WEINWISSER: "Extrem dunkel, dichtes Purpur, schwarze Reflexe. In der tiefschürfenden Nase Rauch, Korinthen, getrocknetes Laub, Edelhölzer, kompakt und irgendwie nasal die Faust ballend, feinste Kräuternuancen und fermentierte Teeblätter, zarte Jod- und Torfnoten, also die erste Tertiärphase einläutend. Satter, fleischiger Gaumen, noch etwas blockiert im Fluss durch die sandigen, semi-arroganten Tannine, die sich von der Zunge her mit dem Rest des Mundes in einer umfassenden Adstringenz verbinden, wenig Charme, aber ein noch unglaubliches Potenzial. Noch nicht in der ersten Reife, aber – zumindest mit dieser Flasche – den Wunsch zeigend, einmal zu den tanninreichen Vorbildern wie 1928 und 1945 gehören zu wollen. Ein bewegender, aber auch arbeitsamer Schluck. Irgendwie ist er das Gegenteil eines Lafites, weil er wie ein reicher Bauer mit Brokatweste daherkommt."
WINESPECTATOR: "A firm, young wine. Dark ruby color. Intense aromas of blackberry and mint. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long finish. Still needs time.--Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2003."
DECANTER: "We are in perfectly-aged claret territory here, the most beautiful impression of a wine at its plateau. It´s perfectly ready to drink and is still generous, with a long life ahead of it. Its spicy notes, touches of pencil lead and still-concentrated cassis combine with menthol, buttery leather and that classic Médoc saline, mineral-edged flourish - this is the height of well-aged Cabernet Sauvignon."
JAMES SUCKLING: "If awards were given out for slow to develop wines, clearly this is a contender for the trophy. With coaxing, the leafy herbs, tobacco leaf, cedar, gravel, cigar box and cassis come to the surface. Medium/full-bodied, with a reserved red fruit character, there is an old-school, herbal accent to the spicy red fruits in the finish. I am not sure when this will hit full-maturity, but I feel the pain of anyone that purchased this as a future or on release."
THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Power, intensity, waves of ripe, black fruits all backed up by a wall of tannin, this is a stunner. It has everything a wine needs for magnificence. All that is missing is cold cellar and a patient owner because the wine at close to 35 years of age still needs at least another decade to come around. Perhaps the wine will hit its prime time drinking window by its 50th birthday. They do not make the like they used to. Which is a good thing, as I feel sorry for consumers that bought this as a Future for drinking in their lifetime."
FALSTAFF: "Kräftiges Karmingranat, breiter Ockerrand, Orangereflexe. In der Nase feine tabakige Nuancen, zarte rotbeerige Nuancen, mit etwa Luft feuchtes Unterholz, Noten von Brombeeren und reifen Kirschen. Am Gaumen dunkle Beeren, frisch strukturiert, mineralischer Touch, wirkt kernig, die Tannine sind noch immer etwas fordernd, rotbeeriger Frucht im Nachhall, zitroniger Touch im Finish, ein Grenzgänger zwischen altem Stil und neuer Zeit, hier ist nach wie Geduld geboten."
THE WINEADVOCATE: "Tasted at the château, the 1986 Lafite-Rothschild continues to offer an exquisite bouquet at 30 years of age. This is beautifully defined, still full of energy, with copious blackberry, clove, leather and graphite aromas that seem to gain momentum in the glass. The palate is extremely well balanced with a crystalline quality, filigree tannin, perfectly pitched acidity, a quintessential Lafite-Rothschild with a sense of energy and focus undiminished by time. This finish displays immense purity and refinement, one of the most mineral-driven Lafites that I have encountered, whilst the aftertaste seems to linger for over one minute. It must rank as one of the finest wines from the estate. Tasted July 2016."
