Chateau Latour

Always somewhat atypical (which I suspect will be the case with the more modern day 2003), the 1982 Latour has been the most opulent, flamboyant, and precocious of the northern Medocs, especially the St.-Juliens, Pauillacs, and St.-Estephes. It hasn't changed much over the last 10-15 years, revealing sweet tannins as well as extraordinarily decadent, even extravagant levels of fruit, glycerin, and body. It is an amazing wine, and on several occasions, I have actually picked it as a right bank Pomerol because of the lushness and succulence of the cedary, blackberry, black currant fruit. This vintage has always tasted great, even in its youth, and revealed a precociousness that one does not associate with this Chateau. However, the 1982 is still evolving at a glacial pace. The concentration remains remarkable, and the wine is a full-bodied, exuberant, rich, classic Pauillac in its aromatic and flavor profiles. It's just juiced up (similar to an athlete on steroids) and is all the better for it. This remarkable effort will last as long as the 1982 Mouton, but it has always been more approachable and decadently fruity. Drink it now, in 20 years, and in 50 years! Don't miss it if you are a wine lover.

The 1982 Latour was dense, ruby/purple with incredible opulence and sweetness of fruit, beautifully ripe tannin, and a long, layered finish that went well past a minute. 1982 is a legend and a more modern-day version of the 1961.

This is an unusual Latour in the fact that it has always been precocious.It has been jammy, forward, and delicious no matter when the cork was pulled, in total contrast to its two Pauillac first-growth siblings, Mouton Rothschild and Lafite Rothschild.The dense, opaque garnet-coloured 1982 Latour reveals slight amber at the edge. Sweet, smokey, roasted aromas in the nose combine with jammy levels of black currant, cherry and prune-like fruit. It possesses extroadinary concentration and unctuosity, with a thick, fat texture oozing notes of cedar wood, tobacco, coffee, and overripe fruit. Low acidity as well as high alcohol (for Bordeaux) give the wine even more glycerin and textural chewiness. The finish lasts forever.The only Latour that remotely resembles the 1982 is the 1961, which has a similar texture and succulence. Anticipated maturity :now-2040

As I indicated in the review of the 1982 Bordeaux, this is an unusual Latour in the fact that it has always been precocious. It has been jammy, forward, and delicious no matter when the cork was pulled, in total contrast to its two first-growth siblings, Mouton Rothschild and Lafite-Rothschild. The dense, opaque garnet-colored 1982 Latour reveals slight amber at the edge. Sweet, smoky, roasted aromas in the nose combine with jammy levels of black currant, cherry, and prune-like fruit. It possesses extraordinary concentration and unctuosity, with a thick, fat texture oozing notes of cedar wood, tobacco, coffee, and over-ripe fruit. Low acidity as well as high alcohol (for Bordeaux) give the wine even more glycerin and textural chewiness. The finish lasts forever. The only Latour that remotely resembles the 1982 is the 1961, which has a similar texture and succulence. Anticipated maturity: now-2040

For the last 3 or 4 years, the 1982 Latour has begun to look like a clone of the magnificently opulent 1961. The 1982 continues to surge in quality, moving from strength to strength. If I were going to pull the cork for pure pleasure on any of the Big 8 (5 first growths plus Ausone,Cheval Blanc, and Petrus), it would be on this wine. Still an infant in terms of development, the wine displays extraordinary richness, ripeness, and the beginning of that compelling Latour perfume of cassis, cedar, walnuts, and minerals. Extremely full bodied, concentrated, and thick, this viscous, chewy, large-scaled wine is also amazingly soft. Huge levls of tannin are concealed beyond the layers of fruit. More and more, I am convinced that thisis another unqualified legend of the vintage. If readers only have 1 or 2 bottles stashed away, I suggest waiting until 2002-2003 before doing the deed. Save the other until2020. This could be a 50-60 year wine

You can say whatever you like about the quality of the First Growth 1982s, but if there is one common theme that comes up again and again is that if you are lucky enough to compare them side-by-side, there is one that reigns over them all. Chateau Latour. Here it retains that amazing bouquet that stops you in your tracks: black fruit, graphite, crushed stone and a touch of smoke, all with breathtaking precision. The palate is medium-bodied with a symmetry and focus that leaves the others behind (Lafite coming the closest here.) There is a confidence to this wine, not so much a swagger but an effortless quality that leaves no questions unanswered.

Open earthy, round leather and truffle aromas with soft red fruits, cherry and strawberry, sous bois and mushroom, damp earth, very good long complex, soft and elegant. Slightly disappointing length. Drink 2002-2025Date tasted 7th July 09

Almost as great as the 1982. Dense and luscious with amazingly deep plum, blackberry and chocolate aromas and flavors. Full-bodied and full tannins. A wine with a terrific future. Try after 1998.--The Bordeaux 50. (JS) 95points

This wine was tasted at a vertical tasting held in Charlotte, North Carolina several days before the Christie tasting. The Latour staff spoke far more highly of the 1989 than my experience has shown.

It possesses many characteristics that make great vintages of Bordeaux so alluring - softness, overripeness, and sweet fruit. The problem is that there are insufficient quantities of these components.

An evolved dark ruby color reveals amber at the edge. The nose offers aromas of caramel, coffee, ripe black cherry and currant fruit, cedar, and spice box. Although medium-bodied, with low acidity, the wine lacks richness in the mid-palate, and is surprisingly abrupt in the finish. It is a very fine, delicious Latour, but it is hard to believe it will attain the weight and flavor dimensions its producers suggest. Anticipated maturity: now-2020.

A beauty, the opaque, dense-purple coloured 1995 exhibits jammy cassis, vanilla, and minerals in its fragrant but still youthful aromatics. Medium to full-bodied with exceptional purity, superb concentration, and a long, intense, ripe, 40 second finish, this is a magnificent example of Latour.As the wine sat in the glass, scents of roasted expresso and toasty new oak emerged.This classic will require considerable cellaring. Anticipated maturity 2012-2050.

A beauty, the opaque dense purple-colored 1995 exhibits jammy cassis, vanillin, and minerals in its fragrant but still youthful aromatics. Medium to full-bodied, with exceptional purity, superb concentration, and a long, intense, ripe, 40-second finish, this is a magnificent example of Latour. As the wine sat in the glass, scents of roasted espresso and toasty new oak emerged. This classic will require considerable cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2050.

I have been blown away by this wine on recent occasions, and all of my hopes for it being a prodigious example of Latour after bottling have proven to be correct. The wine is a more unctuously-textured, sweeter, more accessible Latour than the 1996. What a fabulous, profound wine this has turned out to be.
It is unquestionably one of the great wines of the vintage, and will probably need 10-12 years of cellaring before it can be approached. The wine reveals an opaque purple color, and a knock-out nose of chocolate, walnuts, minerals, spice, and blackberry and cassis fruit. Exceptionally full-bodied, with exhilarating level of glycerin, richness, and personality, this wine, despite its low acidity, possesses extremely high levels of tannin to go along with its equally gargantuan proportions of fruit. It is a fabulous Latour that should age effortlessly for 40-50 years.

k licorice, cedar, cigar box and fresh herbs. Full-bodied and very structured, with firm, silky tannins and a long finish. Needs time.--'95/'96 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2009

Deep garnet-brick in color, the nose is well developed, displaying dried berry, leather, vanilla pod and anise notes with a faint whiff of potpourri. The palate is wonderfully fleshy and opulent with velvety, approachable tannins and a long finish.

A flavourful, savoury Latour, without a great deal of density or power, the 1997 exhibits sweet, walnut-tinged, black currant fruit intertwined with minerals and subtle wood. Nicely textured, black currant fruit intertwined with minerals and subtle wood. Nicely textured with adequate acidity, ripe tannin, and a medium-bodied finish, this smooth effort should drink well for 10 years.

A flavorful, savory Latour, without a great deal of density or power, the 1997 exhibits sweet, walnut-tinged, black currant fruit intertwined with minerals and subtle wood. Nicely-textured, with adequate acidity, ripe tannin, and a medium-bodied finish, this smooth effort should drink well for 12-14 years. Drink 2000-2014

It is composed of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. This deep ruby/purple-colored claret offers up evolved aromas of cranberry jam intertwined with black currants and Latour's tell-tale, intense minerality. By Latour's standards it is neither immense nor massive, but rather, elegant with a sweet, ripe attack, velvety tannin, medium body, and a round, graceful, stylish finish. This beautifully knit, harmonious Latour is already evolved for such a young age. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2018

A brilliant offering, which should be drinkable much earlier than the blockbuster 2000, the 2001 Latour boasts an inky/ruby/purple color to the rim as well as a glorious bouquet of black currants, crushed stones, vanilla, and hints of truffles and oak. A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance primarily Merlot with a touch of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it reveals a sweetness on the palate that is atypical for such a young Latour. The beautiful integration of tannin, acidity, and wood is stunning. The wine flows across the palate with fabulous texture, purity, and presence. This luscious, full-bodied Latour was surprisingly open-knit on the three occasions I tasted it from bottle. However, do not mistake its aging ability as this 2001, despite its precociousness, will last 20-25 years. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2025.

The grand vin's final blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 2%Petit Verdot, and 1% Cabernet Franc constitutes 53% of the total production. The saturated ruby/plurple-coloured 2001 Latour boasts sweet black currant fruit aromas, plenty of extract, density and volume, and a tangy, vibrant fruit character. It does not possess the size of the 2000 or 1996, but it may turn out more aromatic and evolved than those two vintages. One of the finest efforts of the vintage, it is the first wine made in Latour's new state -of-the-art cellar. Anticipated maturity:2008-2025.

Only 53% of the production made it into the 2001 Latour, which is nearly 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, the balance primarily Merlot with a touch of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. The wine is elegant and somewhat in the racy, noble 1999 style, but with seemingly more density as well as tannin. The first wine made in Latour's new state-of-the-art wine cellar, it exhibits sweet black fruit intermixed with minerals, an attractive, relatively evolved perfume for this blue blood Pauillac, and tremendous purity, texture, and depth. It is not a blockbuster by any means, so anyone expecting a wine the size of Latour's 2000 or 1996 will be disappointed. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2022.

The saturated ruby/purple-colored 2001 Latour boasts sweet black currant fruit aromas, plenty of extract, density, and volume, and a tangy, vibrant fruit character. It does not possess the size of the 1996 or 2000, but it may turn out more aromatic and evolved than those two vintages. This is one of the finest efforts of the vintage. It is the first wine made in Latour's new state-of-the-art cellar. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2025.

Latour's harvest occurred between October 1-10. Administrator Frederic Engerer sees similarities in the quality of the Cabernet Sauvignon fruit with that harvested in 1996. The grand vin's final blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, and 1% Cabernet Franc constitutes 53% of the total production.

Tasted blind at the chateau, the 2001 continues to be an exceptional wine, one of the finest in the vintage. It has a wonderful, graphite-tinged nose that unfurls beautifully with blackberry and touch of dried orange peel with more noticeable cigar box aromas than I have noticed before. The palate displays superb definition with fine but rigid tannins and crisp acidity. It is not a powerful Latour, but one that is very refined and controlled. In another ten years, it will be ranked against the 2000 and who knows, it may even match it. Outstanding.

Some hint of brick at the rim. Sweet and occluded on the nose. Big and bloody, this certainly delivers a punch though it’s far from refined at this point. Lots of dusty tannins. Opened up well in the glass and was very confident so I marked it up by half a point. Pretty tough style! I initially took it for La Mission.

Deep garnet colored, the nose is open and expressive even at this youthful stage, giving notes of black berry and black cherry compote, potpourri and anise with hints of sandalwood and cloves. The palate is drinking beautifully now (though with loads more to give), offering a high level of ripe, velvety tannins, enlivening acid and just enough fruit concentration, finishing long.

Administrator Frederic Engerer says the 2003 is ""the sexiest Latour ever made."" He also described it as ""the 1990 without any brettanomyces."" I loved this wine from the barrel and was fortunate enough to be able to purchase a small quantity, enjoying every bottle I have had. A profound example of Chateau Latour, the full-bodied, opulent 2003 is already performing well at age eleven, which is somewhat atypical. The pH is a relatively high 3.8, which also indicates low acidity. The wine is very ripe, but not over-ripe, offers great freshness, and lots of creme de cassis and camphor as well as hints of blackberries and chocolate. Dense, thick and unctuously textured, this staggering Latour is undeniably the most sumptuous, opulent wine made here since the 1982 or 1961. Drink it over the next two decades. Drink: 2014 - 2034

My taste suggested that this is one of the all-time great Latours from a ripe vintage, but a style that is lavish while not over-the-top. The 2003 will need to be watched with care, as it seems to be on a relatively fast evolutionary track. Nevertheless, it is a spectacular wine and one of the great Bordeaux of this vintage along with Montrose and Lafite Rothschild. These three wines achieve perfection.

There are only 10,800 cases (rather than the normal 15,000-20,000) of the 2003 Latour, a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot (13.3% finished alcohol). A prodigious effort, it boasts a saturated purple color as well as a gorgeous perfume of smoke, cedar, creme de cassis, flowers, crushed rocks, and blackberries. Massive and multi-layered, with huge richness and low acidity, it is about as unctuous as a young Latour can be. It could be compared to the 1982, but it may be even more pure, at least at this early stage, than that monumental wine. The level of intensity builds prodigiously in the mouth, and the finish lasts nearly a minute. Disarmingly accessible (although analytically the tannin level is high), I suspect it will ultimately shut down, but it was performing impeccably when I tasted it. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2040+.

What can one say about proprietor Francois Pinault and his manager, Frederic Engerer? A strong argument can be made that in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004, Latour produced the wine of the vintage, although it has plenty of competition in the Northern Medoc in 2003. Moreover, the bargains are the estate’s least expensive cuvee, Pauillac, followed by Les Forts de Latour, Latour’s second wine which continues to increase in quality.

Unusual because of its extraordinary opulence, voluptuous texture, and almost over-the-top thickness and richness, the 2003 Latour is somewhat reminiscent of the 1982. This amazingly profound wine (only 10,500 cases made of a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot) has an inky/purple color and a wonderfully sweet, almost exotic nose of black fruits intermixed with some scorched earth, fig, plum, and blackberry liqueur. It is a massive, multi-layered wine, with enormous quantities of glycerin and richness, low acidity, elevated alcohol (13%), and a huge, unctuous texture. It is unusual to find Latour so friendly and accessible with such huge levels of soft, sweet tannin, but the fact is that most of these tannins are concealed by massive layers of fruit and extract. This is truly a compelling Latour, if somewhat atypical. I remember how the 1982 tasted early on, and this wine is built somewhat along those lines, but potentially even richer. The finish just goes on and on, and although I didn’t clock it, the aftertaste lingers well past a minute. This wine will be surprisingly accessible young, but age effortlessly for three to four decades.

One of the three greatest young Bordeaux I have ever tasted Chateau Latour’s 2003 is one of the candidates for “wine of the vintage” (Latour’s 2002 is the wine of the vintage in my opinion). This great estate has produced a freakishly rich, concentrated Pauillac revealing no evidence of over-ripeness or too much weight. A blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, only 53% of the production made it into the 2003 Latour, which tips the scales at 13% alcohol. Manager Frederic Engerer told me that 6% press wine was added to the final blend. The Merlot harvest occurred between September 8 - 13, and the Cabernet Sauvignon between September 22 - 30. This remarkable effort boasts a black/purple color in addition to an extraordinary bouquet of creme de cassis, blackberries, and subtle sweet oak in the background. A massive, multilayered texture inundates the palate with a seamless wealth of glycerin, extract, and richness. Tasters must search especially hard to find the structure and tannin. In that sense, the 2003 is reminiscent of how the 1982 performed at the same age. Tasted next to the undeniably great 2000 Latour, the 2003 came across as almost twice as concentrated, with a fruit presence that had to be tasted to be believed. In fact, I do not believe I have ever tasted a Latour like this. I wonder how the 1961 would have tasted at a similar period? Extraordinarily pure, with a finish that lasted over 70 seconds, this is a tour de force as well as a modern day legend in the making. Sadly, Latour’s small production means that only 10,000 cases will be produced. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2040?

Refined and beautiful. Intense aromas of blackberry, licorice, currant and mineral. Full Bodied with a long, long finish.

Thick yet elegant, with fantastic ripe tannins and exciting juicy fruit on the finish. This could be 1982 in the re-make but cleaner and classier.

Dark crimson. Glowing. Lovely depth, smoothness and glamour. This is the business! Long and fresh and wonderfully well balanced. (Average group score: 19)

As one might expect, this is the wine that seems set for the longest life of all among 2003 reds. Fiercely tense and taut in constitution it is in fact amazingly rich and sweet on the nose, with a hint of smoked meats - certainly an expression of the vintage as well as the estate. Indeed it is quite amazingly sweet on the palate entry with exceptional ripeness, followed by dry, sandy, savoury tannins. Very thick and solid. Round and even smooth and silky on the mid palate - and then extremely dense and chewy by the end. An unusual combination of Latour rigour and 2003 ripeness. Drink 2010-2025. Date tasted 7th April 05.

Very deep garnet in color, the 2003 Latour is vibrantly scented of red and black currants, blackberry preserves and Chinese dried plums with nuances of roses, cedar and yeast extract. The palate is beautifully balanced with the generous fruit harmoniously off-set by finely grained, firm tannins and refreshing acidity, finishing long and complex.

The 2005 Latour (87% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot and Petit Verdot) is a spectacular effort from Château Latour. It has an inky plum/purple color and a gorgeous nose of graphite, crème de cassis, and floral notes with some forest floor in the background. It is full-bodied, super-concentrated, and for my taste, probably one of the two or three most intense, rich, and complex wines of the entire Médoc. The wine has great texture, purity and a finish of close to 40 or 45 seconds. The tannins are surprisingly sweet, even in this large-scaled, masculine wine. Drink it over the next 50+ years. Drink 2015-2065.

Only 44% of the production made it into the dense ruby/purple-hued 2005 Latour, a powerful, backward, 12,000-case blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Petit Verdot and Merlot. As I wrote last year, this classic effort is built for the ages, and is largely destined to be drunk by our offspring rather than anyone over the age of 50 today. Complex aromas of crushed rocks, graphite, black cherries, creme de cassis, new saddle leather, and dried mushrooms are still tightly wound. The wine is full-bodied and powerful with exceptionally high tannin combined with zesty acidity, and laser-like focus. It will require 15 or more years of cellaring. I still prefer the 2003, but administrator Frederic Engerer says this “is more Latour.” Anticipated maturity: 2020-2060. Latour is always the most difficult Medoc first-growth to find, largely because the vineyard and production are much smaller than its’ peers and because of the severe selection routinely done by owner Francois Pinault and administrator Frederic Engerer.

The 2005 Latour has long been a formidable wine. I was granted the opportunity to re-taste the 2005 at the property after their estate released library reserves in February 2017. Now at twelve years of age, it has retained that riveting bouquet of black cherries and black plum, crème de cassis and graphite, although I find less of the latter compared to previous bottles (including the one tasted blind just three weeks earlier). The palate is very well balanced with blackberry, black plum, sea salt, a hint of balsamic, quite spicy in the mouth with a hint of cloves. There is immense weight and presence in the mouth, although I wonder whether the tannins are as fine as say the 2010 or even the nascent 2016 Latour tasted alongside? Either way, it remains a fabulous First Growth destined to last many, many years. Tasted March 2017. Drink 2020-2065.

The Château Latour 2005 has an outgoing and ebullient bouquet with blackberries, wild strawberry, minerals and wilted rose petals. It has great intensity and authority, a bouquet that is polished but not over-buffed. The palate is full-bodied with a silky smooth entry. The acidity is beautifully judged, layers of small red cherries, raspberry and cedar, with graphite revealed towards the long and persistent finish with startling architecture. Outstanding. Drink 2020 - 2060

Incredible aromas of currants and exotic fruit. Hints of chocolate and cigar box. Very complex already. Full-bodied, concentrated and velvety. Chewy and powerful. Pure fruit. This is superpowerful. It's like a tidal wave of fruit and perfect tannins on your palate. This is a Latour 2000 II. On it's way to 100 points.

Tasted blind. Blackish crimson. Edge of something charred. Big, bold fruit juice! Not at all complex yet. Just sheer power of ripeness. Chewy on the end. Difficult to read at this stage but there is some heat on the end.
Drink 2020-2045

Mid to dark ruby - a less impenetrable colour than I would have expected. Savoury, meaty nose. And then some unexpectedly polished tannins. This is far from the monster you might expect from the combination of property and vintage. Quite readable and fine. Quite a surprise. Marked acidity. The building blocks are there but they have yet to be put together. 13%
Drink 2020-2040

Very dark and polished. Tight and intense and very dry and mineral. Latour? Very lovely indeed. So opulent and yet fresh. Utterly complete and lands on the palate all over it and with equal pressure

Excellent depth of colour. Very intense and spicy. Intriguing - this is a wine that drags you in to the glass! Full, ample, wonderful grand spread across the palate. Such magnificence - rides over the palate. All lovely fine tannins and subtlety. No obvious alcohol - dense but not tricksy. Yet there is the squareness and rigour of Latour. Just 13.35 per cent alcohol. Deliberate choice not to go for monstrous alcohol. Very intense and extremely fine. Intense and funnily enough it reminds me a bit of Ausone. The focus of it... The density of it.... Smoky character - a bit of woodsmoke. Very dry tannins but not drying on the finish. Cool, restrained, less aromatic than the Margaux. But very solid. This wine may still be motoring along after the Margaux. Very mineral. Structured like 2004 but with more flesh. Drink 2018-40

Deep garnet colored, the 2005 Latour presents a wonderful combination of pure cassis, violet and toast notes with nuances of black olives, loam and pencil shavings. The palate offers wonderful richness, balance and seamless, going very long and layered in the finish.

The 2007 Latour (the first wine made in the newly renovated cellars) exhibits a dense ruby/purple color as well as a sweet, expansive bouquet of black fruits and spring flowers interwoven with a striking minerality. The wine's dense, medium to full-bodied flavors are surprisingly evolved, with soft tannins, an ample, generous mouthfeel, and an endearing texture. Undoubtedly one of the longest lived wines of the vintage, the 2007 Latour should last for two decades or more. Drink 2010-2030.

No tasting note given.

The 2007 Latour is the most recent late-release from the First Growth estate that abandoned en primeur after the 2011 vintage. Incidentally, this was the first vintage that Frédéric Engerer made with cellar technical director, Hélène Génin. "It was not an easy wine when it was young," he remarked when pouring the wine. Nevertheless, as it approaches ten years of age, the 2007 is finally entering its drinking plateau. It has a deep, quite lucid, dark garnet color. The nose is fresh and well defined. What I appreciate here is the focus, since 2007 was never a vintage to bestow power or immense complexity. Here, you wallow in lovely aromas of blackberry, bilberry and briary with that hint of black olive that I noticed four years ago when I last tasted it. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. It feels attractively saline, fresh and crisp, though not angular. Again, it is the focus and detail that enhances this vibrant Château Latour and its keen line of acidity lends it the freshness to become just about drinkable. The length is moderate, rather than extraordinarily long, though its pencil lead finish takes you straight to Pauillac thereby enhancing typicité. This is a fine Latour from an underrated vintage. Drink: 2017 - 2037

Tasted blind at the 2007 Bordeaux horizontal in Southwold. The Latour 2007 has a high-toned bouquet, the new oak more prominent than the others in this blind flight with scents of blackberry, black olive and just a hint of fresh dates lending it an atypical hint of opulence. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins, a touch of liquorice, segues into a juicy, generous finish that coats the mouth, but still primal and backward, perhaps yet to discover its personality? Give this 4-5 years at least.

The Latour 2007 includes 15% pressed wine, the most since 1999. Limpid purple/garnet core with pink rim. An attractive nose, thematically following the Les Forts de Latour with a certain femininity with an attractive brightness. Excellent delineation. Builds nicely in the glass when I return to it after ten minutes developing a slight briny note, almost oyster shell quality. The palate is full-bodied, firm robust tannins, not the fruit intensity of previous vintages, again a rather stripped down Latour but still with excellent balance and very focused. Graphite, cedar and smoke towards the finish that is drier finish than usual. A difficult Latour to warm to. Another wine that I will seek to taste closer to bottling. Tasted April 2008.

Very pretty and refined, with wonderful, silky tannin texture and ripeness. Full and harmonious, with lots of fruit at the end. A reserved and subtle wine

Highest percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon ever. Round and smooth and quite powerful. Very modern and easy – “Peynaud school of extraction”, according to Frédéric Engerer. Not flashy! But a bit like malted milk. Very soft as opposed to the usual Latour style. Very round. Represents 2007 but not especially Latour (cf Las Cases) . "We really tried to muscle it up as much as we could”, said Engerer (they included 16% press wine, much more than usual). But it’s not that fresh. Well made but extremely unusual – a bit like 2003 by Bollinger in that respect. Perhaps it should be called ‘2007 by Latour’, come to think of it? Drink 2014-23

Good full ruby-red. Fresh aromas of cassis, tobacco leaf, minerals, graphite and licorice. Sweet, dense and consistent from start to finish, with enticing flavors of dark berries and chocolate given good grip by firm but fine-grained, palate-saturating tannins. Very nicely balanced, supple wine with a rebound of flavor on the end. On the soft side by Latour standards but wonderfully suave.

The nose is action packed, a mass of powerful black fruits and this richness is very apparent on the plate. Layer upon layer of fruit gives complexity fleshed out by dark chocolate. Towards the back there is acidity from the black cherries and bilberries tending to lighten the finish

Black-red, full of crunchy, spicy fruit, with great purity and length, not yet showing the power of its 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, still almost a baby and will gain weight and depth in barrel and bottle. Drink 2014-25. 4 stars.

Proprietor Francois Pinault and his director, Frederic Engerer, have pulled out all the stops to produce one of the most monumental Latour's ever made. a Blend of 91.3% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8.7% Merlot with just under 14% natural alcohol, the 2009 Latour is basically a clone of the super 2003, only more structured and potentially more massive and long lived. An elixir of momentous proportions, it boasts a dense purple color as well as an extraordinarily flamboyant bouquet of black fruits, graphite, crushed rocks, subtle oak and notion of wet steel. It hits the palate with a thundering concoction of thick, juicy blue and black fruits, lead pencil shavings and a chalky minerality. Full-bodied, but very fresh with a finish that lasts over a minute, this is one of the most remarkable young wines I have ever tasted. Will it last one-hundred year? No doubt about it. Can it be drunk in a decade? For sure.

The 2009 Latour has off the charts concentration in addition to the highest level of tannin ever measured at the estate. The final blend was somewhat unusual in that it consists of 91.3% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8.7% Merlot, and clocked in at 13.7% alcohol (even higher than the 2003). Possibly a 100-year wine, it boasts an inky/black/purple color as well as an extraordinary perfume of super-intense blue and black fruits, graphite, and a liqueur of rocks-like minerality. Enormously full-bodied yet at the same time incredibly fresh, vibrant, and precise, it coats the mouth, and builds incrementally to skyscraper-like texture, and a whopping finish that lasts over a minute. This remarkable wine reveals a certain accessibility already, yet one senses that it will be even richer, more nuanced, and fuller by the time it is bottled in mid-2011. A monumental wine from a monumental vintage in the Medoc, this is our children's children's children's elixir. (Tasted once.)

There is no doubting that Director Frederic Engerer and owner Francois Pinault are thrilled with what they have accomplished at Latour. These three wines are hugely different in price, but all are extraordinary.

Tasted at the château. Frédéric Engerer told me that the 2009 had a comparatively long fermentation of up to two weeks. It delivers a show-stopping bouquet: classic seductive Pauillac with ebullient black fruits infused with graphite, crushed stone, pencil box, cedar and a touch of mint. With aeration there is a suggestion of something more exotic...wild honey or apricot blossom. The palate is full-bodied with supple but powerful tannins, beautifully integrated oak, perhaps a little edgier thanks to its redoubtable tannic finish. Majestic. Tasted November 2011.

Tasted at the château. Very deep purple colour. The nose is very well defined with scents of small blackberry, boysenberry, cold granite and just a hint of pencil lead. Great clarity and expression here. This is a majestic Latour, utterly pure, wonderful minerality showing through, very fine tannins and incredible poise. Blackberry, touches of briary, coiled up energy towards the finish, utterly focused with that tannins leaving an off-dry finish with bewitching persistency. There is paradoxically weight and weightlessness...sorry to be so cryptic, but that is how it is! A monumental Latour that constitutes one of the greatest wines of the vintage. Tasted March 2010.

A breathtaking combination of dried flowers and minerals, with dark fruits such as currants and blackberries. Full-bodied, with fabulous fruit concentration, yet its compacted. Velvety tannins. So much fruit and beauty. It's the quality of the tannins that are magic. It is the famous 1959 all over again. Amazing. Try in 2022.

This is incredibly floral on the nose, with violet and lilac as well as dark and ripe raspberry and blueberry. Full-bodied, with a dense and incredibly rich palate yet held back and in reserve. Such precision and beauty. It lasts for minutes on the palate. This reminds me of the 1990, but better made and better raised. It is really the style of Latour, where the tannins grab you at the end. This will most likely be a perfect wine.

Very deep and glowing crimson. Very rich and sweet ink on the nose. Wonderfully gorgeous and lush on the front palate. Then lots of heat and richness. Amazing power of fruit on the mid palate gives way to extremely pronounced tannins. Transparent, mellifluous, spicy. Violets, says Engerer. Dry Taylors port? Latour backbone. Glossy ripe fruit. Candied violets. Maybe in 03 we went overboard. Enormous energy. Very impressive. Date tasted 31st March 2010. Drink 2022-2045.

One of the perfect wines of the vintage, Frederic Engerer challenged me when I tasted the 2010 Latour at the estate, asking, "If you rate the 2009 one hundred, then how can this not be higher?" Well, the scoring system stops at 100, (and has for 34 years,) and will continue for as long as I continue to write about wine. Nevertheless, this blend of 90.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9.5% Merlot, and .5% Petit Verdot hit 14.4% natural alcohol and represents a tiny 36% of their entire production. The pH is about 3.6, which is normal compared to the 3.8 pH of the 2009, that wine being slightly lower in alcohol, hence the combination that makes it more flamboyant and accessible. The 2010 is a liquid skyscraper in the mouth, building layers upon layers of extravagant, if not over-the-top richness with its hints of subtle charcoal, truffle, blackberry, cassis, espresso and notes of toast and graphite. Full-bodied, with wonderfully sweet tannin, it is a mind-boggling, prodigious achievement that should hit its prime in about 15 years, and last for 50 to 100.

There is no denying the outrage and recriminations over the decision by the Pinault family and their administrator, Frederic Engerer, to pull Latour off the futures market next year. However, you can still buy these 2010s, although the first two wines are not likely to be released until they have more maturity, which makes sense from my perspective. Perhaps Latour may have offended a few loyal customers who were buying wines as futures, but they are trying to curtail all the interim speculation that occurs with great vintages of their wines (although only God knows what a great vintage of future Latour will bring at seven or eight years after the harvest). As a set of wines, the 2010s may be the Pinaults' and Engerer's greatest achievements to date. Of course, I suspect the other first-growth families won't want to hear that, nor will most of the negociants in Bordeaux, but it's just the way things are. Frederic Engerer, by no means the most modest of administrators at the first growths, thinks it would be virtually impossible to produce a wine better than this, and he may well be correct. If they gave out Academy Awards for great performances in wine, the Pinaults and Engerer would certainly fetch a few in 2010. P.S. Just so you don't worry, Engerer offered up the 2009 next to the 2010 to see if I thought it was still a 100-point wine, and yes, ladies and gentlemen, it still is.

It's too early to know for sure, but the 2010 Latour appears to be a huge and massive Pauillac fruit bomb from this property. With 14.4% natural alcohol, this blend of 90.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.5% Merlot and .5% Cabernet Franc, director Frederic Engerer told me it is unlike any other wine made at this estate. Possessing abundant amounts of everything, it even eclipses the 2009 in terms of power with a lower pH and higher total acidity. Representing only 36% of the production (making it even more difficult to find than usual, as this is the smallest of the Medoc first growths), it possesses an opaque black/purple color along with an extraordinary perfume of spring flowers, blueberry, blackberry and cassis liqueurs and hints of white chocolate as well as earth intermixed with vague charcoal and truffle-like components. With unreal concentration, full-bodied power, and a precision, freshness and refined level of tannins that are something to behold, this remarkable offering is one of my personal favorites of the vintage. It will undoubtedly shut down after bottling and enjoy 50-60 years of longevity.

The Latour 2010 has a very precise bouquet with outstanding mineralité and tension - a regal bouquet that just soars from the glass, subtle notes of limestone and cedar loitering in the background. It just explodes with aeration in the glass, dialling everything up to "11". The palate is medium-bodied with ripe and bold tannins that support layer up layer of black fruit. There is a lovely spicy edge here and huge volume and penetration towards the finish. Outstanding. Not a perfect score here...but its 20-years too early anyway. Tasted January 2014.

Tasted at the chateau, my sample was decanted for almost three hours. After the fireworks on the nose of the Les Forts de Latour, the Grand Vin comes as a shock. You have to readjust your mindset - this is subtle, understated, brooding Latour. Leaving it to one side to open up, it gradually unfurls to reveal very precise black fruits and minerals. It is not as immediate as say, Margaux or Lafite, but draws you in to its charms. The aromatics are misleading. The palate is incredibly intense with mouth-gripping tannins even although the IPT is actually less than the Les Forts de Latour. It offers unbelievably intensity, an almost brutal Latour at the moment that will need 15-20 years in bottle before it becomes approachable. This will rank alongside legends such as the 1961 and 1982 - but it is a wine for the next generation, not mine. Tasted November 2012.

A blend of 90.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.5% Merlot, 0.5% Cabernet Franc and 0.5% Petit Verdot with 14.4% alcohol. The Grand Vin is quite conservative and "strict" at first, very pure with cedar and graphite dominating the profile against a backdrop of pure black fruit. But it opens up with 3-4 minutes of aeration with hints of gravel, perhaps crushed rose petals lending it a femininity to counter its intrinsic masculinity. The palate is full-bodied with firm tannins, real grip in the mouth, even more intensity than the 2009 but with that weightlessness and elegance towards the finish. Extraordinary. Drink 2020- Tasted March 2011.

The aromas of flowers such as roses, violets and lilacs jump from the glass then turn to dark berries such as blueberries and blackberries. It's full-bodied, with velvety tannins and dense and intense with a chocolate, berry and currant character. This is juicy and rich with wood still showing a bit, but it's all coming together wonderfully. Muscular yet toned. Another perfect wine like the 2010. Try in 2022.

The quality of the tannins and density of fruit is truly beautiful. This is so focused, with purity and beauty. The 1990 Latour came into my head when I tasted this (twice). It starts off slowly and then builds and builds and builds . So intellectual. A superb wine with precision 90.5 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.5 percent Merlot, .5 percent Cabernet Franc and .5 Petit Verdot.

19 Drink 2025-2055
90.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.5% Merlot, and a drop each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. 36% of total production. Extremely dark purple. Again, more 'glamour' than I expected. Especially on the nose. Very ambitious and gorgeous. Thick and dense and hugely long term and dry on the end. Spices - something quite Asian about this - a hint of Szechuan pepper. Explosive. Super dry and introvert but with great velvety texture. So introvert and super dry, super Latour. Monumental. The massive fruit lurks underneath the very ripe tannins at the moment. IPT 83, less than Les Forts, but it tastes much firmer. 14.4%