At Home Dinner. This wine opened very well with a deep crimson red colour and an immediate nose of blackcurrants, garnet plums, tobacco, walnuts and a touch of mint. The palate is beautifully layered with no sense of attenuation or green characters but rather a lovely transparency in addition to rich fruit characters leading into a very poised tannin structure that persists with a nice touch of raspberry on the back palate. A lovely bottle of Latour.
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This is still taut with dry, meaty tannins. The first time you should open this Grand Vin. Decanted four and a half hours. It has another 20 plus years of good drinking ahead.
Bramble, dry blackberries, black plum, black raspberries, dry, dark cherries. Dry twig, dry crushed rocks, lead pencil for days, sandstone/limestone, dark, rich, earth with dry leaves, cigar box, ash, leathery, dark spice, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon sticks and vanillin, slightly, moist, volcanic clay, dry & withering flowers that are dark, red and violets framed in lavender, perfect round acidity, structured, well tensioned, overly balanced to earth and smartly polished finish that lands on earth & spice.
My next 02 should be opened in another 8-10 years and will still drink well in another 20 years properly stored.
Paired with AB Brothers Ribcap, crispy baked potato & cooked carrots.
The 07 Turnbull Napa almost seemed grape juice like after the 82 Les Forts & 02 Latour.
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50th Birthday Bash: 10 Vintage Vertical of Latour: I was so looking forward to tasting this vintage as it has been regarded as the wine of the vintage for the average 2002 vintage. However, this vintage was the one bottle that was not like the other nine vintages that came before it tonight. What it had going against it was where it fell in the order of the line-up (palate fatigue) and its young age. All I can remember is that it was uber concentrated and wonderful, but less evolved in comparison. Bottom line? This is a great bottle of wine and don't open it for another 10 years minimum.
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This wine had a sheen to it that was beautiful to see and a lovely slightly lighter purplish red color. Exotic and deeply soulful nose of asphalt, tobacco, Asian spices, cool black fruit with a streak of minerality. Silky texture on the palate, with a great mix of the spices consistent with the nose, lovely fresh black fruit and acidity, all in excellent balance. Ready to drink with a short decant, but many good years ahead of it.
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Robert Parker described this as potentially the wine of the vintage, and with only 120,000 bottles in circulation.. it was an honour to have one in my home!
74% Cab Sauv, 25% Merlot with hints of CF and PV too. Amazing floral bouquet with hints of blue flower and loads of cigar box coolness on this elegant vintage.
This is truly a classical claret with cassis, medium finish.
We all guessed this was an outstanding Bordeaux from the blind session, but I went on to guess.. 10 to 15 years as this felt to be aging so slowly. Possibly Margaux appelation as its so floral?
I didn't think Pauillac as I did not really get those distinct graphite notes. We were all gobsmacked when SKT unveiled this magnificent beauty. A fitting farewell and see you soon Teck Kong, come back and enjoy wines again with us mid year! Yet another fun session with our loved ones, thanks DQ and LMC too.
When we had this blind compared to TCs previous and incredible Las Cases 2007, this Latour 2002 actually felt more open and accessible initially. Perhaps it's the vintage, and more likely it's the style. Loved SKTs description that TCs Las Cases 2007 is a Locomotive 🚂 whilst this his Latour 2002 is like a monorail 🚆
Robert Parker wrote about a decade ago how Latour’s administrator and its CEO, the meticulous Frederic Engerer, described to him how the yields were a measly 23 hectoliters per hectare.
The pH is remarkably high (3.9), and the natural alcohol is over 13%, so this is a surprisingly powerful offering. It demonstrates that those who picked late benefited from the Indian summer, and only 51% of fruit made it to this Grand Vin.
Bottle 4 of 6.. CNY Chor 10 at my home, thanks for the magnificent surprise SKT. Did you know this was the first 1st Growth to be popped at Casa Si's!
31 Jan 2023 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Acker JK 51st birthday in NYC. The wine seems not to be from such a weak vintage. Just starting to be ready, there is a wonderful balance here, between the vertical strictness of this Pauillac and the elegance of the vintage that produced a relaxed and accesible juice, there are classic aromas of cigar box and blue fruits, some coolness in evidence, a very classic and elegant mouthfeel, open and refined but not lacking in flavor concentration. i enjoyed it for its classic claret quality. Ready now and years of life ahead.
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excellent wine, in my opinion this is one of top ten wines i ever had in my life... paired with stake and absolutely loved it. Even though poor condition in bordeaux they managed to make such a great wine!
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2002 Bordeaux 20 years on tasting (Fribourg): 2002 Bordeaux 20 years on tasting. Key takeaways: 1/ 31 out of 32 wines were in flawless condition which indicates either luck or less bottle variation in the vintage, 2/ On average still early days with the fruit predominantly primary, 3/ solid hedonistic quality with only few laggards, but also no blow-outs, 4/ structures built on both tannin and acidity, but common mid-palate weakness, 5/ best wines were Valandrau, Palmer and a surprise underdog Lagrange (all 95), 6/ biggest disappointment was a cooked Figeac (87). More comments and full list of wines included in the tasting story.
Tasting note: A greenish, slightly unripe type of fruit leaning towards red berries. Hints of black coffee and herbs. Clean but not overly complex bouquet. The palate was fresh and fruit-forward, but with too much tannin in the finish, pretty mouthcoating and clashing rather than chiming together with the acidity.
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what an afternoon the 1982 latour was better but this was a magnificent effort in a difficult year thanks for putting this 1st growth bordeaux tasting together
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Decanted 12 hours but should have gone 36 hours. Just barely awake with a ton more life - reminds me of the 71 at this stage of life. Incredible aromatics of flowers and stewed fruits and even a hint of tomato confit. Just a lovely effort often referred to Latour of an off year. I will drink this each day of the week and twice on Sunday - I only have a few more but will put them in the back of the cellar.
Wonderful wine. Had against a 1995 Margaux. Both great but I enjoyed the LaTour more because of it's strength, graphite/iron like characteristics and structure. Long finish. Young wine, I'd hold this for another 5+ years before drinking again.
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This has developed noticeably in the two years since I last tasted it. It has a dark colour and a fairly dense palate, with rich blackcurrant fruit and a streak of acidity which lightens it a little. This is attractive now but should keep well and improve as it develops further. Very good for the vintage.
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Evolved pencil lead and cassis bouquet. Medium fruit and light tannins in the finish. Soft and mature. Corked popped 4 hours prior to serving. Completely mature. Drink up.
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Bordeaux 2002 First Growth Tasting 22 January 2022. Our #3 wine in the lineup, with a deep earthy tone that gave the wine some gravitas and resonance. Like all five wines it kept delivering more as it sat in the glass, particularly on the bouquet.
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This far exceeded my expectations. Despite the vintage, Latour have crafted a beautiful wine that is at a very good stage of its life. Concentrated red and black fruits coming through on the nose, but balanced with a strong backbone of alcohol and tannins. Acidity cuts through everything but isn't over-powering.
Overall, this was really great. It beat the DRC Corton '11 we had alongside it by a fair margin - I guess that says enough!
People say that great producers always find a way, and this was definitely a wonderful example of this maxim.
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Deep dark red. Ripe red berries, cassis, pencil shavings, lightly fragrant rather than super expressive. Bright fruit, lots of red berry amongst the cassis, some boysenberry and violet. Silky smooth, very evenly weighted, finishes a little short but with beautifully refined tannins, soft but persistent. This is drinking beautifully, seems to have enough complexity to pair the fruit, and decent structure, for an average year this is a very well balanced wine. Delicious drinking.
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(Bordeaux 2002 tasting) Subtle and minerally nose. Gravel and iron. Pencil shavings. Dark fruit with a hint of raspberry. Tertiary tobacco notes. Appealing. Medium-fullish, still tannic palate. A bit dryish. Cedar, ink, classic and very elegant balance. Freshness. More austere than Mouton, which we preferred slightly. The tannins in Latour could benefit from further cellaring, but the fruit risks fading.
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Dinner at Basilica at Regent Hotel in Singapore with family & friends (5 total under SG COVID rules). Deep garnet color, with a wonderful nose of lead pencil, cassis, and crushed berries. Very refined taste, medium bodied, with smooth, rounded tannins, which improved through the dinner. Excellent wine, ready for drinking. Thoroughly enjoyable!
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Darker fruit. Refined as expected. Agree with Pine notes on the fantastic nose. Initially austere on the palate. Needed 2 hours in the decanter then really began showing. Long wonderful finish. Still quite young. Be curious to see where it is in 5-10 years.
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OMFG. Easily the best 2002 I've had, and a classic example of Latour. Not a huge nose but a great palate, linear and full, with big tannins and a big finish. Perfectly ripe fruit, classic, and more ready than I would expect. Give this another 5-10 years, but early drinking Latour is a treat.
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Initially a little reticent, but it opened up after a while to provide a fine, elegant, classic claret of medium weight. Towards the end of the bottle, it closed down again. Perhaps it still needs more time in bottle.
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Tasted blind. Dark ruby color turning dark amber/orange rust at the rim with a reflective edge. Very attractive nose that goes on and on. Perhaps a higher dose of Merlot. It’s not powerful, but rather pretty graceful and elegant for a Latour. Tertiary flavors of espresso, tobacco, cocoa, dried meat and scorched earth have come to predominate the black currant and cassis. Finishes long and elegant. Tasted alongside an ‘83 Margaux, ‘94 Mouton, ‘95 Mouton. It didn’t score high, but one of my favorites nonetheless. Drink now. 94+
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Quite full, with blackcurrant fruit, a slight creaminess and typical claret smoke/spice. A touch burly: power rather than elegance. Certainly a fine wine, and possibly the wine of the vintage, but the weakness of the vintage shows.
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Unfortunately, this was corked. The taint was initially not overwhelming, and it was clear that there was a wine with some quite rich and substantial fruit behind the corkiness. However, when we tried it again on day 2, it was undrinkable. A pity.
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Dusky ruby core; classic Pauillac nose, not in the least bit flamboyant or exotic, very stern and proper (as you'd expect from 2002); a touch green on the entry, cedary cassis and earth. Very Pall Mall. Not a lot of fun, more something to be admired for what it is. Very old school.
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Ruby core showing some age at the rim; nice complexity of fruit on the nose - certainly not exuberant but attractive. Definite mineral edge also; reasonable development on the palate, not at the end of the road but approachable, ready if you are. Pretty classic.
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Strong showing of a 1st growth from an OK vintage. Blind tasted after being open for 3-4 hours. Everything you'd expect except intensity from this excellent BDX. Will drink well for years but can't imagine it getting much better.
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sampled with a dizzying array of wines at Don N.'s tasting dinner. Thanks to Buckner for providing. Supposedly from a weaker vintage, this had power and depth, smokey notes to go with the currant and black fruit notes.
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Merest hint of a fade at the rim - strong ruby core; quite a ripe, sweet berried note on the nose. Good lift. Very clear, no unripe notes; pretty impressive build - opens in waves on the palate. Good sustain. Quite young still. Lovely fruit character - quite a tannic structure reveals itself with time. Impressive but quite austere.
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- Medium forming legs - Addendum to my notes : very good with duck, but not as amazing as I expected. This is only my second taste of Latour. The first was a 61, so my standards are a bit high.
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Terriblement puissant et facile à boire. Les tannins sont soyeux, il y a des fruits foncés, du cèdre, du graphite, de l'olive noire et un petit côté animal. Première expérience avec un des 5 premier grand cru classé, et je ne suis pas déçu.
4,5/5
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Decanted 10hrs. Hard not to be influenced by the label with th lion on top of the brick tower, but this Paulliac flat brought the good for Xmas dinner. Not a flashy wine, but still a very rich and robust delivery of pure cassis fruit, framed nicely by notes of coffee and earth. Still very youthful tannins suggest at least two decades of prime time drinking ahead, but overall the balance here is remarkable, impossible to really nit pick characteristic of this fine left bank specimen.
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Thoroughly enjoyable, strong tannin opened up after 30 minutes, with a wonderful graphite, floral, and blackberry nose that balanced perfectly with the body and length.
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First from a case and drank alongside the Conseillante '04. Both lovely wines but the Latour shaded it. Felt like a wine that had been poured over some coffee beans and left overnight covering a rusty iron bar, i.e. georgous minerality. Firmly in its drinking window but should last another 10 years at this level.
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Truly one of the great iconic wines. Drank for our 18th anniversary. Big left bank Bouquet of floral and spice. Warning: 2002 does not hold up for hours. My recommendation is to decant and drink within two hours
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Medium red, stunning purity with the nose, black fruits, powerful & clear graphite aromas, love the scents of coffee, cedar, herbs & ink, medium bodied, complex, long finish, the purity really shines, liquid gold! Will improve 94+
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Dinner at Galletto's (Modesto): Not a great year....but this is a great wine! A more subtle Latour...still has the killer silky smooth dark berry fruits, plum liqueur, graphite powder tannins that are firm yet giving...pencil lead, exotic cedar wood spice, wintergreen tobacco....wonderful purity and elegance....I'd drink this all day long!
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Deep crimson color. Nose rich fruit nose of blackcurrant, redcurrant, dark chocolate and cedar. Palate quite structured but rich fruit balanced by that gravel, cedar and walnut character of fine Pauillac. Opened over a couple of hours in the decanter showing plenty of character. A great 2002.
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Decanted an hour in advance. A deep colour; restrained on the nose. The palate is also somewhat muted, with some tannin hiding elegant, youthful, blackcurrant fruit. It opened up a little with time, but this is still 2 to 3 years from maturity at least. 91 points for now, but potentially more in future.
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Fantastic! This was excellent and the WOTN. Classic Latour on the nose, very distinctive. Layer upon layer of goodness on the palate, some ripe fruit and sweetness, tobacco, little bit of cedar, earth and mineral, low acidity, beautiful soft tannin. Drinks very well right now. Seems there is no such thing as a weak vintage when it comes to Latour.
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Upon opening this one was the shy boy, especially sitting next to the 2001 Haut Brion, which began some level of singing from the get go. With two hours of decanting, and more time in the glass, shy boy no longer, and everything started swinging with stride. In terms of vintage, one might expect the 2001 to have an edge, but the 2002 Latour has no means to play the second fiddle. Gorgeous ruby color that'd capture your sight with wonder. Once the wine opens up, the bouquet is complex and packed with a great punch, loaded with black currants, spring flowers, earthy minerals, sweet spices, gente cigar note, hint of coffee and cinnamon. A supremely balanced palate carrying an enormous structure and freshness that makes each sip so delightful. Not as full bodied as a Latour in a great vintage, nevertheless a complete, wonderful beauty for all admirers. The round tannins seem to be made so effortlessly, brilliant winemaking skills. The finish is long and expansive, tobacco smoke and cassis is what you could breathe in and out, and draws a giggle on your face. Brilliant!
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Long bouchon ciré impeccable, nez de fruits noirs et belle touché boisée. En bouche c'est grand et long mais avec à peine de retenue due au millésime médiocre et/ou au fait qu'il n'a pas encore tout révélé. Qui sait... C'est quand même merveilleux.
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In a fabulous spot right not. Deep garnet color and nicely integrated fruit and tannins. Classic wine making skills from a less than stellar vintage. If you can find some at reasonable cost, get some.. We were fortunate to have a friend who carried a bottle to dinner.
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With a nose filled with walnut, cassis, tobacco, blackberry and forest floor aromas. The wine is medium/full bodied with a refined character. The finish is all about the sweet, lush rich, balanced textures and classy, stylish cassis.
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This was served blind amongst 18 other wines and whilst I knew it was there I'd never tasted it before. But it stood out; dark brooding colour, wonderful balance, some mineralogy, fruit, fine tannins and a complexity that caused a long pause for thought. It was this that probably made me call it as the Latour - was pleased with that! Great wine, drinking well with a decent decant but will have a decent live ahead of it.
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Served during a larger tasting. Still quite dark color, little visible aging. As a surprise for a 2002 this wine neither has harsh tannins nor is it acidic. As a matter of fact the softness of the tannins are astonishing. Aromas of dark berries, minerals, well balanced but it is just a bit short and lacks complexity. Well done one could say was there not the price of a first growth to live up to.
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Dark cherries, smoky notes, hint of resin, vegetal note. Firm tannins, much less harsh than I remembered. High acidity, not harsh. Long, complex, beautiful wine. By itself it is amazing, alongside other vintages it shows its tannins but never lacking in elegance and refinement.
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The wine of the vintage opens with a smoky tobacco laden nose complicated by gravel, cassis, spicy black cherry, forest floor, Asian spice and hints of espresso bean in the nose. On the palate, the wine is full bodied, with ample levels of spicy cassis, round tannins and a long, fresh, expansive, spicy, black and red fruit, filled finish.
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Martin Weiner's Magnificent Ch. Latours (1934-2002) Plus the Best of ths Grand Cru Neighbors (Martin Weiner): Preferred this to the 2001 by a little bit. Ruddy red with a thick rim. Hints of orange creeping into the rim. Sweet bouquet with cherry, vanilla, and frankincense. Intense fruit as well as pine and floral notes. Good depth in the wine. Higher acidity and the tannins, while well integrated, definitely dominate the back end of this wine. Enjoyable with lamb.
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Horizontale PC 2002 Nez sur le cuir, graphite (mine de crayon), avec du cassis. La bouche est à la fois virile et ….d’une belle finesse! Je note un style Pauillac typé, droit, bien équilibré et long, avec des tanins de qualité, sans verdeur. Un vin authentique et plein, beaucoup de style. Enfin, un vin qui se montre à la hauteur des attentes. Je croyais à Lafite. Superbe. 93-94 pts
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Berry Bros & Rudd - One Day Bordeaux School (Berry Bros, London): Nose: Perfumed, subtle black fruit, cream, chocolate, spice, cinnamon Mouth: high acid and medium to high tannin, sweet and fruity, chocolate, spice, cream, rolls around the mouth, potty. Huge finish. Far too young though.
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Don't touch this wine for quite some years! Opened 6 hours before tasting. Tastes like a deficient wine: pleasant nose, pleasant finsih, but something is missing on the palate. My tasting buddy and myself concluded in the end that it is far too early to open this Latour, that it is going through a closed phase and that the wine will be far more rewarding in 5+ years.
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Un nez qui s’ouvre timidement sur de petits fruits noirs d’une pureté exemplaire. Assez unidimensionnel à ce stade-ci, quoi qu’on ressent ici aussi la grande classe. Le mariage de la finesse et de la richesse, digne d’un très grand Bordeaux. Immense potentiel pour ceux qui seront patients. Finale acide, qui saura se replacer avec le temps. Mon offrande. 92-93.
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Another weekend of Excess; 8/21/2009-8/24/2009 (Chicagoland): A very odd showing. Tried after decanting for 1hr and had corky aromatics and a palate of cardboard. Left in the decanter for another 2 hours and it kept getting worse. Poured back into the bottle. The next day tried again and the cork smell and taste was gone. Dark currant and cassis with chocolate and leather and a nice bit of minerality. A very long finish, but there was something just a touch off. There was still a third of the bottle left and I tried it again the third day. The fruit had softened up a bit and was more giving, but the slight corky note returned. Not sure what to think of this bottle..
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Tasted with ipirolo and generally agree -- this was the dissapointment of the night, and never really opened up (in fairness, perhaps we never really gave it time). Wonderful aromatic nose, with ripe fruit and oak, but the highlights ended there. The rest was thin with an acidic finish. I thought we might catch it before it shut down, or that the 2002s might be more approachable young, but this needs more time either in bottle or in a decanter (or both) before its true colors come out.
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A Celebration (Da Marco, Houston, Texas): Intense, beautiful aromatics of lilac flowers, currants and barnyard. This was tight and needed more time to open up. I found it rather thin on the mid-palate and never really came around. I was disappointed.
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Chateau Latour Vertical (Bentley Hotel, London): Ripe black cherry and blackcurrant on the nose, less exuberant than the 2003 (what wouldn't be?). Oaky and tannic, but buffered by the ripe fruit. Dwarfed by the 2003, but still very lovely.
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Opened at 10:30am - overpowering oak on the nose and palate, rather thin, quite acidic on the finish - nice purity of fruit (raspberries?) in the background, though. Hard to drink at that point and in need of serious decanting time. Around 2pm we start drinking this wine (with prime rib), the tannins are a bit harsh after the almost non-existent tannins of the 1952 Latour drunk just before. What was really amazing was the similarity of the noses in wines 50 years apart from each other. As time went by the 2002 started to gain some weight, the tannins became smoother - the acidity was still there but blending nicely with the rest. The aromatics changed as well towards more roasted notes (espresso comes to mind) as well as leather and really nice fruit - a good cocktail. I tasted it one last time around 5:30pm (7 hours after opening it) and the main difference was that the finish was starting to develop - it was one of the main differences we noticed before between the nice finish of the 52 and the comparatively clipped finish of the 02.
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I opened decanted this bottle a little past noon, left it in the cellar and consumed the wine over the next twelve hours. The first pour was little under whelming. Bright ruby in color with some graphite and blackberries on the nose. On the palate there were minerals accents with a smooth balanced finish. I continued to check in on the wine about every hour or so to see how is was developing. After about 3 hours in the decanter the wine really started to open up and became darker with some smoke and dark chocolate on the nose but the palate was still a little retrained. At the 4 hour mark it really started to blossom. The color was now a dark opaque. The nose was bursting with coffee and chocolate with the blackberries still lingering in the background. The chocolate was now also coming through on the palate along with the minerals. The wine was superbly balanced with a looonnngg smooth finish. After 5 hours this wine was completely singing and was a mocha berry cappuccino. Rich lush and delicious. This young baby completely blew away the '91 Phelps Insignia, '96 Pahlmeyer and the '96 Opus (the Opus was the best of those three) which I had opened for dinner. The wine held onto its explosiveness up through the 9 hour mark at which time the intensity started to gradually fade. I finished my last glass a little before midnight along with a taste of the other wines mentioned. Although it's fruit had faded some it was still a great glass of wine. Whereas all the Cali's, which were opened over 4 hour later and not decanted, had completely faded away. RMP pretty much nailed this one.
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2002 Bordeaux (Garagiste, Seattle, WA): Very dark garnet/purple in color. The nose was very subdued on this wine...perhaps because it was the first wine I tasted out of 16 2002's. On the palate, classic cassis and black fruits. Very good structure and balance, but the finish is a little light.
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Garagiste 2002 Bordeaux Tasting (Garagiste Warehouse, Seattle, WA): Black, already throwing sediment. Very expansive nose which was singing during the tasting. Notes of earth, graphite, cedar, blackberry. Sweet cassis and berries on the palate that were silky smooth. Everything culminating into a persistent finish with integrated tannins. This is tannic, but balanced well with the fruit. Should last a long time. Correctly predicted as lafite or latour. Too good for anything else. My WOTN.
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TOFTT :) Opened this on the evening of the 10th Upon opening, great, no HUGE nose of dark CA like fruit, Is this Harlan, Quilceda, back to the decanter and whoosh it's gone, closed nothing. A few sips tell me all I need, the fruit is there but wow is this disjointed, lacking any integration. All it gives off in the glass is Cedar and graphite. Hour one to three, the wine goes through many changes, from dark and overly acidic at about an hour to closed and hard with wicked tannins at 3. Hour 4, hints of fruit are starting to return. Nothing big but there are aroma's of plum, dark cherry, wet granite and wood. The finish is very hard with drying tannins that suck any fruit on the palate away. Day 2, I saved 1/2 of the bottle for today. This is a much different wine, it is much darker, about a 7 to 8 on the port scale. Today it is giving granite, pomegranate, violets, rose petals, cassis and much more I cannot seem to pin down, there are not the integration issues I mentioned yesterday. The wood has become much more reserved and the tannins while still there do not tear your mouth apart. The finish lasts 25 seconds and for such a young wine is almost pleasant. Compared to the 94 CA wines I had last weekend I would describe this as feminine or very floral. Is it knocking my socks off, no but it is close. I am headed to Atlanta in the morning but I will have Jill finish the last glass or so and let me know what she thinks. Currently 92
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Tasting at Wine and Cheese Show - The highlights: Just a small taste but the clean Pauillac nose and taste are hard to miss. It had a really incredible classic red fruit nose, hints of cedar. This is a real fruit bomb on the initial taste, however the mid palate falls off a bit. It lacked a bit of stuffing to be considered great, and you cannot descrie the finish as long, but it certain was nice. If you have a bunch, it is tasting well now, so try it. I did not notice the tannins too much.
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Two days in Bordeaux; 2/23/2004-2/24/2004 (St. Estèphe-Pauillac): (Barrel sample from a small bottle in Ch. Latour tasting room). Boy, this is delicious. After 20 minutes in the glass it's hard to believe this is a barrel sample. Full, supple, juicy - where are the feared tannins? Of course the scent is restrained and simple and the finish just sweet 'n juicy, but the material is so friendly it is hard to believe this will close up (it will...) 74% CS, 25% Merlot, 0,5% CF, 0,5% PV. If everything comes together again in 20 years: (90-)92P
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4/7/2024 - drjb Likes this wine: 95 Points
At Home Dinner. This wine opened very well with a deep crimson red colour and an immediate nose of blackcurrants, garnet plums, tobacco, walnuts and a touch of mint. The palate is beautifully layered with no sense of attenuation or green characters but rather a lovely transparency in addition to rich fruit characters leading into a very poised tannin structure that persists with a nice touch of raspberry on the back palate. A lovely bottle of Latour.
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3/23/2024 - Somm David T wrote: 95 Points
This is still taut with dry, meaty tannins. The first time you should open this Grand Vin. Decanted four and a half hours. It has another 20 plus years of good drinking ahead.
Bramble, dry blackberries, black plum, black raspberries, dry, dark cherries. Dry twig, dry crushed rocks, lead pencil for days, sandstone/limestone, dark, rich, earth with dry leaves, cigar box, ash, leathery, dark spice, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon sticks and vanillin, slightly, moist, volcanic clay, dry & withering flowers that are dark, red and violets framed in lavender, perfect round acidity, structured, well tensioned, overly balanced to earth and smartly polished finish that lands on earth & spice.
My next 02 should be opened in another 8-10 years and will still drink well in another 20 years properly stored.
Paired with AB Brothers Ribcap, crispy baked potato & cooked carrots.
The 07 Turnbull Napa almost seemed grape juice like after the 82 Les Forts & 02 Latour.
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1/24/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:
Very nice. Liked it. Detail notes may yet follow...
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12/1/2023 - Francophile1 Likes this wine:
50th Birthday Bash: 10 Vintage Vertical of Latour: I was so looking forward to tasting this vintage as it has been regarded as the wine of the vintage for the average 2002 vintage. However, this vintage was the one bottle that was not like the other nine vintages that came before it tonight. What it had going against it was where it fell in the order of the line-up (palate fatigue) and its young age. All I can remember is that it was uber concentrated and wonderful, but less evolved in comparison. Bottom line? This is a great bottle of wine and don't open it for another 10 years minimum.
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3/20/2023 - abhi.saw1987@gmail.com wrote: flawed
Yuvyjj
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2/19/2023 - jreis Likes this wine:
This wine had a sheen to it that was beautiful to see and a lovely slightly lighter purplish red color. Exotic and deeply soulful nose of asphalt, tobacco, Asian spices, cool black fruit with a streak of minerality. Silky texture on the palate, with a great mix of the spices consistent with the nose, lovely fresh black fruit and acidity, all in excellent balance. Ready to drink with a short decant, but many good years ahead of it.
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1/31/2023 - Juliansi Likes this wine: 93 Points
Robert Parker described this as potentially the wine of the vintage, and with only 120,000 bottles in circulation.. it was an honour to have one in my home!
74% Cab Sauv, 25% Merlot with hints of CF and PV too. Amazing floral bouquet with hints of blue flower and loads of cigar box coolness on this elegant vintage.
This is truly a classical claret with cassis, medium finish.
We all guessed this was an outstanding Bordeaux from the blind session, but I went on to guess.. 10 to 15 years as this felt to be aging so slowly. Possibly Margaux appelation as its so floral?
I didn't think Pauillac as I did not really get those distinct graphite notes. We were all gobsmacked when SKT unveiled this magnificent beauty. A fitting farewell and see you soon Teck Kong, come back and enjoy wines again with us mid year! Yet another fun session with our loved ones, thanks DQ and LMC too.
When we had this blind compared to TCs previous and incredible Las Cases 2007, this Latour 2002 actually felt more open and accessible initially. Perhaps it's the vintage, and more likely it's the style. Loved SKTs description that TCs Las Cases 2007 is a Locomotive 🚂 whilst this his Latour 2002 is like a monorail 🚆
Robert Parker wrote about a decade ago how Latour’s administrator and its CEO, the meticulous Frederic Engerer, described to him how the yields were a measly 23 hectoliters per hectare.
The pH is remarkably high (3.9), and the natural alcohol is over 13%, so this is a surprisingly powerful offering. It demonstrates that those who picked late benefited from the Indian summer, and only 51% of fruit made it to this Grand Vin.
Bottle 4 of 6.. CNY Chor 10 at my home, thanks for the magnificent surprise SKT. Did you know this was the first 1st Growth to be popped at Casa Si's!
31 Jan 2023
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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11/19/2022 - Mag357 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Acker JK 51st birthday in NYC. The wine seems not to be from such a weak vintage. Just starting to be ready, there is a wonderful balance here, between the vertical strictness of this Pauillac and the elegance of the vintage that produced a relaxed and accesible juice, there are classic aromas of cigar box and blue fruits, some coolness in evidence, a very classic and elegant mouthfeel, open and refined but not lacking in flavor concentration. i enjoyed it for its classic claret quality. Ready now and years of life ahead.
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10/14/2022 - Neodoc1253 Likes this wine: 99 Points
excellent wine, in my opinion this is one of top ten wines i ever had in my life... paired with stake and absolutely loved it. Even though poor condition in bordeaux they managed to make such a great wine!
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10/3/2022 - sirpat00 wrote: 92 Points
2002 Bordeaux 20 years on tasting (Fribourg): 2002 Bordeaux 20 years on tasting. Key takeaways: 1/ 31 out of 32 wines were in flawless condition which indicates either luck or less bottle variation in the vintage, 2/ On average still early days with the fruit predominantly primary, 3/ solid hedonistic quality with only few laggards, but also no blow-outs, 4/ structures built on both tannin and acidity, but common mid-palate weakness, 5/ best wines were Valandrau, Palmer and a surprise underdog Lagrange (all 95), 6/ biggest disappointment was a cooked Figeac (87). More comments and full list of wines included in the tasting story.
Tasting note:
A greenish, slightly unripe type of fruit leaning towards red berries. Hints of black coffee and herbs. Clean but not overly complex bouquet. The palate was fresh and fruit-forward, but with too much tannin in the finish, pretty mouthcoating and clashing rather than chiming together with the acidity.
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9/30/2022 - tcarter Likes this wine: 95 Points
Stellar
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9/12/2022 - bugdoced Likes this wine: 94 Points
what an afternoon
the 1982 latour was better but this was a magnificent effort in a difficult year
thanks for putting this 1st growth bordeaux tasting together
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9/3/2022 - winesavant68 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted 12 hours but should have gone 36 hours. Just barely awake with a ton more life - reminds me of the 71 at this stage of life. Incredible aromatics of flowers and stewed fruits and even a hint of tomato confit. Just a lovely effort often referred to Latour of an off year. I will drink this each day of the week and twice on Sunday - I only have a few more but will put them in the back of the cellar.
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6/16/2022 - napasoutherner Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wonderful wine. Had against a 1995 Margaux. Both great but I enjoyed the LaTour more because of it's strength, graphite/iron like characteristics and structure. Long finish. Young wine, I'd hold this for another 5+ years before drinking again.
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4/23/2022 - La Grappe wrote: 93 Points
This has developed noticeably in the two years since I last tasted it. It has a dark colour and a fairly dense palate, with rich blackcurrant fruit and a streak of acidity which lightens it a little. This is attractive now but should keep well and improve as it develops further. Very good for the vintage.
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3/31/2022 - VinhoVerde Likes this wine: 90 Points
Evolved pencil lead and cassis bouquet. Medium fruit and light tannins in the finish. Soft and mature.
Corked popped 4 hours prior to serving. Completely mature. Drink up.
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2/14/2022 - Shanta Likes this wine:
Bordeaux 2002 First Growth Tasting 22 January 2022.
Our #3 wine in the lineup, with a deep earthy tone that gave the wine some gravitas and resonance. Like all five wines it kept delivering more as it sat in the glass, particularly on the bouquet.
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10/7/2021 - oxwombat Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opened at Le Gavroche. Decanted for 1.5 hours.
This far exceeded my expectations. Despite the vintage, Latour have crafted a beautiful wine that is at a very good stage of its life. Concentrated red and black fruits coming through on the nose, but balanced with a strong backbone of alcohol and tannins. Acidity cuts through everything but isn't over-powering.
Overall, this was really great. It beat the DRC Corton '11 we had alongside it by a fair margin - I guess that says enough!
People say that great producers always find a way, and this was definitely a wonderful example of this maxim.
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12/25/2020 - Wrighty Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep dark and a little bit of lusciousness. Cassis, berries and pencil. Then it broods to a lovely, long fading finish
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12/24/2020 - Vini Ciclismo Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep dark red.
Ripe red berries, cassis, pencil shavings, lightly fragrant rather than super expressive.
Bright fruit, lots of red berry amongst the cassis, some boysenberry and violet. Silky smooth, very evenly weighted, finishes a little short but with beautifully refined tannins, soft but persistent. This is drinking beautifully, seems to have enough complexity to pair the fruit, and decent structure, for an average year this is a very well balanced wine. Delicious drinking.
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12/5/2020 - Argrath wrote: 93 Points
(Bordeaux 2002 tasting)
Subtle and minerally nose. Gravel and iron. Pencil shavings. Dark fruit with a hint of raspberry. Tertiary tobacco notes. Appealing.
Medium-fullish, still tannic palate. A bit dryish. Cedar, ink, classic and very elegant balance. Freshness.
More austere than Mouton, which we preferred slightly. The tannins in Latour could benefit from further cellaring, but the fruit risks fading.
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12/5/2020 - APH Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dinner at Basilica at Regent Hotel in Singapore with family & friends (5 total under SG COVID rules). Deep garnet color, with a wonderful nose of lead pencil, cassis, and crushed berries. Very refined taste, medium bodied, with smooth, rounded tannins, which improved through the dinner. Excellent wine, ready for drinking. Thoroughly enjoyable!
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9/26/2020 - hprphf wrote: 91 Points
Served blind. Mild, slight Puillac note, vintage not surprise. Silky texture. 91
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7/8/2020 - hprphf wrote: 91 Points
Bordeaux Left Bank First Growth BYO (Grand Hyatt Hong Kong): Two bottles. Soft dark florals, need a lot of time for tannins to resolve. 91+
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4/24/2020 - spineguy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Darker fruit. Refined as expected. Agree with Pine notes on the fantastic nose. Initially austere on the palate. Needed 2 hours in the decanter then really began showing. Long wonderful finish. Still quite young. Be curious to see where it is in 5-10 years.
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4/13/2020 - Tree512 Likes this wine: 96 Points
OMFG. Easily the best 2002 I've had, and a classic example of Latour. Not a huge nose but a great palate, linear and full, with big tannins and a big finish. Perfectly ripe fruit, classic, and more ready than I would expect. Give this another 5-10 years, but early drinking Latour is a treat.
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4/4/2020 - La Grappe wrote: 91 Points
Initially a little reticent, but it opened up after a while to provide a fine, elegant, classic claret of medium weight. Towards the end of the bottle, it closed down again. Perhaps it still needs more time in bottle.
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3/12/2020 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote: 94 Points
Tasted blind. Dark ruby color turning dark amber/orange rust at the rim with a reflective edge. Very attractive nose that goes on and on. Perhaps a higher dose of Merlot. It’s not powerful, but rather pretty graceful and elegant for a Latour. Tertiary flavors of espresso, tobacco, cocoa, dried meat and scorched earth have come to predominate the black currant and cassis. Finishes long and elegant. Tasted alongside an ‘83 Margaux, ‘94 Mouton, ‘95 Mouton. It didn’t score high, but one of my favorites nonetheless. Drink now. 94+
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5/4/2019 - La Grappe wrote: 91 Points
Quite full, with blackcurrant fruit, a slight creaminess and typical claret smoke/spice. A touch burly: power rather than elegance. Certainly a fine wine, and possibly the wine of the vintage, but the weakness of the vintage shows.
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3/16/2019 - La Grappe wrote: flawed
Unfortunately, this was corked. The taint was initially not overwhelming, and it was clear that there was a wine with some quite rich and substantial fruit behind the corkiness. However, when we tried it again on day 2, it was undrinkable. A pity.
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2/24/2019 - willthethrill Does not like this wine: 89 Points
Meh
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11/28/2018 - Collector1855 wrote: 95 Points
Chateau Latour - 30 year vertical (1983-2010) tasted blind (Switzerland): Nose of dark fruit, forest floor, pine, a hint of greenness but not a disturbing one. Mid bodied palate, good aromatic persistency. A solid Latour, well done for the vintage and ready to drink now
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7/27/2018 - Opusone99 wrote: 94 Points
Très belle bouteille. 93-94.
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5/16/2018 - vespasian wrote:
Dusky ruby core; classic Pauillac nose, not in the least bit flamboyant or exotic, very stern and proper (as you'd expect from 2002); a touch green on the entry, cedary cassis and earth. Very Pall Mall. Not a lot of fun, more something to be admired for what it is. Very old school.
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3/26/2018 - vespasian wrote:
Ruby core showing some age at the rim; nice complexity of fruit on the nose - certainly not exuberant but attractive. Definite mineral edge also; reasonable development on the palate, not at the end of the road but approachable, ready if you are. Pretty classic.
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1/3/2018 - BordeauxBoy wrote: 94 Points
Strong showing of a 1st growth from an OK vintage. Blind tasted after being open for 3-4 hours. Everything you'd expect except intensity from this excellent BDX. Will drink well for years but can't imagine it getting much better.
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7/8/2017 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 95 Points
sampled with a dizzying array of wines at Don N.'s tasting dinner. Thanks to Buckner for providing. Supposedly from a weaker vintage, this had power and depth, smokey notes to go with the currant and black fruit notes.
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5/11/2017 - vespasian wrote:
Merest hint of a fade at the rim - strong ruby core; quite a ripe, sweet berried note on the nose. Good lift. Very clear, no unripe notes; pretty impressive build - opens in waves on the palate. Good sustain. Quite young still. Lovely fruit character - quite a tannic structure reveals itself with time. Impressive but quite austere.
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4/25/2017 - dulcamara wrote: 91 Points
- Medium forming legs - Addendum to my notes : very good with duck, but not as amazing as I expected. This is only my second taste of Latour. The first was a 61, so my standards are a bit high.
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4/25/2017 - dulcamara wrote:
- Garnet color and aromas of blackberry and has flavours of blackberry with a medium body. Linear texture with a medium finish.
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1/4/2017 - Jean-Philippe M Likes this wine:
Terriblement puissant et facile à boire. Les tannins sont soyeux, il y a des fruits foncés, du cèdre, du graphite, de l'olive noire et un petit côté animal. Première expérience avec un des 5 premier grand cru classé, et je ne suis pas déçu.
4,5/5
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12/27/2016 - Dale M wrote: 95 Points
Decanted 10hrs. Hard not to be influenced by the label with th lion on top of the brick tower, but this Paulliac flat brought the good for Xmas dinner. Not a flashy wine, but still a very rich and robust delivery of pure cassis fruit, framed nicely by notes of coffee and earth. Still very youthful tannins suggest at least two decades of prime time drinking ahead, but overall the balance here is remarkable, impossible to really nit pick characteristic of this fine left bank specimen.
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12/13/2016 - sdylewski Likes this wine: 95 Points
Thoroughly enjoyable, strong tannin opened up after 30 minutes, with a wonderful graphite, floral, and blackberry nose that balanced perfectly with the body and length.
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11/7/2016 - SlimShaney wrote: 91 Points
My 400th CT review
Great wine for sitting in a sophisticated oak panneled country club on aged leather sofas. Dry tannin, a little sour, long tobacco finish.
Must admit I'd prefer something bigger and more indulgent.
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10/28/2016 - phynes Likes this wine: 95 Points
First from a case and drank alongside the Conseillante '04. Both lovely wines but the Latour shaded it. Felt like a wine that had been poured over some coffee beans and left overnight covering a rusty iron bar, i.e. georgous minerality. Firmly in its drinking window but should last another 10 years at this level.
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9/10/2016 - Falco203 wrote: 95 Points
Truly one of the great iconic wines. Drank for our 18th anniversary. Big left bank Bouquet of floral and spice. Warning: 2002 does not hold up for hours. My recommendation is to decant and drink within two hours
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9/9/2016 - Claret & CdP Gang Likes this wine: 94 Points
Medium red, stunning purity with the nose, black fruits, powerful & clear graphite aromas, love the scents of coffee, cedar, herbs & ink, medium bodied, complex, long finish, the purity really shines, liquid gold! Will improve
94+
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7/30/2016 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dinner at Galletto's (Modesto): Not a great year....but this is a great wine! A more subtle Latour...still has the killer silky smooth dark berry fruits, plum liqueur, graphite powder tannins that are firm yet giving...pencil lead, exotic cedar wood spice, wintergreen tobacco....wonderful purity and elegance....I'd drink this all day long!
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5/7/2016 - drjb Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep crimson color. Nose rich fruit nose of blackcurrant, redcurrant, dark chocolate and cedar. Palate quite structured but rich fruit balanced by that gravel, cedar and walnut character of fine Pauillac. Opened over a couple of hours in the decanter showing plenty of character. A great 2002.
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1/30/2016 - La Grappe wrote: 91 Points
Decanted an hour in advance. A deep colour; restrained on the nose. The palate is also somewhat muted, with some tannin hiding elegant, youthful, blackcurrant fruit. It opened up a little with time, but this is still 2 to 3 years from maturity at least. 91 points for now, but potentially more in future.
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12/26/2015 - SonnyChiba wrote: 96 Points
Fantastic! This was excellent and the WOTN. Classic Latour on the nose, very distinctive. Layer upon layer of goodness on the palate, some ripe fruit and sweetness, tobacco, little bit of cedar, earth and mineral, low acidity, beautiful soft tannin. Drinks very well right now. Seems there is no such thing as a weak vintage when it comes to Latour.
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10/16/2015 - Cheungtp Likes this wine: 95 Points
Upon opening this one was the shy boy, especially sitting next to the 2001 Haut Brion, which began some level of singing from the get go. With two hours of decanting, and more time in the glass, shy boy no longer, and everything started swinging with stride. In terms of vintage, one might expect the 2001 to have an edge, but the 2002 Latour has no means to play the second fiddle. Gorgeous ruby color that'd capture your sight with wonder. Once the wine opens up, the bouquet is complex and packed with a great punch, loaded with black currants, spring flowers, earthy minerals, sweet spices, gente cigar note, hint of coffee and cinnamon. A supremely balanced palate carrying an enormous structure and freshness that makes each sip so delightful. Not as full bodied as a Latour in a great vintage, nevertheless a complete, wonderful beauty for all admirers. The round tannins seem to be made so effortlessly, brilliant winemaking skills. The finish is long and expansive, tobacco smoke and cassis is what you could breathe in and out, and draws a giggle on your face. Brilliant!
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9/19/2015 - kwangeurng Likes this wine: 96 Points
After decant for 3 hour getting better every 15 min. Love it so much. So balance full body but very balance. Silky tanin
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7/17/2015 - millesime66 wrote: 94 Points
Long bouchon ciré impeccable, nez de fruits noirs et belle touché boisée. En bouche c'est grand et long mais avec à peine de retenue due au millésime médiocre et/ou au fait qu'il n'a pas encore tout révélé. Qui sait... C'est quand même merveilleux.
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2/8/2014 - 1961Vintage wrote: 95 Points
In a fabulous spot right not. Deep garnet color and nicely integrated fruit and tannins. Classic wine making skills from a less than stellar vintage. If you can find some at reasonable cost, get some.. We were fortunate to have a friend who carried a bottle to dinner.
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8/1/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
With a nose filled with walnut, cassis, tobacco, blackberry and forest floor aromas. The wine is medium/full bodied with a refined character. The finish is all about the sweet, lush rich, balanced textures and classy, stylish cassis.
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5/14/2013 - Wrighty Likes this wine: 94 Points
This was served blind amongst 18 other wines and whilst I knew it was there I'd never tasted it before. But it stood out; dark brooding colour, wonderful balance, some mineralogy, fruit, fine tannins and a complexity that caused a long pause for thought. It was this that probably made me call it as the Latour - was pleased with that! Great wine, drinking well with a decent decant but will have a decent live ahead of it.
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3/20/2013 - Collector1855 wrote: 92 Points
Served during a larger tasting. Still quite dark color, little visible aging. As a surprise for a 2002 this wine neither has harsh tannins nor is it acidic. As a matter of fact the softness of the tannins are astonishing. Aromas of dark berries, minerals, well balanced but it is just a bit short and lacks complexity. Well done one could say was there not the price of a first growth to live up to.
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1/24/2013 - bernardo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark cherries, smoky notes, hint of resin, vegetal note. Firm tannins, much less harsh than I remembered. High acidity, not harsh. Long, complex, beautiful wine. By itself it is amazing, alongside other vintages it shows its tannins but never lacking in elegance and refinement.
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11/22/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
The wine of the vintage opens with a smoky tobacco laden nose complicated by gravel, cassis, spicy black cherry, forest floor, Asian spice and hints of espresso bean in the nose. On the palate, the wine is full bodied, with ample levels of spicy cassis, round tannins and a long, fresh, expansive, spicy, black and red fruit, filled finish.
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10/23/2012 - bowsprit wrote:
lunch after board meet
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5/3/2012 - steinersing wrote: 96 Points
bunch of Latours - short: very well made wine - regret I sold these
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10/9/2011 - the godfather wrote:
very good but not at all worth the money. drank way too young
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5/18/2011 - mwanasheria wrote: 96 Points
As awesome as the previous bottle.
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4/29/2011 - Grenik wrote: 95 Points
Martin Weiner's Magnificent Ch. Latours (1934-2002) Plus the Best of ths Grand Cru Neighbors (Martin Weiner): Preferred this to the 2001 by a little bit. Ruddy red with a thick rim. Hints of orange creeping into the rim. Sweet bouquet with cherry, vanilla, and frankincense. Intense fruit as well as pine and floral notes. Good depth in the wine. Higher acidity and the tannins, while well integrated, definitely dominate the back end of this wine. Enjoyable with lamb.
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2/3/2011 - mwanasheria wrote: 96 Points
This is the real thing. The purity defies the vintage. Cassis, pencil shavings, great fruit. Still tannic, but silky and long.
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1/21/2011 - d'Artagnan wrote: 93 Points
Horizontale PC 2002
Nez sur le cuir, graphite (mine de crayon), avec du cassis.
La bouche est à la fois virile et ….d’une belle finesse! Je note un style Pauillac typé, droit, bien équilibré et long, avec des tanins de qualité, sans verdeur. Un vin authentique et plein, beaucoup de style. Enfin, un vin qui se montre à la hauteur des attentes. Je croyais à Lafite. Superbe. 93-94 pts
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11/13/2010 - chatters wrote:
Berry Bros & Rudd - One Day Bordeaux School (Berry Bros, London): Nose: Perfumed, subtle black fruit, cream, chocolate, spice, cinnamon
Mouth: high acid and medium to high tannin, sweet and fruity, chocolate, spice, cream, rolls around the mouth, potty. Huge finish.
Far too young though.
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11/9/2010 - Yagil wrote: 96 Points
great elegant & feminine aroma, velvet taste, silky , tannins, full-bodied
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9/22/2010 - svdheijden wrote:
Don't touch this wine for quite some years! Opened 6 hours before tasting. Tastes like a deficient wine: pleasant nose, pleasant finsih, but something is missing on the palate. My tasting buddy and myself concluded in the end that it is far too early to open this Latour, that it is going through a closed phase and that the wine will be far more rewarding in 5+ years.
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7/23/2010 - Pacalet wrote: 90 Points
Not a great vintage of this wine, Nice nose with a touch of mint, but structure wise a bit weak for Latour, in fact more like a Les Forts de Latour.
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7/3/2010 - soyhead wrote: 91 Points
great mouthfeel, juicy good fruit, limited notes but if blinded would not guess a first growth.
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12/19/2009 - BigJul wrote: 93 Points
Un nez qui s’ouvre timidement sur de petits fruits noirs d’une pureté exemplaire. Assez unidimensionnel à ce stade-ci, quoi qu’on ressent ici aussi la grande classe. Le mariage de la finesse et de la richesse, digne d’un très grand Bordeaux. Immense potentiel pour ceux qui seront patients. Finale acide, qui saura se replacer avec le temps. Mon offrande. 92-93.
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8/24/2009 - MatthewF wrote:
Another weekend of Excess; 8/21/2009-8/24/2009 (Chicagoland): A very odd showing. Tried after decanting for 1hr and had corky aromatics and a palate of cardboard. Left in the decanter for another 2 hours and it kept getting worse. Poured back into the bottle. The next day tried again and the cork smell and taste was gone. Dark currant and cassis with chocolate and leather and a nice bit of minerality. A very long finish, but there was something just a touch off. There was still a third of the bottle left and I tried it again the third day. The fruit had softened up a bit and was more giving, but the slight corky note returned. Not sure what to think of this bottle..
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12/13/2008 - the godfather wrote: 94 Points
just absolutely massive with fabulous perfume and a very opulent style, hold for at least 10 years
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11/5/2008 - slawa wrote: 95 Points
zum 40.geburi. morgens um 0600 geöffnet. hervorragend. 95 +
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4/14/2008 - dionysis wrote: 91 Points
Tasted with ipirolo and generally agree -- this was the dissapointment of the night, and never really opened up (in fairness, perhaps we never really gave it time). Wonderful aromatic nose, with ripe fruit and oak, but the highlights ended there. The rest was thin with an acidic finish. I thought we might catch it before it shut down, or that the 2002s might be more approachable young, but this needs more time either in bottle or in a decanter (or both) before its true colors come out.
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4/11/2008 - cellarbrator wrote: 92 Points
A Celebration (Da Marco, Houston, Texas): Intense, beautiful aromatics of lilac flowers, currants and barnyard. This was tight and needed more time to open up. I found it rather thin on the mid-palate and never really came around. I was disappointed.
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12/14/2006 - Rupert wrote: 94 Points
Chateau Latour Vertical (Bentley Hotel, London): Ripe black cherry and blackcurrant on the nose, less exuberant than the 2003 (what wouldn't be?). Oaky and tannic, but buffered by the ripe fruit. Dwarfed by the 2003, but still very lovely.
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10/30/2006 - MRichman wrote:
Chateau Latour vertical at Danube (Danube restaurant in NYC): Sweet with nutmeg/baking spices. Drying tannins.
B+/A-
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8/23/2005 - MRichman wrote:
2002 Bordeaux Offline (Frank's Steakhouse, NYC): Rich, smooth, silky. Delicious, classy, wonderfully complex. Some darker fruit, nice sweet fruit.
A-
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8/7/2005 - Will wrote:
Opened at 10:30am - overpowering oak on the nose and palate, rather thin, quite acidic on the finish - nice purity of fruit (raspberries?) in the background, though. Hard to drink at that point and in need of serious decanting time. Around 2pm we start drinking this wine (with prime rib), the tannins are a bit harsh after the almost non-existent tannins of the 1952 Latour drunk just before. What was really amazing was the similarity of the noses in wines 50 years apart from each other. As time went by the 2002 started to gain some weight, the tannins became smoother - the acidity was still there but blending nicely with the rest. The aromatics changed as well towards more roasted notes (espresso comes to mind) as well as leather and really nice fruit - a good cocktail. I tasted it one last time around 5:30pm (7 hours after opening it) and the main difference was that the finish was starting to develop - it was one of the main differences we noticed before between the nice finish of the 52 and the comparatively clipped finish of the 02.
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8/6/2005 - cassetta wrote: 96 Points
I opened decanted this bottle a little past noon, left it in the cellar and consumed the wine over the next twelve hours. The first pour was little under whelming. Bright ruby in color with some graphite and blackberries on the nose. On the palate there were minerals accents with a smooth balanced finish. I continued to check in on the wine about every hour or so to see how is was developing. After about 3 hours in the decanter the wine really started to open up and became darker with some smoke and dark chocolate on the nose but the palate was still a little retrained. At the 4 hour mark it really started to blossom. The color was now a dark opaque. The nose was bursting with coffee and chocolate with the blackberries still lingering in the background. The chocolate was now also coming through on the palate along with the minerals. The wine was superbly balanced with a looonnngg smooth finish. After 5 hours this wine was completely singing and was a mocha berry cappuccino. Rich lush and delicious. This young baby completely blew away the '91 Phelps Insignia, '96 Pahlmeyer and the '96 Opus (the Opus was the best of those three) which I had opened for dinner. The wine held onto its explosiveness up through the 9 hour mark at which time the intensity started to gradually fade. I finished my last glass a little before midnight along with a taste of the other wines mentioned. Although it's fruit had faded some it was still a great glass of wine. Whereas all the Cali's, which were opened over 4 hour later and not decanted, had completely faded away. RMP pretty much nailed this one.
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7/16/2005 - DFC wrote: 90 Points
2002 Bordeaux (Garagiste, Seattle, WA): Very dark garnet/purple in color. The nose was very subdued on this wine...perhaps because it was the first wine I tasted out of 16 2002's. On the palate, classic cassis and black fruits. Very good structure and balance, but the finish is a little light.
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7/16/2005 - Wusman wrote: 95 Points
Garagiste 2002 Bordeaux Tasting (Garagiste Warehouse, Seattle, WA): Black, already throwing sediment. Very expansive nose which was singing during the tasting. Notes of earth, graphite, cedar, blackberry. Sweet cassis and berries on the palate that were silky smooth. Everything culminating into a persistent finish with integrated tannins. This is tannic, but balanced well with the fruit. Should last a long time. Correctly predicted as lafite or latour. Too good for anything else. My WOTN.
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5/11/2005 - JasonD wrote:
TOFTT :) Opened this on the evening of the 10th
Upon opening, great, no HUGE nose of dark CA like fruit, Is this Harlan, Quilceda, back to the decanter and whoosh it's gone, closed nothing. A few sips tell me all I need, the fruit is there but wow is this disjointed, lacking any integration. All it gives off in the glass is Cedar and graphite.
Hour one to three, the wine goes through many changes, from dark and overly acidic at about an hour to closed and hard with wicked tannins at 3.
Hour 4, hints of fruit are starting to return. Nothing big but there are aroma's of plum, dark cherry, wet granite and wood. The finish is very hard with drying tannins that suck any fruit on the palate away.
Day 2, I saved 1/2 of the bottle for today. This is a much different wine, it is much darker, about a 7 to 8 on the port scale. Today it is giving granite, pomegranate, violets, rose petals, cassis and much more I cannot seem to pin down, there are not the integration issues I mentioned yesterday. The wood has become much more reserved and the tannins while still there do not tear your mouth apart. The finish lasts 25 seconds and for such a young wine is almost pleasant. Compared to the 94 CA wines I had last weekend I would describe this as feminine or very floral. Is it knocking my socks off, no but it is close. I am headed to Atlanta in the morning but I will have Jill finish the last glass or so and let me know what she thinks. Currently 92
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4/9/2005 - beachbum wrote: 91 Points
Tasting at Wine and Cheese Show - The highlights: Just a small taste but the clean Pauillac nose and taste are hard to miss. It had a really incredible classic red fruit nose, hints of cedar. This is a real fruit bomb on the initial taste, however the mid palate falls off a bit. It lacked a bit of stuffing to be considered great, and you cannot descrie the finish as long, but it certain was nice. If you have a bunch, it is tasting well now, so try it. I did not notice the tannins too much.
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2/24/2004 - honest bob wrote: 92 Points
Two days in Bordeaux; 2/23/2004-2/24/2004 (St. Estèphe-Pauillac): (Barrel sample from a small bottle in Ch. Latour tasting room). Boy, this is delicious. After 20 minutes in the glass it's hard to believe this is a barrel sample. Full, supple, juicy - where are the feared tannins? Of course the scent is restrained and simple and the finish just sweet 'n juicy, but the material is so friendly it is hard to believe this will close up (it will...) 74% CS, 25% Merlot, 0,5% CF, 0,5% PV. If everything comes together again in 20 years: (90-)92P
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