I have never been a huge fan of this Lafite but it seems to be coming into its own now. It's a wine with a character of cloves and berries with hints plums. It shows loads of potpourri. Roses too. Full and so balanced. Tight and youthful. The winemaker at Lafite says that when he wants to show someone a perfect example of Pauillac this is the Lafite he pours. Maybe he is right?

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. (CC)

The 1989 Château Lafite-Rothschild is an outstanding example of the vintage and this is one of my favorite wines from this very, very successful decade at this great property. The bouquet is pure and nicely ripe with the vintage’s generosity, wafting from the glass in a complex blend of cassis, black cherries, tobacco leaf, a beautiful base of gravelly soil, a touch of fresh herbs and a very well-done framing of toasty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very suave on the attack, with impeccable focus and balance, a lovely core of black fruit, fine soil signature and a long, seamlessly tannic and complex finish. Just a lovely, lovely vintage of Lafite.