Wine Advocate 100/100 The 2003 Lafite Rothschild comes as close to perfection as any of the great Lafites made over the past three decades (1982, 1986, 1996, 2000, 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2010). This sensational effort came in at 12.7% natural alcohol; it is made in the style of one of this estate’s great classics, the 1959. Composed of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it exhibits a dense ruby/purple colour to the rim and a luxurious bouquet of cedarwood, lead pencil shaving, white chocolate, cocoa and cassis. This noble wine has a bountiful, generous, heady style: fat, rich, opulent and full-bodied with low acidity and stunning seductiveness and complexity. It is just coming into its plateau of maturity, where it should hold for 20-25 years. This is one of the candidates for the wine of the vintage – make no mistake about that. These are two great successes in this vintage that have aged well and surprised me with their intensity and overall complexity. Drink 2014 - 2039 Robert M. Parker, Jr., Wine Advocate (August 2014)