WEINWISSER: "Mittleres Granat-Purpur, dezent ziegelroter Rand. Malziges Bouquet, Kirmesmandeln, dunkles Caramel, Butternoten, weit ausladend und erstaunlich zugänglich. Im zweiten Ansatz feinste Kräutertöne, trotz der Fülle gibt es auch ganz frische Komponenten mit drin. Im Gaumen wie ein eleganter Rioja (nicht abwertend gemeint!), malzige, schmelzende Tannine. Im Gegensatz zum Mouton und Latour war dies der reifste Wein. Er war aber auch der einzige Premier, welcher in der Normalflasche «daher kam». Das war eine geniale Delikatesse und er erinnert an die frühere delikate Süsse von alten, grossen Lafite-Jahrgängen. Eine superbe, tänzerische Delikatesse. Er hinterlässt keine Fragen – nur eine Antwort- das ist garantiert ein sinnlicher Jahrhundertwein."
WINESPECTATOR: "Intense aromas of blackberries, black licorice and currants, with mineral undertones. Full-bodied, with a solid core of tannins and a long, silky finish. Still holding back, but is concentrated and powerful. The 1996 is always talked about, but I think this is superior and will be in the future.--´95/´96 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2010. 20,000 cases made."
JAMES SUCKLING: "I pulled this lone bottle out of my cellar at the last minute to remind some Italian vintners of the great quality of the 1995 Bordeaux vintage. They seem to be finally opening up! What a red with incredible depth and finesse. Cedar, cigar box and toabaaco character with currants and fresh tobacco undertones. It´s full-bodied yet tight and dense. Precision. So refined and intense. Such freshness and beauty. Drink or hold."
ANTONIO GALLONI: "Dark ruby-red. Sappy, expressive aromas of cherry, plum, minerals, woodsmoke and game, plus an exotic suggestion of baked apple. Rather subtle on the attack, then quickly expands to fill the mouth. A big, deep, very rich vintage for Lafite, unusually generous at this early stage and extremely long on the aftertaste. But went into a shell with aeration, and showed a hint of tobacco leaf vegetility. Finishing notes of coconut, woodsmoke and tobacco add flavor interest."
THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Medium bodied with a strict, tannic edge, the nose is there, but on the palate, the wine falls short for a First Growth that sells for this much money. There is a good purity in the fruit, but the rustic edge to tannins really shows. I´d be a seller not a buyer of this vintage."
FALSTAFF: "Kräftiges Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, etwas aufgehellt, zarter Wasserrand. In der Nase zunächst feine Nuancen von Gewürzen und Schokolade, kandierte Orangenzesten, zart animalische Anklänge, der Anteil des Cabernet Franc wird spürbar. Am Gaumen saftige schwarze Beerenfrucht, feine, gut ausgereifte Tannine, wirkt leichtfüßig und delikat, zarte Nuancen von Heidelbeeren, etwas Nougat im Nachhall, hat seine Trinkreife erreicht, gefällt durch seine süße Zartheit und seinen Charme. ! Trinken +30 Jahre."
THE WINEADVOCATE: "The 1995 Lafite-Rothschild (only one-third of the harvest made it into the final blend) is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and 8% Cabernet Franc. The wine was showing spectacularly well when I tasted it in November, 1997. It exhibits a dark ruby purple color, and a sweet, powdered mineral, smoky, weedy cassis-scented nose. Beautiful sweetness of fruit is present in this medium-bodied, tightly-knit, but gloriously pure, well-delineated Lafite. The 1995 is not as powerful or as massive as the 1996, but it is beautifully made with outstanding credentials, in addition to remarkable promise. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2028."
