Source www.lafite.com

The quality of Château Lafite Rothschild needs no introduction. As early as 1815, Abraham Lawton had already designated it as leader: “I ranked it as being the most elegant and delicate, with the finest body of the three (leading wines)” he qualified in 1855. As to Château Lafite's attributes found in all vintages, it was an enlightened amateur that summed it up best by saying “...whatever the case, all the Château Lafite wines have an almond and violet aroma!”

Grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon 80 to 95%, Merlot 5 to 20%, Cabernet franc and Petit Verdot 0 to 5%. Note that there are a few differing cases such as vintage 1994: 99% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Petit Verdot, vintage 1961: 100% of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Length of ageing in oak barrels: 18 to 20 months in 100% new barrels.

Average annual production: 15,000 to 20,000 cases.

“Dominio de Pingus is located in the La Horra region of Ribera del Duero. Owner/winemaker, Peter Sisseck, an oenologist originally from Denmark, started the estate in 1995. … Flor de Pingus is sourced from a number of small parcels located in the La Horra zone. The vines are all over 35 years of age and have been farmed biodynamically since 2005. They are either owned or rented by Peter Sisseck, so Flor de Pingus always comes from the same pieces of ground. In that sense it is not a second wine but there is no question that is a very close approximation of Pingus at a fraction of the price. That makes it a relative bargain in the scheme of things. The wine is 100% Tempranillo typically aged for 14 months in new French barriques.
The first vintage of Pingus was in 1995. The estate has been biodynamically farmed since 2000 and, according to Sisseck, has never been treated with fertilizer or pesticides. The Pingus vines are all at least 65 years of age and yields are typically under 1 ton per acre. The wines, made from 100% Tempranillo, are bottled without fining or filtration.

The 2008 Flor de Pingus had been in bottle for 2 weeks when I tasted it. It offers up an enticing nose of smoke, Asian spices, incense, espresso, black cherry, and blackberry. On the palate it displays outstanding volume, intensity, and balance. Rich, dense, and succulent, it has enough structure to evolve for 4-5 years and will offer prime drinking from 2015 to 2028. RATING: 96

The 2008 Pingus had just been bottled when I tasted it. Deep purple in color, it sports a splendid aromatic array of smoke, mineral, Asian spices, incense, lavender, and black cherry. On the palate it exhibits outstanding volume, intense fruit, power combined with elegance, and a long, smooth finish. It is a complete, virtually seamless wine that might one day achieve perfection. Give it 5-7 years of cellaring and drink it from 2016 to 2033. RATING: 99 "