France

Cabernet Sauvignon

Merlot

Petit Verdot

Chateau Latour-Martillac

Chateau Latour-Martillac Rouge Cru Classe Pessac-Leognan

Bordeaux

Pessac-Léognan

This feels classic old school Bordeaux, with a dose of grilled coffee and is delivering what it needs to - dark fruits, leafy aromatics, balanced and gentle, with fresh acidities that don't overwhelm.  42 hl/ha yield. Unfussy and well made, no need to wait too long to begin drinking.

Inside Bordeaux

Latour-Martillac 2023 has a deep garnet-purple color. It opens with cedar and spice box notes, before giving way to a core of blackcurrant jelly, wild strawberries, and iron ore, with a waft of garrigue. Medium-bodied, the palate delivers tight-knit black and red berry layers, with mineral accents and grainy tannins to support, finishing with a refreshing lift.

by Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW

On point with the vintage in its dark spiced character, muscular tannins, depths of blueberry, black cherry, bilberry, cocoa bean, liquorice root. Plenty of deft and sleek Pessac Léognan personality, lovely balance, well textured with grip, flashes of heat. Not as effortless a the 2019 or 2020 vintage at this estate, but this is hard to argue with. Harvest September 13 to 25 for the reds.

The 2021 Latour-Martillac is deep garnet-purple in color. It pops from the glass with scents of black cherries, mulberries, and plums, leading to hints of wild thyme and lavender. The soft, medium-bodied palate is lively and pure, with a zippy finish.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2020 Latour-Martillac Rouge is made from 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 10% Petit Verdot. It bursts with notions of wild blueberries, blackcurrant pastilles, and candied violets, leading to hints of dark chocolate, dried herbs, and graphite. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers energetic black fruits with a racy backbone and grainy tannins, finishing with a skip in its step.

Beautiful depth to the flavours here, this is just gorgeous, so bright and precise, with cassis, blackberry, bilberry, raspberry, a real array of fruit flavours, textures and acidity levels combining to give real complexity. 40% new oak, harvest September 19 to October 11. Great freshness and juice on the finish; this is a superlative Latour Martillac.

WSET 2

Perky black and red fruits and bright acidities, tempered by an austerity to the frame. Tannins are fairly chewy, well defined and carefully extracted, and balanced by cocoa bean and liqourice to give definition and depth. Enjoyable, you could drink this now with a carafe but it will give more in another few years. 40% new oak, harvest September 12 to 29.

A superb vintage all over Bordeaux, and absolutely one that you should be searching out with the Crus Classés de Graves. You can wait for this to soften for sure, because the tannins are pretty racy right now, squaring up to the blackcurrant and blackberry fruit rather than cradling it, but there is such a charm to its confidence that I am pretty tempted to say go for it now with a few hours in a carafe. Liqourice, cocoa beans, crème de cassis, espresso and a ton of brambled autumnal fruits. 40% new oak

Peony and violet floral notes, raspberry and redcurrant fruits, tannins a little austere right now but this has great structure and depth to the flavours. Of the recent vintages, I recommend the 2014 for the next few years, and only then head to the 2015, which could do with a little longer in bottle to soften and open. 40% new oak.

Silky, seductive damson and black cherry fruit, and this is the year to start with if you are wanting experience the slick, seductive Pessac-Léognan signature that Latour-Martillac has become so adept at delivering in recent years. Black chocolate, liqourice, milled pepper spices, fresh acidities. Really enjoyable. 40% new oak harvest September 26 to Octobr 16.

The 2013 Latour-Martillac is medium garnet-brick in color. It has a tired nose of figs and leather, with an undercurrent of tree bark and bay leaves. Light to medium-bodied, the palate is thin and skeletal, with an abrupt finish.

As with the 2011, this is pretty much ready to go, although a very different style, with fatter fruits, less elegant but more fruit-forward, enjoyable ripe blackberries and blueberries, touches of liqourice and smoked cedar. 40% new oak. A little short on the finish perhaps, but charming.

Just past its 10 year window, and it is at a charming place for drinking. Fragrant violet notes on the aromatics, not as much depth as the 2010 but a lively sense of momentum, and plenty of soft raspberry fruits. This is an elegant, finessed side of Pessac Léognan with the austerity that I am finding in many of the 2011s at this point. 40% new oak.

Juicy, taut and enjoyable, plenty of Pessac character, packed with dark brambled fruit, studded with cloves and crushed rocks. Hard to disagree with.

Juicy, enjoyable brambled black fruits, classic and well balanced, love the 2009 vintage in Pessac Léognan wines, and this has a charming smudge of campfire smoke with orange peel, pomegranate and mint. Ready to drink, enjoyable and full of character. 40% new oak for ageing.

Firm plum colour with warm earth aromatics, this is balanced, enjoyable, showcasing a consistent house style. Dark cassis and brambled fruit, has richness of fruit and clear persistency, supremely drinkable. In its drinking window and not going anywhere. Solid performance. 40% new oak, harvest September 13 to October 10.

A perfect moment to drink this wine, showcasing the generosity of the 2000 vintage in Pessac-Léognan, with a little less of the stubborn tannins that you still find in some of the Médoc classifieds even at the 20 year mark. This focuses on rosebud, tomato leaf, the savoury flavours of Cabernet, and plenty of tobacco and cigarbox tertiary notes, with softened raspberry and red cherry pureed fruits. Fully open and integrated, but still welcoming and with great charm. Harvest September 20 to October 19, 40% new oak.

2024	No priceNot available	Very Good
2023	No priceNot available	Excellent
2022	No priceNot available	Outstanding
2021	No priceNot available	Excellent
2020	kr 598,40Not available	Outstanding

Category	Red wine
Vinmonopolet no.
Producer	Chateau Latour-Martillac
Vintages	1979
Country	France, Bordeaux, Pessac-Léognan
Bottle	75 cl

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