The usual suspects — Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Carignan — come together to form a more muscular and sophisticated version of Les Deux Rives (also reviewed this week). Deeper and more concentrated, it conveys the similar attractive combination of spice and black fruit flavors. Despite its size, the tannins are polished (not surprisingly, as it is from the Lafite stable) making it more suave than rustic. This is a more “serious” wine with greater complexity — a beguiling combination of minerality, fruitiness and earthiness — at an excellent price.
Domaines Baron Rothschild Lafite, Corbières (Languedoc, France) 2008
By Michael Apstein