Tasted from magnum, the 1959 Château Lafite is extraordinary, majestic stuff that’s so rich and opulent, I wouldn’t guess Lafite in a blind tasting. A mammoth bouquet of flowery incense, orange blossom, and exotic red, black, and blue fruits literally jumps from the glass, and with air, it shows more classic Pauillac lead pencil and tobacco nuances. Deep, full-bodied, and incredibly opulent on the palate, it’s fully mature and I suspect drinking at point, yet this is a wine that will still be enjoyable at age 100.

Full medium red with an amber edge. Ineffable aromas of red plum, raw currant, cedar and menthol. Offers an extraordinary combination of silky texture and brilliant acidity and snap. A wine of great extract and penetrating sweetness. Finishes with big, noble tannins and great persistence. A fabulous vintage for Lafite that rarely disappoints. Drink now through 2025.

Tasted at “Fook Lam Moon” in Hong Kong. One of the great wines of the vintage, this bottle is very similar to the one poured in Bordeaux a couple of years ago. A quintessential Pauillac nose with that pencil box bouquet that soars from the glass with cedar and a touch of sandalwood. Great vivacity here. The palate is very focused with amazing symmetry with touches of mint and even liquorice on the almost sorbet-fresh finish. Very compact...it takes about 30 minutes for this wine to really unfurl. Tasted November 2011.

– eRobertParker.com, Jan 2012

Wonderfully deep blackish crimson considering the thin brick rim. Fully mature nose with extraordinary allure. Mouthfilling generosity of flavour with lovely sprightly Lafite life. Still some very background tannins. This still has lots to give. (JR)

Drunk from magnum, the 1959 Lafite Rothschild is one of this château's finest vintages of the postwar period, and this example was as good a bottle as I've ever encountered. Blossoming in the glass with aromas of sweet red berry fruit, pencil shavings, potpourri and cigar box, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, exhibiting terrific mid-palate plentitude while remaining quintessentially suave and elegant. Served alongside the compelling 1959 Ausone, it was impossible to choose a favorite.

I have tasted this wine several times over the past few years, and each bottle has blown me away. Now almost 60 years old, it still has a deep, rich colour that has barely budged since my last visit. Perfectly balanced, it barely tastes older than the 1982 and displays the cedar signature of Lafite coupled with truffles, graphite and still-rich cassis and bilberry fruits. There's something more besides, that's hard to pinpoint but elevates the whole experience - maybe it's the mouthwatering persistency and the dancing minerality. 1959 saw a warm and sunny start to the season, with cold nights (particularly in April) followed by a very hot July and sunny but cooler August. It was a perfect harvest, with the grapes brought in under heat. They had relatively low acidity when they were picked, which has not in any way held it back from ageing with grace and poise, and I wouldn't bet against this carrying on serenely for another half-century. Looking back, Baron Eric feels it was the year the marked the change towards riper-styled vintages in the 20th century. I have just read a Washington Post article from 1979, by the way, when this 1959 was the star of a three-decade vertical of Lafite - you can consistently find the same result in dozens of articles over the years. Fitting then that this was the year that cellarmaster Georges Revelle received the Legion of Honour. Drinking Window: 2018 - 2040
Tasted by: Jane Anson (at Château Lafite Rothschild, 24 May 2018)
Part of Best Bordeaux anniversary buys: From 10-60 years

Drunk from magnum, the 1959 Lafite Rothschild is one of this château's finest vintages of the postwar period, and this example was as good a bottle as I've ever encountered. Blossoming in the glass with aromas of sweet red berry fruit, pencil shavings, potpourri and cigar box, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, exhibiting terrific mid-palate plentitude while remaining quintessentially suave and elegant. Served alongside the compelling 1959 Ausone, it was impossible to choose a favorite. 100pts WK Dec 2023
Tasted 9 Times With Consistent Notes Except For One Corked Magnum

The 1959 is unquestionably the greatest Lafite-Rothschild that has approached full maturity. It remains to be seen whether vintages such as 1982, 1986, and 1990 will reach a similar height. The super-aromatic bouquet of flowers, black truffles, cedar, lead pencil, and red fruits is followed by one of the most powerful and concentrated Lafites I have tasted. Medium to full-bodied, velvety-textured, rich, and pure, it is a testament to what this great estate can achieve when it hits the mark. This youthful wine will last for another 30 or more years.

99pts Robert Parker (Wine Advocate #95, Oct 1994)