidity:
 
4
Tannins:
 
4
Sweetness:
 
1
Body:
 
5
Length:
 
5
Aroma Intensity:
 
5
Best Temperature:
 
16-18
Tasting Note:
 
Concentrated yet elegant blackcurrant and dark cherry, cedar, graphite and tobacco with leather and dried herbs; silky, refined tannins, pronounced minerality and a long, precise, lingering finish—classic Pauillac poise.
Food Pairing:
 
Western: roast lamb, beef tenderloin, venison, aged hard cheeses. Asian: Peking duck, char siu, Korean BBQ short ribs, beef rendang, braised oxtail.
Vineyard Info:
 
Château Lafite Rothschild, an 18th‑century First Growth in Pauillac (~110–112 ha), flagship of the Rothschild estate, renowned for elegant, long‑lived Bordeaux.
Awards/Ratings:
 
Highly rated: Neal Martin (Vinous) ~98/100; William Kelley / Wine Advocate c. 95–96; Falstaff 95–97; consistently lauded in tastings and sought-after at auction