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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 95.8 pts. and median of 96 pts. in 327 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Edclr on 4/15/2024 & rated 96 points: This bottle was really singing. Maybe just because its been so long since I had a Latour. (709 views) | | | Tasted by Fuel55 on 3/30/2024 & rated 93 points: Much leaner showing than 4 years ago. This bottle was tighter and more mineral driven like a Pessac - still a great wine but I have had greater. (941 views) | | | Tasted by aquacongas on 3/29/2024 & rated 97 points: blind
Some fruit elements but this bottle was a bit too evolved. Great to drink now but normally should be fresher and more compact and less accessible. 97 (1087 views) | | | Tasted by Lord of the Bottles on 3/14/2024 & rated 94 points: The highlight of the Bordeaux dinner, but the host noted this bottle had slight brett (I did not notice). Still seems young even at 28 years. Walnut and spicy aromas along with a green pepper and black fruit palate and more walnut with a 10-15 second finish. No fireworks here just very classic and put together. Better in 5-10 years. Only my second time drinking Latour and remarkable how much it reminds me of its neighbour Montrose. 94+ (1470 views) | | | Tasted by melvinyeowq on 2/2/2024 & rated 95 points: Bordeaux first-growth lunch: Dcwino's previous note pretty much nailed it. One of my bucket list wines and it lived up to expectations in terms of sheer power. Incredibly powerful structure and concentration of black fruit that made it a little brutish. Also had a similar pencil lead note to the '01. Not sure if this beast will ever settle down, but a treat to have tried this. (2173 views) | | | Tasted by fcxj on 1/19/2024 & rated 94 points: Sleek, polished, secondary, dark fruited. (2035 views) | | | Tasted by Jeff Leve on 1/13/2024 & rated 98 points: The best deal on a Latour with age kicks off with cedar, mint, cigar box, spice, currants and graphite. The full-bodied palate is balanced, spicy, vibrant, and multi-layered, with waves of sweet, pure, tobacco/laden currants and spice. The almost seamless finish carries. Decanted for 60 minutes, this is about to go up in score. Drink from 2024-2055. (3146 views) | | | Tasted by jamesabdavis on 12/25/2023: Classic claret/pauillac nose: pencil lead, earth, discreet deep cassis fruit,
Lovely elegance & richness.
No wow (1888 views) | | | Tasted by nicholswfu on 12/24/2023: Gone.poured out. (1698 views) | | | Tasted by dcwino on 12/7/2023 & rated 97 points: Holiday Dinner - Mostly Bordeaux (Taberna del Alabardero, Washington D.C.): Wine 1 - Expressive nose displaying intense black fruit with a hint of red, crème de cassis, blackberry jam, lead pencil, red flowers, caramel and earth. Excellent concentration, layers upon layers of concentrated perfectly ripe black fruit, beautiful balance and precision, silky and polished, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, very fine tannins and a long concentrated black fruit driven finish. My guess is Chateau Margaux based on the floral note. (2001 views) | | | Tasted by DCHawkeye on 10/6/2023 & rated 98 points: Decanted at the start of dinner at La Piquette in D.C., this absolutely benefited from the decant. I was surprised at how youthful this bottle (purchased from the old Sam's Wines in Chicago, probably about 25 years ago) was - still dark in color with obvious tannin, but in the glass with the entrees, this was everything you could want from a '96 First Growth - cedar, tobacco, leather, currants - beautiful nose, with fruit and structure to match. This bottle, at least, would have had years ahead of it. (2267 views) | | | Tasted by hajoha on 8/14/2023 & rated 92 points: Chateau Latour 1996.
Forførende nese.
Dypt og sofistikert med begynnende modningstoner.
Smooth i inngangen.
Høy konsentrasjon og balansert syre, men frukten er litt småtørr dessverre.
Ikke krise - det er en rimelig bra vin.
Jeg takker ikke nei til et glass til.
Meget lang, dog litt rufsete finish.
Tanninene er faste, men frukten tørker litt inn her også.
Imponerende, selv om den underpresterer litt.
Her finnes det nok enda bedre flasker.
92-93p? (3287 views) | | | Tasted by luHar1423 on 7/28/2023 & rated 99 points: Close to perfection and a must-have for every left-bank lover. Was obviously part of our Summer of 96 Blind Tasting event and scored easily first place!
Huge value for the buck - and I am definitely going to look out for some bargains on this vintage in due time.
This is for sure a wine, which you can drink during the next decade.
On my overall rating as of today: new number 3 (behind the perfect 1982 Mouton and the close to perfect 1990 Pichon Baron). (3240 views) | | | Tasted by Jeff Leve on 7/4/2023 & rated 98 points: Offering a sublime tasting experience., the wine is packed with all the spicy cedar, tobacco leaf, cigar box, ash, currants, blackberries, and smoke you could ask for. Full-bodied, deep, long, earthy, rich, and long, the wine unfurls on your palate and stays there. This is still the best buy for a Latour that is close to maturity on the market today. Drink from 2023-2055. (5365 views) | | | Tasted by Burgundy Al on 5/22/2023 & rated 95 points: Pausing for the Cause Fundraiser and Dinner (Galit - Chicago IL): What a treat. OK, not nearly as exciting as the 1990 from a few nights ago, or as perfectly composed as the 1982 that same night, but this has the stuffing and finesse to stand alongside those vintages. A great wine that is just now really finding its feet. (4596 views) | | | Tasted by Vinumming & Ahhing on 5/17/2023 & rated 95 points: Amazing Bordeaux To Mark A Special Birthday (Noizé, London): Another outstanding wine. I'm sure in 20 years this will be right up there. Somehow just outside my top five on the night primarily as I rated based on their readiness / pleasure giving on the night. This has a young and exotic nose with the damson and raspberry core being complimented by a brandy snap ginger / creaminess. There are also elements of rosehip and a faint grenadine sweetness. Palate, whilst not fully resolved is rich, savoury, more-ish and with great length. (3491 views) | | | Tasted by dcwino on 3/17/2023 & rated 98 points: Another great wine dinner with Bernard Burtschy (Taberna del Alabardero, Washington D.C.): Classic refined nose displaying perfectly ripe black and blue fruit, crème de cassis, blackberry, blueberry concentrate, strong lea pencil, cedar, dark flowers, dark spices and earth. Excellent concentration, very finely layered pure concentrated black fruit, powerful yet very precise and detailed, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, very fine tannins and a seamless long pure black fruit driven finish with lead pencil at the end. This beautifully demonstrates the classic 96 vintage character. IMO, the most classic vintage going back to the 80s. (4170 views) | | | Tasted by hectic on 3/17/2023 & rated 97 points: Brilliant. Tremendously complex and layered. On the upswing of it's drinking window with decades of life still to go. (2976 views) | | | Tasted by liber on 2/25/2023 & rated 97 points: Chez Gr, decanted 90 minutes, perfect cork and level, bit tight at first with Cheval 96 more interesting, roles reversed after an hour or so with the layering starting to unfurl, rich, round and classy mouthfeel, v persistent and concentrated and best bottle yet, upside, 40+ years in this superb left bank vintage. VF+ (19). (3355 views) | | | Tasted by soyhead on 1/14/2023: nose- grassy, green pepper, minty
mouth - dark fruits, smooth and delicious, showing some tertiary flavors but still very much a wine of fruit. smooth and delicious and for many the WOTN; showing better than the '01 but the birthday boy nevertheless prefers the '03 (4637 views) | | | Tasted by sdr on 1/7/2023 & rated 95 points: Latour, Latour, Latour (WineWatch, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida): This backup bottle showed just how good the ‘96 is when it’s sound. Really fresh, bright, intensely fruity. Not mature yet since there's not much secondary development but so promising. No denying how delicious it is right now so don’t feel guilty if you guzzle it down. But try to save some for your grandchildren. (3759 views) | | | Tasted by sdr on 1/7/2023 flawed bottle: Latour, Latour, Latour (WineWatch, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida): An off bottle since it was more advanced than it should have been. Moody and stern and the tannins were too bitter. (3235 views) | | | Tasted by LIE-user on 1/3/2023 & rated 91 points: To be honest:I expected more. This potion made a somewhat watered-down impression. This was a surprise, as this bottle had been in the same automatically regulated cellar since arrivage. Let's hope for more luck with the next one. Considering the vintage, the chateau and the ratings, there should be much more fun in these. (3075 views) | | | Tasted by jusuf on 11/5/2022 & rated 98 points: Super fine nose. Very very elegant. Not enough power on the palate for 100 points, but very very nice to drink. (3811 views) | | | Tasted by remyworldpeace on 10/11/2022 & rated 97 points: Brilliant nose of huge complexity: spices, dark cherries, touch of raspberry, black and red currants, wood, liquorish, earth and forest floor, touch of graphite/pencil shavings.
On the palate, blackberry, red currant, pencil lead, smokey meat, and a really enjoyable charcoal note I'd not really come across before. Long finish showing the many layers of complexity. Excellent structure and tanins. Lovely integrated oak with a tobacco touch.
Another wonderful showing from Latour and pleasure to drink. Still young and fresh; indeed, I find the 1996 vintage is perhaps the very best for drinking these days, striking a perfect balance between fresh vibrant fruit while still being mature and complex. (3318 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Charles Curtis MW
Decanter, Château Latour: vertical tasting (3/1/2022)
(Château Latour, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Charles Curtis MW
Decanter, Latour Vertical (3/1/2022)
(Château Latour, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jane Anson
Decanter, 1996 Pauillacs (1/4/2021)
(Château Latour, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Neal Martin
Vinous, In Excelsis: Château Latour 1887 – 2010 (Jul 2018) (7/18/2018)
(Latour Latour Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Hemming, MW
JancisRobinson.com (5/15/2018)
(Ch Latour Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Gilman
View From the Cellar, Sep/Oct 2017, Issue #71, Château Latour Bordeaux’s Longest-Lived First Growth
(Château Latour) Login and sign up and see review text. | By John Kapon
Vintage Tastings, Chicago Recap (11/2/2011)
(Latour) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (2/17/2011)
(Ch Latour Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Kapon
Vintage Tastings, Hong Kong Killers (2/5/2010)
(Latour) Login and sign up and see review text. | By John Kapon
Vintage Tastings, Latour at Latour (12/7/2009)
(Latour) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Rachel Shaughnessy
JancisRobinson.com (7/7/2009)
(Ch Latour Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Rachel Shaughnessy
JancisRobinson.com (7/7/2009)
(Ch Latour Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Kapon
Vintage Tastings, 1995 vs 1996 Bordeaux (10/27/2008)
(Latour) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (9/8/2006)
(Ch Latour Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Kapon
Vintage Tastings, Latour Mouton Retrospectives (6/30/2006)
(Chateau Latour) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (3/30/2006)
(Ch Latour Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (11/16/2005)
(Ch Latour Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (5/5/2003)
(Ch Latour Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 1998, IWC Issue #78
(Chateau Latour Pauillac) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (4/12/2014)
(Château Latour Grand Vin) Bricking dark red violet color; lifted, cedar, tobacco, tart currant, light menthol nose; velvety textured, tart red currant, cedar, tobacco, menthol palate with firm tannins yet; long finish 95 points | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (10/25/2003)
(Château Latour Grand Vin) Chateau Latour Vertical with Robert Parker and Latour's Frederic Engerer: Olive and oregano nose, with earth and berries showing too after 30 minutes in the glass; good opening notes of cedary fruit; nice, lighter tasting mid-palate of herbaceous fruit; herbaceous tannins on the finish 95 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Decanter and Vinous and JancisRobinson.com and View From the Cellar and Vintage Tastings and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Château Latour Producer website – Read more about Chateau Latour
Vineyard map
Classification: Premier Grand Cru Classé (First Growth) from the 1855 Bordeaux Classification
Owner: François Pinault since 1993
Manager: Frédéric Engerer
Address: 33250 Pauillac
Telephone: +33 5 56 73 19 80
Visits: By appointment only Monday to Friday, except on French public holidays, from 8.30 AM to 12.30 PM and from 2.00 PM to 5.00 PM
Vineyard: 78 hectares with the grand vin made exclusively from the 47 hectare l'Enclos vineyard surrounding the Château
Soil: Ancient Günzian gravel
Varietals: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot and 1% Petite Verdot
Density: 10,000 vines/hectare
Average Vine Age: 50 years
Average Yield: 45-50 hectoliters/hectare
Harvest: By hand, 100% destemmed
Fermentation: 3 weeks in temperature controlled stainless steel vats with malolatics occuring in vats
Ageing: 100% new oak for 18 months
Racking: Every 3 months and fined with egg whites the winter before bottling
Average Production: 180,000 bottles (55% of total)
Second Wine: Les Forts de Latour
Third Wine: Pauillac
Red Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanMédoc Vins du Médoc (Conseil des Vins du Médoc) - Read More about the Medoc
VdB
The eight precisely defined appellations of the whole of the Médoc (from Blanquefort Brook to the north of the Bordeaux built-up area, almost to the Pointe de Grave) may claim the Médoc appellation. But there is also a specific territory in the north of the peninsula which produces exclusively wines with this appellation. In the great majority, the Médocs come from the north of the peninsula. The great individuality of this region is that the number of vines has increased more recently here than elsewhere, apart from a few isolated spots where vines have grown for many years. Today, the size of the small estate has brought about the development of a powerful co-operative movement. Four co-operatives out of five belong to the group called Unimédoc which ensures aging, bottling and marketing a large proportion of their wines.Pauillac Read more detailed information about Pauillac Looking full onto the river from the earliest days, with an important port activity, traces of which go back to ancient times (shipment of bronze as long ago as 2000 B.C.), Pauillac's life has always been intimately linked to the history of wine. Although port activities were at the root of its prosperity, Pauillac had to wait until the eighteenth century when Bordeaux ceased to hold its privileged position to become a wine port. The town then became the natural outlet for the wine production of neighbouring cantons before reaching its zenith in a period when the vineyards were exceptionally prosperous.
The characteristic of the Pauillac terroir is its exceptional relief: the many undulating ridges make it unique morphologically speaking. Highly favourable conditions facilitate the dissection of the layer of gravel. This thin, Garonne gravel from whose very poverty springs great richness, has an extremely effective natural drainage.
With their velvet red colour with a hint of amber, the wines from the Pauillac appellation, full-bodied and rich in tannin, are vigorous. Powerful when young, their aromas of red fruits (black-currant, raspberry) or flowers (violets, roses, irises) melt with the passing of time into a bouquet which is long in the mouth.
Rich and complex, the wines of Pauillac deserve to be laid down for a little longer.
Production conditions (Decree dated November 14, 1936)
In order to have the right to the Pauillac appellation of controlled origin, red wines must:
- come from the commune of Pauillac and from precisely defined parcels in the communes of Cissac, Saint-Julien, Saint-Estèphe and Saint-Sauveur, "excluding the parcels situated on recent alluvium and sand on impermeable subsoils",
- satisfy precise production conditions : grape-varieties (Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet-Franc, Carmenère, Merlot Noir, Petit Verdot, Cot or Malbec), minimum of sugar (178 grammes - 6.27 oz. - per litre of must) degree (an acquired 10°5) base yield (45 hectolitres per hectare). |
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