1987 Lafite-Rothschild, Pauillac

I would not be surprised to see this wine fill out with several additional years in the bottle, largely because Lafite is a notoriously bad performer in the first few years after bottling. Out of cask, the 1987 was the most complex wine I tasted from this vintage, but now, the nose seems only a fraction of what it was from cask. The lead-pencil, vanillin-scented, leafy, cedary bouquet is just beginning to emerge. In the mouth, the wine is light, displaying a soft, supple texture, some acidity, but little tannin. It will probably improve. (RP)