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Latour
Bordeaux
Burgundy
The estate of 77ha/190acres of vineyard (11ha were acquired in 2005) consists of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon vines, 24% Merlot (increased from 15% in the 1980s), and a very small amount of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, with an average annual production of 30,000 cases of the three wines. Latour’s wines generally require much longer to develop than those of the other first growths, and they often have greater longevity. Despite its close proximity to St-Julien, Latour is the archetypal Pauillac. Its ink-black colour accurately reflects the immense structure and hugely concentrated flavour of the wine. If Lafite is the ultimate example of finesse, then Latour is the ideal illustration of how massive a wine can be, and still have finesse.
| Vint | Description | Cl | ? | Cs | Bt | Cs | Bt | + |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tasting Notes: A terrific effort from Administrator Frederic Engerer and owner Francois Pinault, the dark ruby/purple-tinged 2004 Latour exhibits a strong cassis character intermixed with notes of crushed rocks, earth, cedar, and forest floor. Racy, elegant, but powerful with medium to full body, and sweet tannin, it will benefit from 5-7 years of cellaring, and should keep for three decades. It is a very impressive offering. Also tasted: 2004 Pauillac (87; $38.00) The Wine Advocate #171 Jun-07. Parker Points: 95 Drinking Period: 2012-2037 |
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Tasting Notes: 98 points. Neither the 1989 or 1990 wines has budged in quality or development since I first tasted them in cask. There is no doubting the 1990 Latour is a potential candidate for the wine of the vintage. Remarkably youthful, with a deep purple color, and full-bodied, powerful, massive richness, everything is held together by high levels of tannin. Fortunately, the tannin is sweet and ripe, making evaluation easy. The finish, which lasts for 35-40 seconds, reveals layers of flavor as well as impressive purity. This backward 1990 requires another 7-10 of cellaring. It is a wine for drinking between 2005-2035. At a subsequent blind tasting, I had the 1990 side by side with the 1982 Latour. The 1982 was even more concentrated and layered than the 1990! Robert Parker - the Wine Advocate 2/97. Parker Points: - Drinking Period: - |
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Tasting Notes: 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. Wine Advocate # 129 Jun 2000 Parker Points: 100 Drinking Period: 2000-2040 |
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