France

Cabernet Sauvignon

Merlot

Cabernet Franc

Petit Verdot

Ch. Latour

Chateau Latour Premier Cru Classe Pauillac

Bordeaux

Pauillac

Leather, tobacco, black currant, blackberry, strawberry, smoke, tea, earthy, plum and prune.

Expert

Amatør

Intense, concentrated, muscular, this is very much a textural powerhouse, not looking generous right now, think chamomile tea, cassis bud, crayon, slate, oyster shell salinity, gunsmoke and steel, with lean blue fruits. Should be an earlier drinking Latour than some vintages, although there is latent power here, and this wine has the unquestionable ability to grow in stature with a few years in bottle. 44% of the production. 5,5% press wine. Harvest September 19 through to October 9. 100% new oak for ageing. 5.5% press. 76IPT. New AI optical sorting machine in the cellar. Hélène Genin technical director. 11hl/ha yield.

Inside Bordeaux

The 2023 Latour is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a lot of shaking and swirling to wake up scents of crushed blackcurrants, black cherries, and violets followed by hints of clove oil, forest floor, and mossy tree bark with a touch of Sichuan pepper. The medium-bodied palate is elegant and refreshing, with tightly wound black fruit and mineral layers and a firm backbone of fine-grained tannins, leading to a long and earthy finish on this very classical wine. The blend is 92.3% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7.7% Merlot, with TPI 73.

by Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW

The 2022 Latour, composed of 92.45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7.4% Merlot, and 0.15% Petit Verdot,  is deep garnet-purple in color. The nose slowly unfurls to offer beguiling scents of wild blueberries, blackcurrant pastilles, black raspberries, and crushed rocks, with hints of cardamom, cinnamon, orange peel, and lilacs. The medium to full-bodied palate beautifully maintains its poise and sophistication in spite of the heat of the vintage, with layer upon layer of bright, vibrant black fruits and very fine, silt-like tannins, supported by seamless freshness, finishing beautifully long and earthy. This includes 7.6% press wine and represents 38.8% of the year's production. pH 3.85, TPI 75.

A blend of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Merlot, the 2021 Latour has a medium to deep garnet-purple color. It is quite subdued and closed to start, needing a lot of swirling to coax out fresh, pure notes of blackcurrants, fresh raspberries, and pomegranate, giving way to nuances of graphite, fragrant soil, and rose bud tea, with a touch of Sichuan pepper. Light to medium-bodied, the palate is very tightly wound, featuring great tension with nervy red and black fruit layers and loads of mineral accents, with a firm, fine-grained texture, and finishing on a lingering ferrous note. Nicely done!

The 2020 Latour, a blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Merlot, is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs considerable shaking to bring out profound scents of creme de cassis, boysenberries, and ripe plums, giving way to an undercurrent of dark chocolate, molten licorice, tar, wood smoke, and crushed rocks with an emerging waft of violets. The medium-bodied palate is very condensed, packed tight with bright black fruits, mineral and floral layers, supported by lovely tension, finishing long and perfumed. The finish absolutely sparkles! This is very cerebral and a vintage for those looking for the pinnacle of quiet intensity.

In my initial tasting notes i just wrote perfect! That sums it up, it´s just to take the notes from Les Forts and distil them into this. It´s certainly bigger and denser with a plethora of layers of the dark fruits, the refined spices, the gravely notes et al. on the palate its rather massive without heaviness, exemplary tannin and a fresh backbone, with exceptional purity of fruit and a never ending finish.

Sommelier

Latour 2018 is deep garnet-purple in color. It delivers classic scents of cassis, cedar, and unsmoked cigars, with undertones of violets, black raspberries, chocolate, and iron ore. Big, concentrated, full-bodied, with pedal to the metal flavors, it has super-ripe, super-fine tannins and layer upon layer, finishing epically long with provocative minerality. 

A blend of 92.1% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7.8% Merlot, and 0.1% Petit Verdot, the 2017 Latour has a deep garnet-purple color. It sashays out with showy notes of warm cassis, mulberries, and Morello cherries, followed by emerging tertiary hints of unsmoked cigars, rose oil, cardamom, and star anise, with a waft of iron ore. The medium-bodied palate is elegantly styled and mineral-laced, featuring loads of exotic sparks and velvety tannins, finishing on a lingering anise note. Beautiful! While it's in a nice place right now, another 2 to 4 years in bottle should allow for even more of this gorgeous, emerging perfume. It will easily cellar for another 30 years beyond that.

Exceptional wine. Rich on dark berries with a hint of leather. 

The 2015 Château Latour is a blend of 97.1% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2.6% Merlot, and 0.3% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet colored, it requires a considerable amount of shaking to wake up the nose of plum preserves, warm cassis, and black cherry compote, giving way to exotic nuances of licorice, sandalwood, rose oil, and cardamom. The medium-bodied palate slowly expands in the mouth to reveal opulent notes of exotic spices, black fruit preserves, and floral accents, leading to a compelling minerally undercurrent. Wonderfully taut, firm, grainy-textured tannins and tantalizing acidity lend gravitas to all this flamboyant fruit, delivering a very long and fragrant finish.

Lukt av sylta, mørke plommer, blåbær, fiken, sopp, toast, elegante krydder- toner, en flint- preget mineralitet som er veldig fremtredende på lukt. 

Smak av sammensatt preg av kjølig integrert frukt, hvor den «varme»
konsentrasjonen skinner igjennom. Smak av syrlige kirsebær, sylta blåbær, lær, tobakk, sigarboks, og jordbunn. Mineraliteten er også nok så fremtredende på smak også, hvor syren er veldig passende, og godt integrert. Helt enorm høy drikkeglede. 🍷

One of the successes of the vintage, with well-hewn tannins and grip. There are plenty of markers of a cool vintage here, in the raspberry, redcurrant, cassis bud and cherry pit flavours, set alongside waves of smoked tea and tomato leaf. One to look out. First year for Hélène Génin as technical director. Only 31% of the production made it into the first wine, meaning 6,000 cases, with almost all of it coming from the 24ha in L'Enclos that were being farmed biodynamically at the time.

This sets out its stall with confidence. Fennel and mandarin peel aromatics, followed by cassis, blackberry, liquorice bud, pencil lead and graphite that maintain grip and momentum through the palate. Tannins remain firm at 10 years old but there is a gourmet feel to the fruit and this is a vintage of Latour that will be ready to drink relatively young. Harvest September 24 to October 16, under rainy conditions that turned the concentration from impenetrable to a more approachable style - an impression I have got every time I have tasted this wine since its release.

This is still revving up to reach its drinking window, and although for now it is showing just a touch below the 2009 vintage, don't be surprised if it overtakes it within the next decade. It demands patience though. Classic brooding, muscular, concentrated old school Latour, uncompromising in its sculpted tannins and bristling blueberry and cassis fruits. 36% of overall production.

A blend of 91.3% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8.7% Merlot, the opaque garnet-black colored 2009 Latour prances from the glass with showy notes of black cherry preserves, blueberry pie, and black currant jelly, leading to an undercurrent of camphor, clove oil, and cinnamon toast. The medium to full-bodied palate is decadently stacked with black and blue fruit layers, framed by super-plush tannins and jaw-dropping tension, culminating in a fragrant finish that just goes on and on. It’s flat-out delicious right now but promises to reward the patient.

The 2008 Latour is a blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 0.75% Cabernet Franc, and 0.25% Petit Verdot. It reveals a deep garnet-brick color, with broody opening notes of tar, underbrush, and dusty soil, giving way to an evocative core of baked plums, warm cassis, and anise. The medium-bodied palate features impressive vibrancy and freshness with fine-grained tannins and a long, savory finish.

April 2015 tasted at the Château.

Ruby red with a slight garnet rim. Young and a bit tight at the moment. Perfumed and fruity nose with blueberries and blackcurrant. Some starting leather. Great balance and fresh acidity. Layered and seductive with all sort of different aromas. Red and dark berries, light cedar wood and leather. Super elegant and very long. Still need years to age but so good already. 98-99/100p

A great moment to be drinking this Latour, at 20 years old, more ready than the 2005 right now. Black truffle, ink, cassis fruit, crushed rocks, firm tannins, still muscular, with the precision and heft that was typical of the estate in these years. Took its time to come round, now showing finesse and class, with decades ahead of it. Harvest September 23 to October 19.

The 2003 Latour is a blend of 81.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, and 0.5% Petit Verdot. It explodes from the glass with crème de cassis, stewed plums, licorice, and mocha scents, followed by nuances of charcoal, rose oil, and crushed rocks. The medium-bodied palate delivers surprising elegance and jaw-dropping poise with well-knit freshness and super-soft tannins, finishing with incredible length and grace. It’s a real paradox of a wine coming from this very hot vintage and a testament to the Enclos’ singular terroir.

Made from 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, the deep garnet-brick colored 2001 Latour rolls out of the glass with ready-to-go scents of unsmoked cigars, cedar chest, fragrant soil, and iron ore, giving way to a core of prunes and red currant jelly, plus a touch of potpourri. The medium-bodied palate is wonderfully racy and energetic with lightly chewy tannins and a minerally finish.

The 2000 Latour is a blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-brick in color, it sashays from the glass with gregarious notes of plum preserves, black currant pastilles, dried lavender, sandalwood, and new leather, giving way to fragrant wafts of aniseed, cigar box, and black truffles. Medium-bodied, the black fruit preserves and exotic spices flavors expand wonderfully in the mouth, complemented by a velvety texture and beautifully knit acidity, finishing on a lingering anise note. Classic.

Rød-lilla farge. Røde bær og lær. Stor kropp! Kirsebær, jordbær, lær, tobakk, krydder, lakris og sjokolade. Myke tanniner og fin syre.

WSET 3

Varm årgang, men den «kjøligste» i 90 - sursøt, steinete, varme solbær, solbærbusk - egen klasse (98+)

Duft av tørket frukt, tørket tobakk, og grønn paprika.

Smak av tørket frukt, med en innsnevret munnfølelse.

A good vintage, the first of an exceptional trio, that remains well structured at this point, with rose petals, fennel and grilled sage, cracked pepper, cedar, cassis and loganberry, starting to soften its tannic grip but still clearly delivering Latour confidence. Served in magnum. Harvest September 28 to October 10.

WOW! 

👃Utrolig kompleks nese. Lukten er dyp og intens med en vanvittig konsentrert duft av mørke bær. Spesielt fremtredende er solbær i flere nyanser(fersk/solmoden/tørket). I tillegg er det blåbær og mørk plomme. Videre er det flotte lagringsaromaer med tobakk, tørkede bær, trøfler, sigarboks. Det er også pepper, nellik, sagpuss, mint, lakris og vanilje.

👄 På smak følger den opp kompleksiteten og konsentrasjonen du fikk på nesa. Inngangen er hinsides. Du blir møtt av en herlig bærmiks av solbær, mørk kirsebær og blåbær. Denne miksen blir enda dypere og mer konsentrert i midtpartiet. Den har en herlig maskulinitet, samtidig som den er elegant og silkemyk. Som på lukt er det også her flere lag med smaker: Tobakk, tjære og mint og vanilje. Dette sammen med bærene sitter igjen mange minutter etter du har svelget. 
Syren er frisk og løfter vinen(medium).
Tanninene er finkornete, fine integrerte (medium). Både tanninstrukturen og syren viser at vinen fortsatt bare er ungdommen. 


The 1982 Latour is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. It emerges from the glass with a perfumed mushroom cloud of fruit cake, mint tea, dried mulberries, kirsch, and fallen leaves notes, followed by fragrant underlying scents of incense, wood smoke, dried roses, and rusty nails. The medium-bodied palate is mind-blowingly multilayered, cushioning the fruit in soft, silt-like tannins, lifted by just enough freshness, finishing with long-lingering mineral and exotic spices notes. Breath-taking.

God lukt men denne burde vært drukket for flere år siden. Mistet mye av piffen hvis det noen gang har vært der gitt årgangen. 

Direkte fra slottet og liggende noen år hos Sigurd Müller Vinhandel - sigarkasse, blyantspiss og solbærbusk på nese. Strålende friskhet, kjølig, strukturert, solbær, dyp frukt, steinete, snev av røk, skarpskåren, meget lang finish med et solid «tanningrep» - ingen vinfeil - beste 70 Latour jeg kan huske, og selv Bolkesjømagnumene, i Bogstads storhetstid for mange år siden, var kommet lenger enn denne - servert perfekt på et av Københavns beste vinsteder

Brun med lyse kanter. Oooh: camembert ost og kjellerlukt. I munnen får jeg tanker om portvin. Plomme, svisker, kamferkiste, kjeller og sopp. Silkemyke tanniner. Hvem skulle tro at en 54 år gammel vin skulle være så bra!?

Ingen alderdomstegn - kjølig solbærbris - majestetisk strukturert - kompromissløs

Rødere, mer intens og mer behagelig frukt enn ‘61 - ikke mye å ta den på, men en perfekt vin ville hatt litt mer (og integrerte) tanniner. Stor vin. 

Of the three 1961 wines tasted in this lineup, Latour remains the youngest and most identifiably Pauillac in character, despite being in a half bottle. Gorgeous deep plum colour, subdued on the first nose as the fruits remain concentrated and intense, if you can believe it, and need a good few moments to begin to uncurl. Expect waves of cocoa bean, black truffle and grilled earth, with turmeric spice and cigar box, reflecting the tiny yield and concentration that was evident, so we are told, from the first years of its life. Not as joyful perhaps as the Mouton, but seriously impressive, just an absolute lesson in how great Bordeaux can age and why we fall in love with it. 20th century Bordeaux legends Edmund Penning-Rowsell and Michael Broadbent both believed Latour 1961 to be the wine of the vintage (in 2000 Broadbent believed it still had half a century of life ahead of it, and he might just be right). A fascinating history also, as this was last year when Latour was entirely owned by descendants of the famous 18th century 'prince of vines' Nicolas-Alexandre de Segur before selling up to Lord Cowdray the following year. Am now obsessed with trying it out of bottle again rather than half bottle to recapture that extra point that I have awarded with every other tasting of this legendary wine...

Syrlig og kjølig, overraskende sødmefull frukt - noe tørrende finish. (89)

Solbær, lett tørkede svisker, søt tobakk, lavendel, kompleks og elegant, utrolig ren, høy konsentrasjon, fløyeltannine. 

Imponerende ungdommelig og givende frukt, på mange måter alt man leter etter.

Elegant nese - hard, stram og tøff vin. Solid frukt - kjølig. Ingen sjarmør, men fra en tanninrik årgang - rundere etter 60 minutter med luft (93)

Okt '17: Noe medisinal, plomme, sursøt, anelse volatil, kunne gått for en tung naturvin.

2024	No priceNot available	Outstanding
2023	No priceNot available	Extraordinary
2022	No priceNot available	Extraordinary
2021	No priceNot available	Extraordinary
2020	No priceNot available	Extraordinary

Category	Red wine
Vinmonopolet no.
Producer	Ch. Latour
Vintages	1984
Country	France, Bordeaux, Pauillac
Bottle	75 cl

Alcohol	%
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Sugar	g/l

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