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.

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. Read more at:https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/wine-tasting-note/?vintage=2008&wine=Chateau%20Lafite%20Rothschild

Tasted ex-château and single blind in Southwold. Pick of the First Growth's perchance? The 2008 has a beautiful classic Pauillac nose with pure blackberry graphite and sous-bois aromas that demonstrates supreme great intensity and delineation. The palate is very structured complex with very fine and rigid tannins. There is a beguiling sense of symmetry and focus here with great persistency on the finish (which has an almost Saint Julien-like personality). Very sophisticated. Tasted January 2012.

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.

Extremely Cabernet dominant, with savoury black fruit and a ton of Pauillac character. A fairly reserved, finely-boned Lafite, with menthol and tobacco leaf. Subdued right now but in it for the long haul. The vintage with the Chinese symbol for eight engraved on the bottle, to commemorate the planting of the Long Dai vineyard in China - a fact that made the price of this bottle shoot up when it was released. Harvest October 1 to 14. 40% of overall production.

(94+ points) 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 2008 Lafite Rothschild put in a strange showing at the previous horizontal just a few weeks earlier. This bottle is much better. It has a deep color with little ageing on the rim. On the nose there is ample fruit, blackberry and bilberry with notes of pencil lead and sage, but overall there is just more intensity than the previous bottle. The palate is well balanced with fine grain tannin and good density, a facet occasionally lacking in Lafite-Rothschild. There is just a touch of brown sugar and sage towards the finish that fortunately does not attenuate like the previous bottle. This is much more representative and whilst not the best First Growth of the vintage, it certainly shows more sophistication and class even if it does not match its more stellar showings just after bottling. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 10-Year On tasting. -- Neal Martin

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. -JM