This really belied its bad reputation, being from a rain-soaked vintage and all - I thought it was quite beautiful on the night. The bottle looked in pretty good shape. Popped and poured, the wine still retained a dark brownish colour with a bricking rim in the glass. It had an intriguing nose, with sweet maraschino cherries and some brown sugar notes garlanded with rose petals, orchids, maybe a touch of jasmine - a really floral, perfumed bouquet, with just the tiniest hint of funky earth and a little lift of cinamon spice running behind. A great nose. The palate still had a beautiful, feminine Lafite feel to it. Again though, there were those unusual red fruited notes, with fresh cherries and raspberries, and then more rose petals, all laced with silky tannins and fresh acidity. The midpalate had a distinct coconut water and pandan leaf tawng to it, flavours which were especially clear just before the fresh, gentle finish set in with the littlest pinpricks of mineral and spice amidst the panda leaf and red fruit accents. Clearly past its prime, bit I found this very enjoyable, if just a little puzzling with its unusual flavour profile. It started sliding after an hour or so, but remained a really enjoyable wine all the way up to that point.

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Given the overblown praise for the 1961, 1966, and 1970 Lafites, it seems as though the 1964, a wine obviously made after the rains, is a wine that has taken more criticism than it deserves. Not that it is sublime or profound, but it has consistently shown a chunky, fruity character, and a whiff of some of Lafite's fabulous bouquet. Anticipated maturity: Now. Last tasted, 7/82.

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