WINESPECTATOR: "Supple and harmonious already, with inviting, almost plush blackberry, plum and fig fruit notes carried by fine-grained, lightly cedary structure. Black tea and sandalwood flash on the finish. Poised now, but has the stuffing for more time in bottle. Drink now through 2020."
WINE ENTHUSIAST: "Elegance in a glass, this is very upright in structure with enticing acidity and black berry fruits. It has weight as well as richness. No question about the aging potential of this superb wine."
DECANTER: "This vintage had the bottle engraved with the Chinese symbol for 8, to commemorate the planting of the Penglai vineyards in China. Just starting to really open up, it has the sappy, lean and savoury character of Cabernet Sauvignon from classical years where terroir speaks so strongly. I like this hugely – subtle, beautiful. A smoky edge, cold ash or gun smoke rather than cigar, flint, a menthol finish. Still just settling in, this is starting to offer up its more subtle aromatics, and the pencil lead, cedar edge against spicy cassis notes delivers the refined classified Médoc character that makes these wines so sought after year in year out. 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc."
JAMES SUCKLING: "Minerals, tar and sous bois with dark fruit. Sweet tobacco. Black licorice. Full and chewy with lots of fruit but very reserved. So much mineral and sweet tobacco. It is all there. Give it four to five years of bottle age before beginning to explore the wine."
ANTONIO GALLONI: "Full ruby-red with a purple tinge. Crushed cassis, blackberry, violet, cedar and graphite on the very fresh, complex nose. Juicy, spicy and penetrating, with lovely harmonious acids providing great clarity and cut to the black fruit and graphite flavors. Still youthfully closed and very mineral. Finishes pure and extremely long, with very fine tannins. This may yet turn out to be the wine of the vintage, but it will require patience."
THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Elegant, refined, pure, focused, vibrant, fresh and classic in its nature, it is easy to discern the cedar, tobacco leaf, lead pencil cassis and blackberry nuances, with just a little effort. On the palate, the wine offers refinement and purity, with a silky, yet energetic, bright edge. Give this 12-15 more years to develop. The wine was made from blending 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc."
FALSTAFF: "Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe. In der Nase Nuancen von Cassis, frische Brombeeren, feiner Edelholztouch, angenehmer Schokoladenanklang. Am Gaumen komplex, feine schwarze Beerenfrucht, reife Tannine, frische Struktur, die Mineralik steht im Vordergrund, ein toller Speisenwein mit sicherem Reifepotenzial."
JEB DUNNUCK: "The 2008 Lafite-Rothschild is one of the few wines that’s still obviously closed and backward, yet nevertheless shows incredible potential. Made from a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, and 4% Cabernet Franc (which is more Merlot than normal), it offers textbook Lafite elegance and class in its perfume of lead pencil, cedarwood, cigar smoke, and mineral-laced black fruits. Playing in the medium to full-bodied spectrum, it’s deceivingly concentrated and powerful due to its perfect balance and purity as well as weightless texture. Hide bottles for 4-5 years and enjoy this classic Lafite over the following 30 years or so."
THE WINEADVOCATE: "A candidate for the -wine of the vintage,- the 2008 should have been purchased before it began to soar in value because of the significance of the number 8 in the Chinese culture (denoting good luck). Representing 40% of the production, this blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc offers aromas of high quality unsmoked cigar tobacco, lead pencil shavings, creme de cassis, earth, cedar and asphalt. Full, rich and stunningly concentrated, I doubt it is inferior to the 2010, just more classic as well as slightly more forward and a degree weaker in alcoholic potency (12.5% versus 13.5%). The 2008 should be relatively drinkable in 6-10 years as it is already showing remarkable complexity and breed, and will last for 30-35 years...at the minimum."
