Drink Bordeaux’s bottle. Superb, powerful, intense yet lifted by acidity and its balance. A lot of tobacco leaf to begin. Then Latour flavors of cassis and black licorice. Very Pauillac. Fully ready.
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Nose is quite shy compared to the palate, but immediately theres a lot of cabernet flavors like blackcurrants. Amazing purity and richness on the full bodied palate. Also lead pencil and grafite. This is the style of Latour and ending in a long, long incredible finish.
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Popped for my wife’s 40th. A beautiful wine with all the elements one would expect, but on this night it was outclassed and flat out beat by the 1990 Lynch Bages. Hard to believe but both my wife and I unanimously agreed. There was an element of barn that dragged this down. Sadly this was my first time having the 1990 (a favorite vintage of mine) and I don’t think I would buy another bottle for the price this fetches these days. Just not worth it.
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Double magnum. Perfect Cellar. The whole room was filled with the perfume when the wine was poured. Insane perfume, chocolate, walnut, lots of fruit, could think it is now at its peak, but will last for a long time (20+ years) and will have a lot to offer. Wonderful Bordeaux!
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This wine was lovely again and I was struck by how smooth and integrated it appeared. It was so drinkable, this wine might make one think it was at or near its peak.
However, the reality was that it was not even close. While certainly lovely to imbibe now, it will pick up a couple points with 10-20 years of additional cellar time when additional nuance and flavor impact will be revealed.
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Barnyard, leather, smoke, pyrazine, bandaid Brett. Very little fruit on nose. Pleasant palate. Alive. Rust. Lots of smokey barnyard leather. Still some nice juicy acid and tannin. Very much alive. Some mint. Roasted nuts. Toasted / smokey flavors overwhelm palate. Alive, but well past its prime. Interestingly, I had this side-by-side, blind, with a 1991 Chateau Kirwan ($80 at K&L), and I did not think there was a significant quality difference between the two (and may have even slightly favored the Kirwan, which was dominated by notes of black truffle).
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This is drinking so well now and shows the great terroir in spades with classic notes of charred walnuts and the finest earth. Black-fruited and layered with a mouth-filling texture and a gorgeous, expressive finish. I think the '00 drunk alongside will pass this wine in time as it's not the deepest or most concentrated Latour but it is so seductive and silky right now. Wow!
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Super Bowl LVIII 2024 (Alpharetta, GA): Tasted double blind: My fourth time tasting this vintage of Latour since 2022. I don't think this bottle was stored perfectly. While it was delicious, it was not as good as my prior three tastings. It was showing older than it was and I thought it was from '82 or '86 vintage. A little cloudy with some bricking, some funk/brett, sweet tobacco, cedar. I called it '82 Gruaud Larose.
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Med. light color; seemingly younger with some said a touch of VA which was kind of muting the nose a bit, some juicy acidity in the mid. Not a stand out. Surprising for this wine, although all 3 in this 2nd flight were kind of blah. DD Blind 1982-2005 Bordeaux 1st Growth dinner at BOA steakhouse.
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I bought this single bottle of the 1990 Chateau Latour for $99 USD from The Wine Library soon after its release -- and way before Gary Vaynerchuk became an internet phenom. Back then he was "employed" by his dad who owned the store. Enough of the history...
Very little sediment evidenced when decanting. Dark ruby red with absolute clarity and no browning on the edges. A clean nose mostly of alcohol and esters. An initial impression in the mouth of mustiness evidenced by all tasters. A replacement bottle was readied.
Within 30 minutes this dissipated and we all experienced a near perfect wine. Not much fruit. Primary notes of leather, earth and dry tobacco. Quite round, lush and full in the mouth. The finish was remarkably long with contrasting tension between sweet black fruit and tannins. These same tannins were teeth numbing moments before. Or maybe it was the alcohol...
The mustiness returned on the second glass 20 minutes later and stayed with us for the balance of the bottle. Not so off-putting to wish we were drinking something else -- rather just the slightest of annoyances. Otherwise this wine would have been a 98 or higher.
The drinking window on Cellar Tracker extends to 2060 but I would suggest drinking this wine within the next five years -- unless you have plenty of the 1990 Latour and are willing to take the chance.
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the finest Latour I have had the pleasure of drinking - this was sensational - fabulous bouquet but with quite some bricking at the edges, complex and long - lovely
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Perfect bottle, stored since release. Slow oxed for 2+ hrs before dinner. Regal, deep. Perhaps just missing a bit of definition on the palate. Very classic Pauillac though not sure it moves me. Proper bottles still have years to go.
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Holiday Dinner - Mostly Bordeaux (Taberna del Alabardero, Washington D.C.): Absolutely gorgeous claret nose displaying perfectly ripe black fruit, crème de cassis, black cherry, light caramel, cedar, lead pencil, dark spices and mineral. Excellent concentration, layers upon layers of generous black fruit, perfect balance and harmony, silky and sensual, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and a long generous black fruit driven finish with a hint of caramel and lead pencil at the end. The 90 Latour is really consistent.
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50th Birthday Bash: 10 Vintage Vertical of Latour: I love this vintage in Bordeaux and this vintage of Latour. My fourth time tasting the '90 vintage and thankfully twice in the past month. This has the power of the 1990 vintage but tasted less mature next to the '89 and to the older vintages that came before it (with the exception of the '82). I'm not sure which Latour from the decade of the '90s that I prefer more... '90 or '96? Only time will tell and it will be fun to taste these two vintages side by side in the next 10 years or so.
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Robe déjà évoluée et bien moins sombre qu'attendu.Le bouquet est très complexe:menthol,tabac,café,sous-bois,réglisse,fruits noirs (cassis,sureau)C'est intense et virevoltant.La bouche enchaine dans un registre plus souple que mes attentes.Cela reste bien évidemment Latour et donc un vin "puissant" mais je m'attendais à davantage encore vu la réputation du millésime.La longueur finale confirme quand même le haut niveau de cette bouteille.Peut-être une bouteille qui a évolué plus vite que prévu mais je perçois quand même des rendements confortables ce qui me conforte dans mon opinion de "relative légèreté" pour ce cru et ce millésime.
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Thanksgiving Mondo Dinner 2023 (Atlanta, GA): Tasted double blind. Slight bricking at the edges. Touch of green herb on the finish with an odd prickly tannin going on in the finish. That said, I loved the nose and could smell it all night long. I called it '89 or '90 Pauillac first growth. I initially called it as my wine, but was talked out of it by the guy sitting next to me. It was my wine and my WOTN. BTW - in blind wine tasting it is always best not to listen to those around you. Trust your gut and instincts. They are usually right.
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Slow ox one hour. This vintage is drinking amazingly. Terrific nose of florals and tobacco. The wine itself is mature but not lacking any spunk. Majestic, full bodied, well delineated, black and red currant, tobacco weed and lead pencil. Very clean and even elegant. Finish is terrific and complex. This is at peak and will hold for 10-15 years.
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Opened yesterday drank half and the vacuum corked and drink other half next day. 97 first day100 the next day. Still great body silky smooth with long after taste. Nothing to be improved perfect!!!
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Best bottle (Restaurant Georges, Ludwigsburg): Glass: Zalto Burgundy Tasted blind from half bottle. Decanted for about 1h. Clear, garnet-tawny color. Beautiful classic Paulliac nose, spicy, pencil shavings, some blood, herbs, fine tobacco, very deep and elegant. On the palate very beautiful. Pure silk, velvet texture and structure. Fine sweet red fruit, some green pepper, high, high ripe acidity, tobacco. Wonderful balance and elegance, long finish. This half bottle is at its full peak. Really beautiful, thank you Oli!
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Great wine .Remarkable how a 33 year old wine can still show load of fruit .The 12.5 alcohol does shock your mouth and allows the wine to express itself with a broad spectrum of flavor. 1 hour into it the barnyard showed up and over the next few hours continued to develop. Not a wine for a Cali fruit forward drinker but a gem to be enjoyed with the best of friend.
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Not as dark as I expected and with a minimal amber edge. I must say I greatly enjoyed this wine, but far from dazzling. Not as complex or deep as I expected. This lacking was further highlighted when we opened a 2005 Verite La Desir which showed considerable more weight, concentration and complexity. Not sure holding it would help. Perhaps just a subpar bottle?
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Vinegar upon opening and little positive development. Bland but drinkable on the second day. I don't know if this qualifies as "flawed". It was not corked. I have one more bottle which I will drink shortly.
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3rd of 12, opened 90 minutes then decanted 90 minutes, cork half worked, in line with superb bottle in Feb 18 with well judged acid lift to flavours, aristocratic, notable tobacco and graphite element, complexity personified and with grip and drive of top vintage, upside yet, 30+ years. VFI (19.5).......rounder and with sweeter mid palate drive than even more layered 55 on same night.
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Continuing to develop in all the right ways, the wine balances its elegance with vibrance, power, length, and strength. Concentrated, deep, rich, and fresh, with layers of currants, blackberries, and spice, this is a beautiful example of what makes Latour special. Drink from 2023-2050.
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Deep, garnet and color. Knows of Jerry’s, leather, menthol, and spices. Taste of cherries, tobacco, leather, menthol, and spices. I can’t get over an hour and improved with aeration. Try again in 3 to 5 years.
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I had this wine the first time in 2001, and I deemed it the finest wine I'd ever tasted. I was a lot less knowledgeable then, so I've been trying the last several years to have another chance to try it. Bought 4 bottles at auction and brought the first to our favorite steakhouse recently. After an hour decant, it was already amazing. The fruit I'd remembered had dissipated but the leathery, graphite notes were there in spades. Acidity, tannins, finish - all incredible. While it has been almost 22 years since my last tasting, my thoughts remain the same. If it's not the best wine I've ever had, it's damn close.
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Top Mid-Aged Bordeaux ("Chateau La Grange" - La Grange IL): In 89/90 flight, this was the best of the flight and best of the night. Broad array of fresh black fruit with cigar box and spice notes. As complex as the great 1982 Latour from earlier in the evening, but with so much more intensity.
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Some Bordeaux (Chicago, IL): Intense and brooding, this is one of my favourite bottles of Bordeaux. Consistent with my prior experiences, I really love the intense dark fruit that's decorated by modest classic bordelais notes of pyrazine and wood shavings. Only starting to show secondary characteristics, this is powerful wine that has many, many years left.
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34 year old Bordeaux. Great meal. The first bottle was decanted about 90 minutes before the second and both had a slight funk around the 90 minute mark that went away.
We drank this to remember our father and the night he first served the wine. Funny thing was we all remembered the night (around Christmas 1998) differently.
I wish I had more of this, but there will be different boardeaux in the future.
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Spectacular showing this time. Is there anything better than this? Complex, deeply compelling, sophisticated and fully mature this is as good as it gets. At its very peak and goig strong for another decade or two. Worth every penny.
WOTN in a line up of Hudelot Noellat Saint Vivant 2017, Clos Saint Jacques Rousseau 2005.
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Dégustation bordelaise 1989-1990 (Chez François G.): Un nez discret mais suave, de fruit noir, avec des notes de pain grillé. La bouche est aérienne, profonde et saline, avec une texture veloutée envoûtante, d’un équilibre admirable. La structure est droite et racée, noble et imposante, mais lui aussi sans aucune lourdeur, tout est d'une folle élégance. Superbe vin, plus fin que le premier, mais un peu moins profond. La grande classe. 96-97+ pts
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Dégusttion Bordeaux 89 vs 90. Très typé cassis, cèdre, graphite, belle structure et profondeur, assez droit, belle finesse malgré la structure, avec encore un certain potentiel, très long aussi, beaucoup de vin dans le verre mais moins accompli et impressionnant que Montrose.
Gorgeous also, typical left bank, power and structure, class and depth for sure, good length, definitely a great bottle but second to Montrose 90 clearly for all 7 tasters.
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A bit disappointed overall with this wine tonight as expectations were high and just not met. 2 hour decant. Initial evaluation was that the wine was seeming closed with limited cigar box/loam nose. Wine eventually got going (as noted by another reviewer here) but never seemed to really assert itself. Decent dark fruit -cigar box- loam nose which was moderate on the palate. Moderate tannin on finish. Wine was good - but expected better. May need a longer decant time.=.
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Beat the '90 Latour: A deeper, more imposing wine than the other Bordeaux in the line-up. Stood out for the power and structure but didn’t quite have the magic of the other wines. The notes below from the others at the dinner describe the wine well, an excellent wine but didn’t quite assert itself for its pedigree. 94+.
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Beat the 1990 Latour: Needed quite a bit of air to get going. Very youthful with the sweet loamy, earthy quality to the nose that is very Latour. On the palate, massive density, concentration and length. Missing maybe a touch of elegance or finesse which I got from the 90 Margaux. Amazing wine!
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Single blind. Co WOTN with ‘89 Unico. This had the best concentration and length of all the wines tonight, just a little subdued on the nose despite many hours of decanting, bright future ahead.
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Beat the 1990 Latour: Dark garnet. An oxidative whiff on the nose and hence I was immediately convinced that this must be the Unico. An earthy nose, very good density on the palate, later some pencil lead, tannins are still in place but well integrated. Medium finish. Revised my guess and admitted my error only after revisiting all the wines, when it became clear that another wine was not a Bdx. Would rate higher if there was not that oxidative whiff on the nose, which I find very unusual for a left bank Bdx at only 30 years.
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1 of 6 opened @ noon, decanted @ 5:00 served @ 8:00. Dark garnet core slight age on rims, blue fruited nose with hints of iron and tobacco. Deep, primary fruits, fine tannins, good minerality, dense texture, long finish. Early maturity, try again in five years.
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After 3 hours of breath it drank like silk soft to the pallet and a long Lingering taste bursting with flavor and great balance of boldness and softness.
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A wine to reflect and ponder on. This bottle was in a later stage of life. Blind I guessed 70-s or 80-s, classic style Pauillac (iron). Nevertheless an incredibly complex and very attractive wine. Lingering on for minutes. Beside Latour GV 2000.
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Breathtaking wine. Incredible on the nose with cassis graphite, dried herbs and menthol. Very elegant but with structured mature tannins. Lovely already at the time of opening but developed with further aeration over two hours. Really great to drink now but with potential of further development.
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Latour, Latour, Latour (WineWatch, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida): The first one in the series to display more than fruit. There’s some bark, gravel and petrichor. Nicely fragrant. Still quite tannic though and the finish is a little short. Apparently there is a lot of bottle variation in this vintage.
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Decanted two hours before lunch and paired with roast lamb. Poured a small glass on opening which showed a hint of age in appearance and had a whiff of brett that blew off quickly. Incredible concentration on the palate with more secondary than primary flavours and a very long finish.
At lunch this was really singing, with a great range of aromas and flavours and a beautiful smoothness on the palate. A very good bottle of a very good wine.
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A big floral nose. Powerful and lush, with primarily red fruits. A touch tannic, but that softened over the next hour. Plums and raspberries flourished and the finish went on for minutes. This 32 year old is still an adolescent.
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Flickinger dinner (Chicago, IL): A stupendous showing of this wine, though not at the level of another bottle that I experienced a few years ago. This one showed a little more maturity. The nose is stereotypically Bordeaux, with a hint of pyrazine but lots of ripe, plummy fruit, and a good amount of wood shavings too. On the palate, there's a bit of a coffee/chocolate thing going on, but also intense, concentrated fruit and heaps of complexity. Nowhere near mature, but a truly impressive wine nonetheless.
Deep woods, truffle, mushroom. Iodine initially but developed really nicely and faded into harmony. Decanted at 4:30 and drank at 7 as the flavors smoothed out and integrated. Best around 8-9, but didn’t fade much. As a 32-year old wine, this is a middle aged welterweight that should age well. What a great, smooth experience. Loved and would try to have again.
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Took this out on a beach picnic as a result no decanting. The nose is starting to display tertiary aromas, the palate is still in the secondary phase. Very good but had hoped for better.
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Drank this bottle (perfect condition) at Restaurant Munch at Refnes Gods (Moss, Norway). Unfortunately, I did not plan ahead and the wine spent only a short amount of time in the decanter. It's a pity because there was so much there that started to unwind towards the end of the meal. What a pity. Don't make the same mistake as me - give this baby at least 2-3 hours in the decanter prior to drinking.
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Tasted double blind. At first a bit muted, this bottle got better and better by the minute. The tannins melted, the balance got to a perfect level, the precision and complexity reached the highest highs and the seductive Latour nuttiness became more prominent. The last glas and sip was close to perfection. Clearly the best bottle of Latour 1990 I‘ve had to date but this wine will likely need another decade (or two or three) to reach its peak - ageing at a glacial pace.
TN: Intense, yet delicate nose with dark fruits, spices, minty notes, and more spices. At first a touch muted but getting more expressive with time. On the palate very intense, very good, from start to finish, lots of delicate dark fruit, loads of minerality, minty notes, spices, with time lots of nutty aromas, some faint wet forest floor and tobacco aromas too but overall not much tertiary aromas yet. The precision and purity are off the charts. At first the balance was not there, the tannins even slightly coarse but that changed with more time in the decanter and glass. The tannins nicely melted, the acidity is high but perfectly round, the wine is nicely creamy and has a lot of tension, still slightly muscular overall. The finish is quite long full of fruit and minerality. Impressive from start to finish.
Decanting: Decanted for 3 hours. Could have used even more air.
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Briefly decanted for sediments and drank over a 2h dinner paired with duck. It slides in the decanter with a crimson robe, letting just enough light through to signal that it is at an optimal age to show its best. The nose immediately reveals the earthy tones of moist forest floor, black truffles, crushed graphite, leather, white pepper and hints of bay leaf and thyme. The palate is just right. Medium bodied at this age, subtle tannins and a long a finish. At first, the palate was congruent with the nose- earthy, bold, green pepper, black pepper, blackurrant, leather, coffee, and chocolate. As time went by, ripe red fruit emerges, and the cocoa becomes more apparent. The sheer magnitude, diversity, and balance of flavors was unlike anything I have ever experienced. This was not a wine. It was a symphony.
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Showing extremely well at age 32. Classic nose of white pepper, some earthy funk, black currant, tobacco, bay leaf. crushed stone, truffles and hints of oak. Super fresh, complex, refined and pumping out tons of flavor, this is in a sweet spot for my palate. The polished tannins are fully integrated and there's still plenty of structure and acidity to push this to age 40 without issue.
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En-Primeur campaign for the 2021 vintage; 4/25/2022-4/29/2022 (Bordeaux): From double magnum Polished, rich, dense initially, ripe, concentrated, still exceedingly powerful on the nose, some alcohol prickle, ripe blackcurrant tends to cassis and a little rubbery reductiveness. In the mouth it is juicy with loads of ripe fruit, massive power is crazy but also precise, chalky and oaky tannins in support, alcohol warmth is contained. A beast but a rather splendid on with incredible potential – Double magnum goes some way to explaining its relative youthfulness.
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48x 1990 (37x Bdx, 6x Napa, 5x others): Tasted side by side with the Lafite (95 pts). Unsurprisingly, the Lafite is all about delicacy and finesse, while the Latour is bold and beautiful. This wine is nowhere near its peak but with a bit of air is still drinking well. Could very well become a (close to) perfect wine in 2, 3 decades. It has the structure, the fruit, the complexity and misses tetiary notes and a more softened structure to get there.
TN: On the palate this is so Pauillac with crushed rocks, graphite cedar, herbs, a dark cassis core, some blue fruit and floral aromas. Some first hints of tobacco emerging but overall this remains young with an impeccable structure which will allow for long, graceful ageing. Loads of round, fine tannins, high acidity, already slightly creamy, super weightlessness but with lots of tension and aromatic intensity. Long finish but not as spectacular as the Mission. 95/96 pts and certainly more is possible once the wine is mature.
Decanting: Quick double decant three+ hours prior to the tasting to remove sediment. Was drinking well but my guess is that it would have been even better with more air.
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Spring Break with Friends (Boca Raton, FL): Decanted for 2 hours. About as good as it gets in the world of wine. In comparison to the ‘82 Calon Segur tasted along side it, this is still very youthful, black as pitch color with no sign of bricking, and the glow and typicity you would expect from a great vintage of Latour. This ranks amongst the best vintages of Latour that I’ve tasted including ‘59, ‘66, ‘82, and ‘96. Incredible wine… I don’t even have to drink it because I could just smell it in the glass all night long. Utterly delicious! I expect this will only get better over the course of the next 10-15 years. Latour is a wine for kings and queens and is always a treat to taste.
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Popped from a well stored 375ml with a base neck fill. Started off a bit funky on the nose, but that blew off quickly. Loved the nose-- notes of graphite, tobacco, iron, and dark fruit-- screamed classic Cabernet. Needed some time to pick up weight on the palate, which was really lacking in fruit, but that's eventually picked up. Still missed a few extra gears to make it great, but a nice experience.
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One would expect the 1990 Latour to be dense, dark, and brawny. Its not...Its rather medium bodied and very polished, with no signs of fatigue at all. It has that healthy shine to it, and the power of the wine is well preserved and just transforming into more nuances of complexity. This very much reminds me of the 1990 Montrose, but with more elegance and focus. The wine is rich in earth, herbaceous cabernet fruit, and floating a perfect nuance of barnyard that keeps drawing you back in. The finish is incredibly fresh and pure, with color changes and a nice pull. This is ready and should just get better and better for at least another 10 years. Ready to Drink or Hold 97-99
Fruit hits the nose first. Black cardamom nuance. Plenty of life on the palate. Best wine of the tasting needless to say. Reminded me of 1972 Caymus that I had recently.
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This is the most delicious and beautiful Latour I ever drank. Its charming on the nose. Full of graphite, mineral, pencil lead, fresh, ripe black fruits, ripe berry, toast. Medium+ acidity and medium+ tannin. Tannin fully integrated and silky. This wine still have a long long way to go. It could hit another peak years later. At current stage, I’m already mesmerised by it. This is how a good Bordeaux wine should taste like, with good provenance.
WWC - JD (FWC): Tasted blind - Deep red in the glass, no bricking; muted nose (not sure how long it was decanted) but spice, leather, and stewed red fruit on the nose. Some sediment. Beautiful red fruit on the palate, and tasted fresher than it smelled. Fantastic wine and experience, and this one has a good bit of life ahead of it. Guessed a 20+ year old bordeaux.
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Much improved over the last try with a great structure. But was a little too spicy for me compared to the silky smooth margaux tonight. Will also improve with more cellaring and tannins will resolve more
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Ripe, silky and elegant. Very youthful and fresh, fairly primary with notes of maturity, but drinks like younger wine. Zero harsh edges here, smooth as silk. After 2 hours of air this really came out, super classy stuff!
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Opened 1pm, decanted at 7pm and drank at9pm from Zalto glasses. I gave it this extended breathing after reading some of the tasting notes here (thank you!). Colour still primary, no evidence of aging. Wonderful and textured nose with layers of primary and secondary fruit, cedar also coming thru. Explosive on the palate but with great precision and depth. The flavours go on and on. Truly a great bottle and went very well with roast duck! Wine of the night, beating out the Mouton 82, Martray corton charlemagne 08 and P2 02
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Nose of a crazy class bringing together all that Bordeaux classism can do best: it is subtly earthy, grassy, leather, black fruit and cedar.
Surprisingly fine on the palate where I expected power. The whole is still stunningly youthful, with aromas of undergrowth, truffles and spices. It's silky and complex, with incredible freshness, almost lace. A pure, racy and juicy wine, of great complexity with incredible depth and suppleness. It's still a great moment spent with a mature Bordeaux. Masterful finish on tobacco which combines power, softness and length.
A grandiose, serene wine that imposes itself quite naturally.
From a lovely looking bottle with a bottom neck fill, this wine had a red/purple center with light red rims and just a touch of orange. The medium+ intensity nose was riveting with its black cherry, orange vanilla, fig, plum, and mineral notes.
This wine was nice from the start but it took 6+ hours in a decanter for it to show what it could really do. It was rich and ripe in the mouth with incredible balance and great length. This wine was extremely seductive and yet young and powerful.
Given that the 59 and 61 need 4-5 hours to show their best, it was not surprising that this wine needed 8-10 hours of air. There was clearly an impressive future here. I would bet there will be a couple points of upside in 10-20 years.
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1990 Champagne / Bordeaux / N Rhone (London): Unfortunately not at the same level as a bottle a few weeks back. The cork here was very porous and it felt as if this bottle was just a tiny but advanced and tired. Still beautiful aromatics of cassis and leather, very classic 90 to Bordeaux left bank. It showed better initially but with more air the condition showed through. There are better bottles of this very good wine.
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From the first whiff, this wreaked of Latour terroir with a fabulous earthy smell that included charred walnuts, dried herbs, dark chocolate and what I can only describe as sweet gravelly funk. The palate almost delivers on the nose but how could it. This felt a little lighter than other top vintages but it's very pure and terroir-expressive with great freshness and lift on the gorgeous finish that's just a bit less complex than expected. Still, just a great experience to taste this terroir in all its glory.
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17x Bordeaux 1982-1990 (+ 2 Martha’s): All wines tasted single blind. Second time in about a year a was able to taste the two 1990 legends Latour and Margaux (rated 94) side by side and again both wines were muted, not revealing their true colors despite a proper decant. The Latour is just too young and completely closed. Some bottles of Margaux such as this one go trough a dump phase (see more mixed CT notes in recent years). The structure is ready but the aromatic complexity is limited. Better just wait a few years for both wines to get out of their shell.
TN: Seemed very young, not perfectly integrated and very muted on the nose an palate. Not much complexity revealed with some dark fruit and minerality peaking through. Towering tannin structure and high acidity which will need time.
Decanting: Decanted for roughly 3+ hours which wasn’t enough but I guess no decanting would have made a huge difference here.
Group score: 95.4 pts Group rank: Shared 7th out of 16 reds
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True standout of a lovely lunch was this Latour 1990. Bottle with high shoulder fill. The somm pulled the cork and thought it very ready so we only splash decanted. For this bottle a good decision. Singing straight off the bat - visually mahogany, on the nose earthy, tea, fine leather, forest floor, the palate open with warming chestnut, centre of sweet strawberry jam, lifted by a sweet sour acidity. Totally ready. Then went onto a Lafite 09 and when coming back to it there was more pipe tobacco on the nose and overall detectable slight rusticity - but not in a bad just an old school claret style. Definitely my type of wine, so elegant and low alcohol making it so drinkable. A point.
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Bottle decanted for 4 hrs. Red fruits, red flower, purple fruits, purple flower. High acidity and high tannin. It has the complexity and pronounced flavor intensity but lack of middle palate (maybe because we didn't give it enough time to breath?) Can drink now but for sure has potential for aging.
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Bottle breathed for four hours. Classic classic Pauillac on the nose, cedar, pencil box, purple fruit. Then there is the sheer Latour elegance, soft touch, velvety tannin, pure class. It is accessible and it is good. 96-97+
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Not the typical strength depth of taste/flavor expected from this wine even at 21 years. Loosing its color and density. Color moving from the typical deep burgundy to a brownish color. Might be due to past storage as 3/4 of cork wet. More to drink from different batch determining if it is a one off
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A Multi Birthday Celebration (Tocco - Winnetka IL): A great showing tonight in an evening of great wines. Intense black fruit with liqueur and sweet spice. Great freshness and concentration, then bright textures in the near background providing brilliant support. This clearly outshone the charming 1982 Latour in the next glass.
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Bordeaux 1982-1990 tasting (Restaurant Essen'z, Brugg): Bordeaux 1982-1980 tasting of selected wines, including a couple of pirates. All wines were decanted for at least 2-3 hours, tasted in flights of 2 and single-blind. While not a representative sample, I would venture the following observations: 1/ First growths in 1988 should not be underestimated for the hedonistic pleasure they offer, 2/ 1990 first growths have not yet passed through their closed stage, 3/ you’ll find stand-out second tier wines from 1982. 4/ Highlights were Palmer 89 and Gruaud Larose 82 (96 each).
Tasting note: Round, fresh and juicy with impeccable harmony. Ripe red and blue berry fruit, a bit of sweet spice, leather and cold smoke. There is a lot of substance here, but running in 1st gear currently and it would appear decanting wasn't able to fully unlock this potential beast.
Opened, decanted, tasted over a 10 hours. The wine improved throughout the tasting. IMO, today this wine needs at least 6 hours of air or better yet wait. Well structured, Tobacco, cedar, 96
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The nose is just amazing - a real wow experience - showing pure, vibrant, black fruit, very juicy. The wine still needs more time but it no longer a nasty beast that it was for the first 25 years of its life. Beautiful integration and great promise.
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Drank side by side with Latour 1989. I find this to be very powerfull, even with a 3h decant. The depth is incredible and the tannins not fully integrated. This was fantastic, just not use to this pedigree of wine, so I hope I will have the chance to try again in 10 years.
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blind I love this wine. I had it a few times and always delivering. Still in the background black currant but also some tertiary aromas as black tea, coffee and graphite. Refreshing acidity. Despite the power it feels balanced and smooth. At least 20 more years. 98-99
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Tobacco, spice box, pencil shavings, dark fruit, hints of green pepper on the nose. Very complex and intriguing, but not overly powerful or intense. Rather soft tannins, lots of acidity, spicy, lovely core of fruit. Very long. 92-94
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Quite an exotic line up with Redigaffi 2004, Gerbet-Berthaut Cazetiers 2018 and Chateau Latour 1990 as more friends joined during the day.
And of course the Latour is just a true aristocrat of a wine. Profound, with great depth, complex, rich and fully mature. At this age its more about a great bottle than a great wine. And given the fact the previous bottle we had 2 years ago, scored a clear 100 points, this was one that just did not reach that level. Tasted again on day 2 and just a beautiful lovely wine at the level of a great mature Bordeaux but unfortunately this bottle was not a standout. Happily 4 more bottles to go.
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Wow. This is really quite a wine at the moment. Such an open and welcoming Latour and not all at the brooding giant like so many other vintages. Immediately hit with a wall of tobacco, cedar, blackberry, leather and sweet candied pecans. But underneath that is a very subtle white lilly/jasmine scent which I often associate with its neighbour Pichon Lalande. There is just so much going on. So complex and long and totally at its apogee at the moment. This is epic Bordeaux and if you are lucky enough to have this in your cellar I really suggest you pull a bottle to enjoy its grandeur and magnificence! Best wine of the year so far.
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Brilliant! Drank with a friend after a restaurant splash decant. Fully mature age 31 with deep, seemingly impenetrable seam of black fruit and berries. Seems to have 2-5 years great drinking ahead but I'm concerned, like happened with my 1982s in 2012, the fruit may disappear one day soon without warning. Drink up + Enjoy!
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Opened 7 hours prior to serving. Sign of seepage. Should be a off bottle and opened too early. Nose is medium. Palate is delicious with chocolate, pencil, black berry and silky. Tannin is almost non-exist. Hope I will get a better bottle next time
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Alan’s bday. 3hr decant. This started off as a 97-98. Stunning nose. Rustic smoke backed off to dried cherries, earth, and tinderbox. The pallet was consistent w the nose, and the finish was excellently persistent.
1hr into drinking, she really lost steam. The depth was gone, length eradicated, and she was a mere shadow of what she was before. I suspect we overdecanted, but that behavior didn’t match what I read from users below.
Overall, we were treated to 1.5 glasses of classic old school Bordeaux. It was stunning for a moment - but then I was disappointed with where it ended up.
I’d reckon 1hr in décanteur and then let it envelop in the glass is the safe bet.
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Strong scents of fruit but very balanced acidity and tannins. First sip was very powerful and rich but over time lost its depth and became something quite light. Decanted for 1 hour.
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An amazing, beautifully-aged Bordeaux. Still expressing a beautiful currants, black cherry and mocha, mineral and cedar notes, full bodied, gentle tannins, gorgeous mouthfeel, lovely finish. We feel so privileged to have had this bottle in our cellar.
A Zoom tasting of decent wines. An excuse to be social. (Zoom): Great nose. A bit of funk. Noticeably more oak than the other wines of the flight. Other notes of chocolate cherries, a hint of plum, and fresh dirt. A tiny bit of heat on the tail end of the nose detracts a little bit. More weight on the palate than the other two Pauillacs. Persistent finish after a terrifically balanced palate.
A nice vivid ruby red in the glass. The perfume is so intense and elegant. At the palate the wine is absolutely fine, elegant and fresh. It feels like a medium body.
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Bordeaux 1990 horizontal tasting (Fribourg): 1990 Bordeaux horizontal hosted by a private collector. 30 years down the road, the vintage comes across as bold and muscular, youthful and in general not yet open for business or at times closed. Highlights included Figeac, Haut-Brion, Mouton, Calon Ségur – and to my surprise – Marquis de Terme. See tasting story for more take-aways and the complete line-up.
Tasting note This felt as if was standing on the back feet, trying to avoid getting into close contact. But one of the most unique bouquets of the night. A personality best described as dark, herbal even with bit of black olives - could pass as a Syrah at first sight! But then entirely different on the palate. Shining red fruit, lots of acidity with not yet integrated, mouth-coating tannin. You have to acknowledge the singularity here, but pleasure factor was low to be honest. Again probably best stored away for another few years.
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As this ages, it continues improving, filling out, softening and gaining in nuances. Now you find oceanic nuances interspersed with creme de cassis, cigar box, lead pencil, wet soil and leafy complexities. The wine is full- deep, long and regal, with a present tannic backbone and the structure for at least 2-3 more decades of aging.
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Just tremendous depth here with classic terroir notes of smoky walnuts and earthy black fruits. So opulent with great lift and intensity and a masculine profile as compared to the Margaux's feminine. This was wonderful tonight and perhaps has the most upside still of the '90 first growths which is a surprise given where I thought this wine was 5 years ago. 96+
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Only medium color in appearance. Intoxicating nose - fresh but complex. Black currant leaf, mint, balsamic, forest floor. With some air, particularly on day 2, gorgeous pronounced aromas of smoke, cigar box, tobacco leaf. On the palate, a delicious hit of sweet fruits wrapped in cedar and tobacco, with some exotic spice through the mid-palate. Hints of caramel. There’s a character to this as if every time you taste it, it is different. You could hold onto this, and there is some tannic grip remaining, but based on this bottle, I see no reason not to drink now.
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Tasted double blind. This wine is is amazing, although far too young. Everything is still slightly muted but you sense all the substance, the glorious complexity and precision with every sip, the luxurious structure. Today it was mainly intellectually appealing but never really that super seductive and sensual wine Bordeaux can be. I would be amazing to meet this beauty again once mature (maybe in 20 years?).
TN: A rainbow of dark fruit and red furit, superb minerality, herbs, hints uf almonds. Never fully expressive, not as complex as it could be but as mentioned above you sense that there is more. No hints of any teritary development (I guessed it to be a 2000). Perfect structure with a wall of luxurious tannins without hard edges and a perfectly integrated acidity. Harmonious and balanced.
Decanting: Decanted for roughly 4 hours, followed over 3 more hours with little change.
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Really, really dense nose full of blackberry, grilled nuts, and and still surprisingly okay at age 30. Fullish on the palate with pencil and mineral notes. Promising finish. When will this be ready? 94-95ish
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This had two distinct phases. From an hour to two hours in the decanter, it was exceptional, extremely varied, harmonious and balanced. After about 2.5 hours and continuing for the next few hours, a strong combo of pipe tobacco, leather and pencil lead took over, burying the fruit, and it was a much less enjoyable wine.
The first 2 hours experience was amazing probably 98-100. The 2.5 to 5 hour experience was more like a 90. I'll describe the amazing stretch...garnet color, huge nose, with impressive breadth, scents of rich beef bouillon, black olive, coffee, pencil lead, cedar, blackberry. The palate was red raspberry, blackberry, black cherry, beef, coffee, pencil lead, earth, wet gravel, cocoa, so much going on and remarkably flawless and in harmony. Mid-to full-bodied with integrated tannins and a smooth, warm, robust finish.
At about the 90 minute point a sweet caramel flavor emerged, and a slightly bitter note mid-palate, graphite? An hour later, the more bitter flavors took over an knocked it from one of my all-time favorite drinking experiences to no longer in contention. Looking forward to giving it another shot.
Oddly enough I had a very similar experience with a '98 Haut-Brion recently, which ended up almost undrinkable after several hours out of the bottle. Has anyone else had this experience with Left Bank Bordeaux from the '90s?
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dark red with brick rim - beautiful nose of black fruit (cassis, blackberries) interlaced with bright red fruit - more complexity than my last bottle (leather, lead pencil and cigar box), but not as much as I expected for a 30-year old first growth - the real beauty of this wine is in the body - massive full fruit with superb acid-tannin balance - a long 30-40 second finish - will easily last another 10-20 years, but drinking very nicely now - a powerful but elegant Latour
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Even better than last year. After a 4 hour decant, it still had a touch of Brett/funk/earth, which actually complimented the dark fruit, ash, and leather on the nose. More dark fruit flavors cascaded over the palate, which was incredibly balanced with muted acidity, muted tannins, and subtle earthiness. It was a powerful wine, but not overly so. The only (tiny) flaw was that the finish was a bit on the short side, but that’s not unusual for a 30 year old wine. While I don’t think this will improve a whole lot more, it will certainly last another 10-20 years. I’m not sure whether it was bottle variation or the longer decant, but it did seem much more approachable than it did last year.
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Single Blind 1990 Bordeaux (The Bristol - Chicago, IL): Single blind and my WOTN. A wow, fragrant and bright nose that has mature red fruit, herbs and spice. The palate has arresting intensity and delicious fruit that is both broad and deep. Plenty of suave tannins throughout. Legs to age another decade+
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1990 Bordeaux Dinner (The Bristol - Chicago IL): Single blind at 1990 Bordeaux dinner. Easily, without doubt the class of the flight. Meaty and dense with ripe black fruit and cigarbox character, but also great balance and elegance. Not the best example of this wine I have ever tasted, but certainly better than others, like one late last year.
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À l’ouverture un odeur de poney désagréable Ce vin doit être décanté au moins 1-2 heures Incroyable bouteille! Un des plus grands bordeaux jamais dégustés
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Finaly I tried my Latour 90 which I have followed for a long time. Expectations were high and still the latest CT notes suggested only a “great” wine.
Well...what can I say, this bottle was magical and in the top 3 bottles I have tasted.
It was decanted 3 hours and enjoyed over the Following 2 hours chilled at 18 oC.
The bouquet offers a soft complex array of Violet flowers, woodsmoke, red berries, touch of green soft herbals, mint, pencil shavings, melange of sweet dark berries, liqourish, touch of leather and sweet tobacco.
On the palate, you get every single component just described,which is balanced beautifully out together by completely disolved tannins and acid.
This is craftmanship at the highest level.
Luckily my bottle was perfect!!
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This was clearly the most backward wine in the flight (with Lynch and LLC) and kept developing in the glass. Lots of dark fruits and a classic walnut note with good depth and a big, silky texture. The finish is fairly coiled but shows a fine complexity with notes of gravel and minerals. Still on the upswing. 95+
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Chateau Latour 1990. Servert blindt. Starter med litt fjøs, blyantspiss, gammelt trevirke, paprika og mørke bær. Bra, men river ikke skinnet av pølsa. Fremstår ganske moden. Ganske bra på smak med svær konsentrasjon, men frukten er dessverre i ferd med å tørke ut på denne flasken. Jeg er ganske sikker på at det finnes bedre flasker der ute. Sitter lenge med avvikende frukt og mye tanniner. Helt vilt bidrag, likevel lov å være litt skuffet her. 92p
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Very youthful, with a vibrantly strong backbone. Full-bodied and very complex. Cassis, dried earth, chocolate, tobacco, cedar, flower shop and blackberry. There’s an extravagant finish that is wide. So much staying power. I love the slight tannins that still show grip. Unctuous and not meek, this and the stunning ‘03 are on the same plain. Utterly close to perfection, this is just starting to open up. Legendary. Nay a hard edge and seamless. Drink now -.
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Capsule in perfect condition. No signs of leakage. Cork soaked all the way through to a quarter inch of the top, but comes out intact. Nose is that of a younger Bordeaux. Initial palate is quite extraordinary, and with a hint of smoke that is unlike any Bordeaux that I have tried. 2 hours in the decanter reveals an elegant prototypical Pauillac style. After 4 hours began to degenerate a bit. Based on this bottle, would drink after a splash decant, but not an extended one.
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Some Wine Tasted at the Zachys Auction (Formento's - Chicago IL): Late afternoon, small glass alongside the 2000. Others oo'ed and ah'ed over this, but I didn't think it perfect vs previous bottle experiences. There was an odd green bitterness that never disappeared despite th great fruit clearly there, plus the impressive concentration.
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Wines tasted at Zachy's Chicago Watch Party (Formentos): Side by side with the 2000. This is an insanely good bottle of wine that hits every note with near perfection. Towering and complicated aromas with each aromatic having full intensity. The palate is youthful but not young as the cedar, tobacco and graphite elements are seamless with the fruit. Long finish. Amazing property in an amazing vintage, and it shows.
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Zachys auction at Formento's (Chicago, IL): No, it's not fully mature, but I'm also not one of the necrophiliac fetishists who derive their enjoyment of old Bordeaux from wines that have one foot in the grave. This is sitting at this boundary where the fruit and secondary characteristics are in perfect harmony with each other. An explosively perfumed nose with graphite and leather and a hint of pyrazine, followed by sweet black fruits. On the palate, this still shows a bit of rawness on the finish from the structure, but whatever primary elements here have softened and give this a really luxurious, plush quality. The juiciness from the ripe vintage, coupled with all that Latour structure make for an incredibly complex drinking experience.
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The best bottle of this I have ever tasted hit all the right notes. It is important to note that the has over the past few years come close to full-development. It is now showing a refined, soft, elegant, regal character. The fresh, blackberry, cassis, tobacco and leafy personality is right where you want it to be. It might improve a bit from here, but the wine is 30 years of age, so if you are sitting on any, it is time to enjoy it.
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wow, everything you would expect from a latour and more, an incredible vintage for this wine, drunk next to cheval blanc and angelus and this was the WOTN
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Wow still just a tannic monster. All seemed good and balanced on open and decant. One hour later I smelled a sour cellar smell and worried. But now 3 hours later and midway through the decanter, it is just a monster, well balanced and firmly right and still tannic as hell. Decades to go. Sweet Jesus.
From 75cl. No decant. A very special wine. Very young still, and barely ready. Took a couple of hours to properly open up.
Graphite, chocolate, cedar and stewed fruit. Floral, or at least freshly vegetal aspects. Very 1990, with that obvious bruised fruit and chocolate aspect. Someone in the notes below commented someone thought this might be right bank, and that's right on the money. This has the character of excellent Merlot/CabFranc, rather than any hint of cabernet austerity or even any of that pure cassis. Bruised plums, chocolate, haunting fragrance. Hints of truffle. The bouquet could almost be from Piedmont :P Palate is youthful. Stern structure, hints of leather, but with 1990 generosity: not a million miles away from the style and profile of the 1990 Cos d'Estournel. Sweetish and good without food. Almost hedonistic. Falstaff, not King Henry. This will go on for a couple of decades, though the acid is not terribly high I think and I don't think it will make exceedingly old bones.
Criticisms..... perhaps a bit rustic in some ways, perhaps not quite as long and complex as it could be. Slightly hollow in the middle? Lacking a bit of precision really. Utterly enjoyable, though, perhaps, it's not as Pauillac and Latour as it should be.
96(+?)
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A great showing tonight of a Latour that seems fully developed and integrated. Just a beautifully layered wine with flavors of dark fruits, dark chocolate and walnuts that lead to an ultra-complex finish with notes of es of sweet earth and dazzling graphite minerals. Awesome. At Vaucluse.
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Decanted for three hours before serving. Graphite, pencil shaving, ripe black fruit, leather, perfume and cinnamon roll. Expressive and classy on the palate in a harmonious manner. Drinking in the zone. Likely to stay in this plateau for a long time.
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I have been told that Latour needs to be aged 30 years before it starts to show development. At 29 there is a nice presence of leather and the wine is unfolding. I found it improved over 3 hours. This is a special wine with grace rather than intensity.
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Some 1990 1st growths etc (Chez Herb Wollowick): I imagine if I doled out points for wines, I would have been tempted to issue something near perfection here. The structure, individual components all were immensely impressive...and the wine appears to be merely in early adolescence, seemingly capable of living forever. Yet, tonight, my quibble was a lack of enough distinct personality. The Lafite has more soul.
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A phenomenal wine, still surprisingly youthful with a lot of richness to the fruit and enough tannin here that it needed a couple of hours of air to soften and open up aromatically. But this is more than worth the wait - the aromatics are stellar with graphite, walnut, tobacco, cedar wood, and more earthy and leathery notes emerging with air, and a core of rich black fruit beneath. The palate presence is regal - remarkably polished and graceful, with the richness of the vintage coming through, and finishing with impressive length.
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deepish garnet color with slight bricking at the rim, classic cedar and cassis nose, on the palate a fine depth of ripe cassis fruit, soft tannins resolving, fine length, still a bit of oak sticking out on the palate, surprisingly relaxed and friendly but this bottle also seems to be somewhat reserved, following on the heels of 82 and 86 Mouton might impact that impression, an elegant Latour and most enjoyable- but this bottle was somewhat reluctant to show its full glory, possibly a passing phase.
**** for this bottle, now to 2035.
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Jailbreak Wine Dinner - 08 Cristal, 16 PYCM Remilly and etc. (St. Anselm): Initially a bit musty but quickly blows off. Expressive hedonistic nose displaying opulent black fruit, creme de cassis, crushed blueberry, black cherry, roasted fruit, caramel, cedar, a hint of black truffle, lead pencil and earth. Excellent concentration, layers upon layers of opulent black fruit, silky and polished, bright acidity, good mineral expression, fine tannins and a seamless long black fruit driven finish with lead pencil at the end. Beautifully expressing the 90 ripe black fruit yet remains very classic. Excellent showing.
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Just perfect Latour now. Somewhat reminiscent of the the 1952 in that it carries both the classic Latour purple grandeur in its masculine profile and a bit more of some very nice but not overdone fruit. Dark purple/deep garnet hue, with a nose that screams classic Latour: dark red and black berries,old oak, elegant dark soil, sous bois, a hint of cigar box, and an endless scent even while drinking. On the palate, the 1990 is in perfect tannic balance, with a complete and non- ending finish. This will persist in nice form for a long time.
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First of all, all these observations should be considered in the context of the fact (or my wholehearted opinion) that this behemoth is years away from being truly mature. I don't think I've ever had such an intriguing bottle of wine. The nose at first was full of black fruit, black earth and graphite, with bold scents of mint and anise. The palate was dark red fruit in front, and blackish on the mid palate, finishing with prominent tannins. There was a discernible presence of Brett as well. Its appearance was dark garnet with slight bricking around the edges. It evolved noticeably over 5 hours, with the fruit profiles gradually darkening. Flavors of cassis, tea, currants, autumn leaves were present throughout, but the Brett disappeared, and the initially drying tannins grew ever more subtle as the evening went on. It is big, bold, and will be one for the ages. If you really want to drink some now, please decant it for at least 4 hours, and then take your time and see how it changes as it continues to evolve in the glass.
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2nd Annual Sommelier Appreciation Dinner (Undisclosed Location): Surely a 50+ year wine. Aromas are tight, with a bit of walnut. This is seriously tannic but in an appropriately grand fashion, arching like a cathedral. It's packed with deep, dark blueberry and blackberry fruit, piercingly intense and saturating (and it would have to be to charge through all that structure - which it does). This is still youthfully inky and primary compared to the Lafite and if I preferred the Lafite by a notch it was only for that reason; this is not as far along but it's gonna be an epic journey.
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Sommelier Appreciation Dinner 2019 (The Brown Residence): Perfectly harmonious nose displaying decadent yet very precise black fruit, crème de cassis, crushed blackberry and blueberry mix, strong lead pencil, a hint of green, cedar and earth. Exceptional balance, very finely layered ripe yet pure black fruit, silky and polished, good acidity and mineral, and a long cassis driven finish with strong lead pencil and a hint of green at the end. This clearly demonstrated the 90 ripeness yet it remains beautifully balanced and perfectly harmonious. Although it shows exceptional concentration, it seems lighter compare to the 90 Margaux. However, it is more precise and very “claret”.
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Even though this was from a magnum, interestingly, it seemed softer, more approachable and even more open than some bottles I've tasted from a 750. On the way to silky in texture, the wine showed loads of ripe, round, sweet, fleshy fruits with soft tannins and freshness in the spicy, cedar and tobacco leaf filled, red berry finish. At close to 30, if you are holding this in your cellar, it is a good tie to start popping a cork.
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This was the most brooding of the ‘90’s with plenty of structure and silky power. It improved greatly in the glass and showed classic vineyard notes of walnuts, blackish fruits and sweet earth. Finishes complex and minerally but also holding something back. 95+ At Daniel game dinner.
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Opened and decanted for 2 hours then back in bottle before going out to dinner. Had small taste on opening. Nose was moderate barnyard on opening but became beautiful in the glass at the restaurant. Had Dom Perignon with first courses (venison pate, duck sliders and jerk octopus). Followed with this bottle with bone marrow w/escargot followed by beef tenderloin with foie gras. Paired beautifully. Wonderful complexity. Tannins were subtle and well balanced. Medium body. Long finish.
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Wow. Going to side by side with the Margaux 90. The Marge nose is better, but the Latour has more grit.
On day two the Marge has lightened in profile, and more raspberries and young cherries than cassis yesterday. The Latour has like become a rioja with plums leather and a lot of Rutherford dust—or La Mancha Dust, fine..
Sorry for shitty notes. I got tired of writing “cassis” and the rest of it, and been busy n high. Dream Living, your winos, you get it...
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This has really improved over the past few years although it's still a bit short of peak. Delicious dark fruits give way to a fine, silky texture with lots of depth and subtle power. Finishes with classic Latour notes of walnuts, cigar box, grilled nuts and sweet gravel. 95+
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Marc's 70th Birthday Dinner in DC (Oval Room in DC): Weird bottle. This was super, super green on the nose. The strong back fruit was overwhelmed by the green notes. Honestly, reminded me of an older Baudry Loire. Medium body, integrated tannins, moderate acid. Good fruit, but the palate was also overwhelmed by the green notes... and I like a bit of green. Nice, but not typical.
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Served semi blind, I suspected this was the bottle but also had a suspicion this would be here. Maybe as good as Bordeaux gets. Elegant and yet powerful. Tannins are fine and resolving but still present. Mint intertwined into the leather and currant notes. Really holds on the finish. Mature, but this isn’t going anywhere for a LONG time.
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Still dark red, with slight translucency. This one has got 10+ years of development ahead of it before hitting peak. Decanted 2 hours and enjoyed with tasting menu @ Meadowood restaurant. Dark black and red fruit, cigar/smoke that's classic Pauillac. Amazing depth, density, and complex finish. One of the best Bdx ever had. That said, if you have lots, try one. if you have one, hold for a while longer.
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dark red with brick rim - beautiful nose of black cassis interlaced with bright red fruit, but not very much comlexity (I would be stretching it to imagine a lot of leather, lead pencil and cigar box) - but also none of the bret or vegetal flavors some of the other reviews described - the real beauty of this wine is in the body right now - massive full fruit with superb acid-tannin balance - a long 45 second finish - both of 2 bottles were consistent and matched a rotisseried leg of Pennsylvania lamb beautifully - clearly drinking very nicely now, but I'd wait another 5-10 years for (hopefully) more complexity to develop in the nose
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A pure pleasure, enjoyed with good friends who are serious wine lovers. The first impression was: smooth, supple, and rich. Nose and flavors of cedar, tobacco, gorgeous fruit, and cassis. Dark red, very slight browning, almost opaque. 12.5% alcohol, thank-you-very-much! We drank it over two hours, and while I was half expecting the common decline to spoilage, this beauty only developed more smoothness and intensity. This is the joy of well-aged Bordeaux.
A little barnyardy on the nose at first, and while this blew off to some extent over the course of the evening, it kept affecting the nose unfortunately. Nevertheless there was lots of depth - dark fruit, cassis, liquorice, tobacco, graphite, cedar. On the palate quite a contrast to the 1989 Lafleur tasted before - much cooler and more elegant, very polished and complete, very dense with lovely complexity and impressive length. Wonderful, at least in parts! Drink or keep. 93-95
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Annual gathering with Chicago winos in Chicago - Burgs, old Bordeauxs, Cult Cabs and SQN (Smyth and The Loyalist - Chicago IL): Exquisite nose displaying perfectly ripe rich black fruit, crème de cassis, Asian medicine, leather, caramel, cedar, lead pencil and earth. Incredibly concentrated yet perfectly balanced palate, layers upon layers of decadent cassis, unctuous and dense yet silky and polished, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and the endless finish. Incredibly rich and opulent yet perfectly balanced. My guess is Margaux.
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Wine Dinner Extravaganza (Smyth and The Loyalist - Chicago IL): Single blind in 1990 left bank star flight. All open 3 hours before serving. So much concentration and diverse elements, but in a wild and complex fashion I wouldn't have thought classically Latour. Easily the most interesting wine of the flight, this kept changing, unfolding and improving in glass.
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Thrilling. Drank with friends at a local restaurant after a splash decant. Perfectly mature deep ruby with moderate sediment in the bottle but not the glass. Deep brooding complex nose of black fruits, spice and cassis. The only reason this is slightly shy of 100 point perfection is a very slight, subtle distant green note on the nose which dispersed and wasn't noticeable in the mouth. 20 years of fantastic drinking ahead with no indication of fruit decline. If a date, this was a drop-dead sexy 35 year old corporate executive who hangs her Chanel & Armani wardrobe on your bed footboard.
AAA+ I cannot wait for an opportunity to open the remaining siblings.
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Tobacco and leather. Cork with defects but wine perfect and smooth. Typical french Bordeaux flavors and smells. Non fruity. Extraordinary. It had only 1/2 hour decanting. Should have done it earlier.
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Second Sunday Group: Chateau Latour vertical (Frank's (hosted by Marty)): Double blind. Deep core with some bricking. This starts out a little weedy and vegetal, qualities which never blow off and I find distracting. There are red berry and currant notes underneath. Tannic and firm, with red currant and flavors akin to a wet bale of hay, some might say horse blanket, but I say this is more "vegetal" than "animal," therefore the hay bale. To me, this has a touch of brettanomyces- the same strain as that which afflicts the '90 Montrose, and that was my guess for this bottle. 89-90 pts.
My #5, Domino's #1 Group #2, 45 pts
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Small and simple dinner gathering with some special friends, no formal notes. The bottle (actually all Bdx. we drunk tonight) had been open for approx. 4 hours. What an amazing nose, so deep and so filled with impressions. Textbook leftbank, no doubt of from where this bottle origins. Dark fruits, black currant, cassis, blackberries, lots of classical pencil shavings, English gentleman’s library, leather, cigar tobacco and cedar, fines stable, with newly polished leather and cedar, touch of forest floor, herbs and warm gravels. Palate is just as intriguing, loads of fine and ripe rich fruit, seemingly younger than almost 30 years of age. Darker fruits, cassis, black currants, blue berries, plums. Some leather, earth and of course gravel too. Perfect balance in this wine, its simply breathtaking. Far from anywhere near at any peak, just drinking beautifully. (97 – 100+)
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Started with a beautiful bordeaux nose with flavors of forest floor, barnyard, red fruit and a little concetrated intense nose indicating it had a lot to give - it reminded me of an older 58 Gruaud Larose I drunk years back that was impecable. On the palate beautifully balanced, a little softer than I was expecting (drunk with a 1990 Grange which prob exasperated the structure & fruit differences), lingering taste that wouldn't go away with great length and persistence. This was amazing, easily WOTN. Drinking well and will continue to for years to come.
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Enjoyed at 10TS in London. From Magnum; condition ex-Chateau. Decanted for an hour before enjoying.
Wow, this was an absolute stunner. Incredible aromatics, unfurling a nose full of dark fruit and cassis. Tannins were completely integrated, but there was ample structure backed by a finish that just kept on going.
What a way to kick off an evening, and happy to have shared it with friends.
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Chez W, decanted an hour, perfect level, slightly worked, back on top form after more sulky bottle last May, more generous and with more material than 95 on same night, wonderful now and for the next 25 years at least, expands in mouth like very best, 2 minute persistence and wonderful balance and drive to last and improve for many years. VFI (19.5).
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Fireworks for January: plethora of top wines with great friends (Black Salt Restaurant, Washington D.C.): This exudes fresh forest aromas, Hermes leather, ripe roasted fruit, cigar box. Very succulent. Leather aspects come to the fore on the finish but not obvious or heavy. A very endearing Port like richness, here. Just a lovely match to the steak and its mushrooms. A wine at its peak, as Ken Brown said, and one of the most enjoyable of the evening.
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Big Bordeaux XIV (Kevin and Vicki's): Decanted 1 hour. Wow! This is one of the best wines I've ever had. It is completely open and delicious. It is soft and complex. There is a ton of complexity. Old world Bordeaux that is easy to drink and the palate is as good as the nose.
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Big Bordeaux XIV: Featuring 1982 and 1990 (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Very dark red/purple color, 1mm clear edge. Decanted for 1 hour; drank 1 glass over 2 hours plus. This was really pretty on opening and despite recent notes suggesting this needed 4 or more hours decanting, that was not my impression on trying it. It was just so pretty and aromatic on opening, so I decided on an hour would do. As I poured this into glasses the smell wafted across the room and it was already apparent this was special. Simply a stunning nose of ethereal aromas, one of those wines that you just want to suckle, hold tight, and let the nose caress your soul. Sometimes, the nose gets all the glory, but not so here. This Latour delivers on every level offering waves of sensuous pleasure and intellectual delight. The nose is so sexy and aromatic, pretty doesn't do it justice; a perfume of flowers, leather, mint, creme de cassis, damp earth, blissful pencil lead, and a touch of funk. The palate is a harmonious blend of those same elements in a most elegant package that is texturally devine: cassis, bright red berries; this feels more red fruited in many ways, earthy, fine tobacco, pencil and well resolved tannins, on an impeccable, long finish. So good now, one can only imagine where this can go in another 15 to 20 years. Just a joyful wine of great purity and harmony. My and group WOTN in a landslide.
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90 Latour is still very tight despite 1.5 hours of decanting. Truffle, cedar, dark fruit, tobacco and earth. Palate is ripe and powerful. Still too young but the potential seems to be there. It keeps surprising you with more power in the glass. I think Parker’s comment in 2009 is spot on. The 90 is very rich and fruity but it lacks the firmness of some of the best Latour. I would wait 5 more years if you only have one bottle. Hopefully it will add more complexity with more time. A good Latour for sure. 94-95
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After about an hour in the glass it began to open up and just kept improving over the next 2 hours. Beautiful full rich nose. Pencil shavings and tobacco and minerals. This is still very early in the drinking window.
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2017 Wine & Food Society of La Jolla Holiday Gala (The Lodge at Torrey Pines, La Jolla, CA): This pristinely cellared bottle was double-decanted (allowing four hours in decanter prior to funneling back into the rinsed bottle) and serially tasted over a 2-3 hour period. Effusive of black currants, dark plums, baking spices, lavender, tobacco and truffles on the nose, it is an opaque red, full-bodied, heavily extracted wine. Low in acidity, seamlessly alcoholic and with plentiful fine-grained tannins, it delivers flavors mirroring the aromas, adding notes of loamy earth and cocoa. With nicely woven oak, a silky mouth texture and impressively dense middle palate, it is an absolute joy to drink. The finish seems to last forever. This is classic claret in every sense of the term. It should be noted that the wine was still improving upon completion of the evening's tasting, suggesting that even more aeration in decanter would have been beneficial Comparably cellared bottles will continue to improve over the next decade, although no one would be faulted for seizing the moment. Drink now-2050.
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Best bottle - X-Mas Edition (Restaurant 5, Stuttgart): Glass: Zalto Bordeaux Not decanted, from perfect bottle. Clean, medium intense nose that need time to open up. Unfortunately we did not decant it, so it could not show its full potential and I could only estimate its true greatness: Very elegant, fine tobacco, pencil shavings, cassis, spices, cedar wood and almost not brett/animal notes. On the palate an amazing experience: The often cited “Boxer with velvet gloves” matches perfectly: Elegance meets pressure and tension! High, perfectly fine and silky tannin, lots of dark and red fruit, combined with wonderful spices, pencil shavings and mineral notes. Masculine, without being raw. Very long, lingering finish. Still young. 96-97.
Wine of the flight, but not nearly as good as the bottle i had in october which was decanted for 4.5 hours before we tasted so much more secondary and tertiary flavors were coaxed out of the glass. this was still drinking very well and i think is richer and somewhat atypical compared to other mature Latours I have had
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Château Latour Vertical (Vaucluse): A slightly quieter nose on this than I recall from past bottles. Still very nice with damp earth and and bold minerality over robust red and blue fruit. Nevermind, this bouquet is blossoming beautifully and has classic Latour terroir-laden fruit. Palate is lush and delicious. Big and rich but totally approachable and pleasurable. Opulent. My notes seem to be all over the place on this wine. This bottle is maybe just a click short of 95, but it is in the middle of a massive vertical..
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This bottle of Latour from Kovac's cellar was gorgeous but fairly reticent and needed more than the 1.5 hours we gave it. Seriously silky and refined with a bit of Latour earth and walnut slipping through, it tasted very fine and very young and kept improving in the glass. Based on this bottle, this is a great Latour in the making but needs more time. 95+
Double decanted and served after 3 hours; definitely need to extract sludge. Developed superb richness over time. Have had a number of bottles over 20 some years and this was the best showing. Last glass, at five hours, was the best.
Decided to open this with a Prime steak after seeing Jeff Leve's recent review, and realizing that I would hate not having tried it in my lifetime. My impressions mirror his. This has got to be one of the top 3 wines I can remember experiencing over45+ years of wine drinking. I probably should have scored it higher, but 97 is Jeff's score and I defer to his vast experience. I wish I had more,given the price I paid from a pristine cellar.
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Decanted 45 minutes. Wonderful in every way. It a great spot right now, where it should hold for some time. Maybe not the classic structure for the ages (I could be wrong there), but boy this is wonderful to drink now. A
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In magnum, there is an extra level of depth, refinement and pleasure I have not seen in regular bottles. It takes some coaxing, but all the tobacco, wet earth, cedar, dark red fruit and spice comes out. Full bodied, fresh and vibrant, at 27 years of age, this is really drinking well. But if you only have a bottle or two, and you're the patient sort, if well stored, it will be even better at 37!
Voted wine of the flight when stacked up against 1989 Haut Brion, 1990 Margaux, and 1996 Margaux. This wine tends to be underrated, I think. People don't seem to acknowledge the near perfection of a well-stored bottle of this wine. Any score under 95 is underselling this wine. It remains masculine and verile, but the fruit quality and spherical mouthfeel are astounding. Balance is great. This is a great Bordeaux.
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Decanted 1.5hrs drank over 5hrs (total time since decant). Nearly flawless...at its peak at the 3hr mark...but it began to decline at 5hrs. No need to keep ... drink now.
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It was everything one would expect it to be. All the adjectives to describe a great Bordeaux are here, cassis, leather, tobacco, spice box etc.. But like the Leroy Vosne-Romanee, it is really about the whole not the parts. Interestingly, I think there is still room here for it evolve further. But why take a chance.
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The Athens Wine Event to put all the others to shame (Paleo Reastaurant, Piraeus): Tasted blind. The energy in this wine made us feel this was a 96 top Pauillac . A masterclass of wine, so energetic,bright and this will last a few more decades . Dark fruited, light spice, lightest touch of herbs. Has that iron feel across , vibrant, good acidity and firm albeit silky tannin. SUPERB. 98,99,100 take your pick...
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Blind flight with Margeaux 1990 all persons guessed Margeaux because the silkieness and roundness, Achim guessed the vintage correctly, I guessed HB 1989, a lot of iron, cassis and cigarbox, starting to reach his peak, the best 1990 Latour I had so far
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2nd of 12, decanted an hour, perfect cork and level, not quite up to previous notes (last 9/13), now in awkward adolescence, still some purple on rim, fine cassis/black plum fruit wrapped round iron core, secondaries evident, but iron dominates, fine grain tannin obtrudes and the fruit lacks the usual nuance, aristocratic, long and concentrated though, will recover poise with time and merit much higher score than current VF (18.5), Margaux, HB and Mission surer bet for current drinking.
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Tasted Blind this was a bit of a disappointment tonight, our bottle could have been slightly damaged as the cork showed saturation, and there was evidence of past leakage in the capsule. On the nose the fruit seemed very ripe, and showed some earthy mushroom, cedar notes. In the mouth, this wine had dark fruit, plum. (some in the blind tasting thought this was a wine from Napa) The structure and finish seemed light for a wine of this pedigree. We had tasted 1990 Lafite right before this wine, and it openly revealed the structural differences between the 2 on re-visit. I hope to taste this wine again soon, and from a bottle that has seen better storage to figure out if our bottle was representative of this wine. 91 to 93 points, My 3/4 Group 3/4
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1990 Bordeaux Blind: Highlights: This nose is a little tight with dark red and black berry fruit. Black currant and cassis. Also a little roasted. Nose adds some development with air time, but the overall impression is still dark black and blue fruit. Palate is solid, dense and robust. Very good, very big, but still youthful. Seem to be having large variance with this wine, sometimes it is so showy and spectacular, and sometimes it is really closed up.
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Zachys La Paulée Auction, Day Two (Le Bernardin Prive - New York NY): Small glass, brief note. Decanted well before I got to taste. Black currant, black plum, dark chocolate filled with liqueur. Rich and powerful. Wonderful now with lots of clear upside as it softens and mellows.
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Decanted 3 hours, continued to open up over the following hour, and then was quite nice over two hours following until it was gone. Nose was good but a little weak.
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4th Saturday group uptown tasting (R&C's): Double blind. Rather green with red fruit, currants and herb notes. Loads of red fruit on the palate, well-integrated and balanced. Flavors of red currants and green tobacco. Tobacco and leather notes emerge with time in the glass. Guessed 1990 Pichon Lalonde.
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First growth dinner (Cafe Maxx, Pompano Beach, Florida): Beautiful bright ruby color. Red and dark fruits, leathery, tobacco, wet cedar. A blockbuster s in the making. Very drinkable and charming right now. It's hard not to like this.
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Super Bowl 2017 (Alpharetta, GA): Dull maroon with brick rim; dusty nose, cedar, mushroom, wilting red floral and beef blood, green pepper, earth, cranberry, tobacco; slight medicinal on the palate, iodine, tertiary; was torn between Montrose and Latour but swore this was much older, this was opened the night before which may have had to do with its relative leanness to me; still a great wine; my #2 but group's #1.
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cheers - so hard to rate without a comparable bottle open to compare it with, no reason this couldn't be a 98 or 99. Decanted, incredible nose, velvety smooth, complex and great finish. WOW! Thanks Pepere and Merry Christmas!
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Decanted an hour but pretty good right out of the bottle. Medium red with some bricking. Dark fruit, cedar, leather on the nose. Round and full bodied in the style of the 90s. Wonderful wine that maybe is just a bit less concentrated than the best but certainly a great wine. A
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Dinner at friends' house, with 1982 Pichon Lalande. Amazingly, this was not as dark or opaque. Aromas of pure cassis, opened slowly to show more cedar. Full-bodied but not as rich or concentrated as the Pichon. Long aftertaste. I would have expected more power and concentration, but that may still develop. All seven of us thought the Pichon was definitely a cut above. Ric
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Teasing nose with some fruits under the mighty tannin structure. In this period a little bit closed. Some cedar, cigarbox, decanted two hours before (50+5+14+19+10), 97-98
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Consistently great despite this fan's notes being all over the place. Beautiful nose, impeccable balance, singing finish. The robust Latour style is just slightly giving up secondary flavours and good development. Ripe, delicious, and very enjoyable every time.
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2016 Villa d’Este Wine Symposium - Kelly, Alan and Kevin's excellent adventure; 11/3/2016-11/12/2016 (Villa D’este, Lake Como, Piedmont, Milan and Frankfurt): Absolutely stunning showing. Hedonistic nose displaying decadent black fruit, cremes de cassis, cedar, a hint of milk chocolate, lead pencil and earth. Perfect balance and harmony, intense cassis driven palate impression, beautifully layered, silky and precise, perfect amount of acidity and tannins, and an incredibly long finish with cassis and lead pencil as the end notes. The bottle seems sweeter and more concentrated than the previous bottles. The best showing of the 90 Latour.
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Drinking well, it takes little effort to discover the tobacco, cassis, cedar wood and earthy charms. Refined, and in between tannic austerity and elegance, the spicy, red fruits in the fresh finish pack a nice punch. This is a very good Bordeaux, but for Latour in a great vintage, it is missing that little extra something.
Very good but see the comments below. Tried along side the 99 Grange. Different styles but slightly disappointed this great wine from the top vintage of my life didn't blow me away...and I won't comment on the crazy price
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Still relatively primary with high quality red fruit. Emerging undertones of earth and tar, but without many of the tertiary Latour characteristics at this point.
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Breathtaking bouquet of mature red cherry, currants, creme de cassis, blueberry, red cedar wood, spices, and damp forest floor. Truly everything you could hope to smell in a Bordeaux. Sweet red cherry tingles on the palate. In a perfect spot for drinking right now, the Latour power is dialling back somewhat and yielding to soft and silky berry fruit and rich earth. Not too young, not advanced, just sort of transcendent and amazing. Tannins strike at first but melt away nicely. Incredible finish. What a comparison to the last bottle of this (same collection). Spot-on.
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1989 vs. 1990 Bordeaux (Vaucluse): 89 vs 90 tasting. In this case the 89 was clearly better than the 90. The 90 had a gorgeous nose and was a very nice wine but lacked a bit of structure. Very round as was typical of all the 90s.
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Château Latour vertical tasting ((Wine Watch, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida)): The 1990 Château Latour was my #2 wine of the night. Gained weight the whole night and kept revealing its complex layers. Dark fruits, lots of cherry, barnyard, lots of cedar, fennel, and sweet tobacco. Full-bodied, with incredible balance. Clearly in its wheelhouse right now. Silky ripe tannins, with a solid structure. Very long finish, with lots of fresh acidity.
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A bit underwhelming given the scores and cost. Nice mature Bordeaux for sure but lacked the wow factor. Perhaps the cheese plate that preceded it dulled the flavor a? Lou reminded me we've had this vintage on 2 occasions before and it was underwhelming then too
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Drinking really well today. Dark bing cherry aromas with a dirty edge. Sweet brambly red fruit flavors with nice verve and balanced structure. Layered and lovely spices with earthy appeal. Very well integrated, nice complexity, broad deep flavor profile. Fine length as well. Great window now, but see it holding well, fully mature and ready to drink.
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This is the ninth bottle from my collection that I have drunk over the years, and this is the best yet. The wine has arrived in all its classic characteristics. Decanted and sat for an hour before tasting. Pronounced bouquet and fully open after that. Where can it go from here? Can it match the iconic '61 which I first tasted in '91 & it was every bit what this vintage was last night.
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1.Flight Latour 1990 MG vs Lynch Bages 1989 MG 2 Flight La Mission Haut Brion 1989 vs Haut Brion 1989 3.Flight Mouton 1982 vs Latour 1982 MG 4 Flight Mouton 1986 vs Lafite 1986
Opened yesterday, Still a lot of Cassis, forest strawberries, ripe blueberries, great acidity structure, feels still very young, but a hint riper than the Lynch Bages, not so powerful than get used from Latour, a not totally perfect balanced giant
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I opened this with great anticipation. The last time I had it was at Christmas in 1997. Dad bought it as a future and paid $70 / bottle. The most he had ever paid for a bottle of wine at the time.
When I pulled the cork the air was filled with the pungent aroma of a nice bordeaux. I had a sip right after decanting and the wine was bright and acidic with lots of dark fruits.
After a few hours of decanting the wine was much more complex and subtle.
We shared it with my mom and had it with simple ribs eyes, infused with rosemary, garlic mashed potatoes grilled asparagus and mushrooms in a cream sauce.
I don't drink this caliber of wine very often, so I was expecting something really amazing. The wine was good, very good, but not $800 / bottle good.
Maybe my palette is not refined enough to appreciate a first growth. Two bottles left, one to share with my brother, one to share with my sister.
Maybe one or both of those will be amazing...
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Far funkier than expected for Latour, more complex and nuanced than big. Sweet red cherries, thin top soil, lots of rusty and iron notes. Very farmy, this bottle wasn't perfect, damp hay roost beef, driftwood. Not corked, but odd.
More powerful with flowery nuances. A powerful bloom of dark violet scented currents and plums with fresh pristine fruits. Long lasting and grand. Well framed and clean cut gentleman in his prime. Like a James Bond of sort. I though this was a Lafite rather than a latour.
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A good, but not great Latour, that is better on the cigar box, tobacco, cassis, cedar, wet earth, blackberry and spicy nose, than on the palate, where it should shine. Still young, this will improve for years.
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A Dinner Focused on Two 1990 First Growths (Home): Decanted for an hour before drinking. Medium ruby through the edge. Strikingly minty nose, almost like Mouton. Slightly denser than the Margaux. Black fruited with strong green elements, coal, and higher acidity. Not THAT much more powerful than the Margaux. This actually seemed quite round and fleshy right out of the decanter, but it displayed more typical Latour structure and minerality as it aerated. Marvelous bottle probably at about its midpoint of evolution (at least if it is as pristine and well stored as this bottle was).
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Finally... After a flawed bottle, the second one was absolutely find. Needed two hours in a decanter for the nose to develop but the cigar box bouquet more than made up for the wait. Medium bodied, balanced and classy this is a great Latour
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Wine Dinner Extravaganza (North Lincoln Avenue Loft - Chicago IL): In flight with Margaux and Cheval Blanc 1990. Clearly the most backward of the flight. Intense aromas of black fruit, liqueur hints, background spice. Powerful fruit is very fresh on palate. Long, meaty throughout. This bottle had been open several hours before serving, while the others were popped and poured.
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Good dark color with slight bricking on the edges. Just a gorgeous nose of black currants, roasted walnuts and sweet tar pit. This took a good hour in a decanter to really start to strut and then showed a thick, velvety texture with deep flavors of Latour dirt with ripe black fruits, roasted walnuts and fabulous minerals. The wine has good acidity underneath and the finish is so terroir-driven with the flavors and complexity of the vineyard. There are notes of black smoke, bitter chocolate and the sweetest dark earth. With time to breathe, this drinks very nicely now and the only knock is maybe it doesn't have a full mid-palate. But go bbq lamb chops tonight and eat out on your deck like I'm doing and tell me how much better wine and food can get!
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Made the mistake, I believe of not decanting for very long at all. Do not make this mistake. Really never opened up. I was very disappointed. Granted this was the worst looking bottle of this that I own, with a high shoulder fill and some oxidation on the capsule and a weird stain on the label. So maybe the bottle was flawed. Anyway, not happy. Probably will try again with one of my other bottles in a couple of years and will decant for a very long time.
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Served vis-a-vis Château Grand Puy Lacoste of the same year, and this was superior by far. A very young showing, I was guessing vintage 2000, he harmony, the mature, rich fruit, the silky texture ...a complete wine. Thank you, IB. #LaTour#Aalborg
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One of the best bottles of 1990 Latour I recall having, with its showy notes of clay, black and blue fruit, smoke, earth and spice filled cassis. Powerful, soft and fresh, the wine is long, deep and complex.
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The wine pours a thick unctuous purple with thick legs and minimal bricking and sediment. This is a testament to good storage. On the nose, there is a concentrated bouquet of preserved plums, earth, leather, lead pencil shavings and tobacco. It is so powerful that I can smell the wine all the way in the living room! There is even some smokiness in the end. On the palate, the wine is very unctuous with much poise, finesse and balance. There are prominent flavors of plums, black fruits, eucalyptus, kirsch and scorched stones. This is a classic left bank Bordeaux but with the power of an American cult cabernet. Great extraction by the wine maker. Finish is super long, lasting over a minute. As time grows, the wine develops and spins more and more power in the stem. It is amazing how light-footed yet robust the wine is. What a crazy wine for my first Latour. This may well be highest score I have ever given thus far. But well justified!
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Beat your 2014 WOTY Dinner: Cedar and pencil, some earthy/funky bretty, chocolate truffles and graphite. Tannins are still intense, though it has really good length and I quite like it, though more time will be of great benefit.
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This was a charity auction wine of unknown provenance. Cork was intact but just starting to show signs of moisture at the top. Decanted for 3 hours then back into the bottle for a birthday dinner at a great french restaurant. I noted in the CT comments that there can be some off bottles, thankfully this was not one of them. What a beautiful wine. Lots of black fruit, tobacco, menthol, eucalyptus and mild spice notes. Tannins are mostly integrated. This bottle was ready to drink now. Sorry to say it was 1 of 1.
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Phoenix Society Inaugural Dinner (Chez Moi): Consistent notes with my last experience with this: Showing a little age through lightening of colour, but no garnet/bricking. Gorgeous, complex aromas of cedar, earth, black fruits. Unbelievable depth on the palate, and layers of taste sensations that go on and on. Beautiful long finish. Was expecting a little more structure to this. Runner up for WOTN. Drink now or over the next 15 years.
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Hard to imagine enjoying a bottle of wine more than this one... I hope I'm alive to drink it at its peak! Tarry, tarry smoke and deep brooding fruit. An emotional experience that leaps out of the bottle and grabs you by the throat. Dark, dark color and winey, grapey vineyard aroma, with menthol and old Italy smells. Powerful -- would be inelegant if it weren't in such high wire balance. But not subtle -- demands attention and discussion.
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"20 Vintages of Latour at Daniel." The '90 showed quite well tonight although certainly lower in acidity than most other vintages, it was hedonistic, warm and smooth with wonderful notes of bitter chocolate, walnuts and smoky earth. This was very "terroir expressive" and I could really taste the glorious flavors of this incredible vineyard. Still young but clearly filling out and pretty much ready to start drinking.
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Decanted for two hours. Strong nose of dark earth, tar and licorice. In many respects similar to the '82 but not as complex and without the same depth of fruit. Still, very Latour to me.
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A very good, but not great Latour that is developing at a rapid pace. Rapid for Latour. The tannins are soft, the nose is complex, the fruit is ripe, but intensity and concentration found in the great years is missing.
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Back in Chicago for meetings, opened to watch the World Series. As the old adage goes, "there are no great wines, just great bottles." The '90 Latour has always been a bell weather for that adage from my perspective. I have had stunning bottles, and so-so bottles. Tonight was somewhere in the middle.
The '90 Latour is still very youthful, especially on the nose. Very drinkable, it shows some blue cheese and dark red fruit on the nose. Very deep red in the glass, with a long finish that really lasts. I have three more bottles, will be interesting to see where they all come out.
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Winos Event @ Glenview: 1990 Chateau Latour (contributor KS)--A very close second to the 90 La Mouline. Showing a little age through lightening of colour, but no garnet/bricking. Gorgeous, complex aromas of cedar, earth, black fruits. Unbelievable depth on the palate, and layers of taste sensations that go on and on. Beautiful long finish. 98 points
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Bordeaux dinner - first growths, blancs and d'Yquem. Bottle, fill and cork all good. This was breathing for about 8 hours before dinner. A big wine, more velvety than the older Latours -blackberry, cedar, earth. Very young, not that expressive. Really not a wine for drinking in the next 20 years (or more). Stands up to anything and (of course) will last.
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To me, this wine has closed down some in the past few years and is not showing as much terroir as it did but seems also deeper and richer. Telltale smoky dark fruits with hints of walnuts, tobacco and dark spices, it has a thick texture with a lovely silky mouthfeel on the finish wth lots of complex mineral and spice notes. I look for this to emerge again in a few years and improve. 94+
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Brick red in the glass. Dark berry and leather notes on the nose. Very approachable and open. Was expecting more tannins. Dark red fruits, leather and cigar box notes on the palate. Long finish.
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1990 Bordeaux Horizontal: Blind. Wonderful sweet-and-sour deep dark fruit, some mint, minerals and black currants, smokey, very complex; Even better in the mouth, unbelievable length, fresh, still some tannins – but not overly so and they are well integrated. The most impressive characteristic was an absolutely stunning finish.
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1990 Bordeaux Dinner (Noisette, Portland, OR): Lots of scents show in the glass here, giving the nose great complexity. Deep earth works with strawberries and deep blackberries on the dark side. On the lighter side, scents of hibiscus and nutmeg bring more character. Everything is in balance as well. It's very delicate on the start, with lovely acid giving even texture all the way across the palate. A wave of blackberries and strawberries flow across the palate with great elegance. The acidity shows some grapefruit character on the mid palate. The finish is incredibly long, with the lovely acidity creating echoes of fruit that resonate as the experience slowly fades. This is gorgeous!
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Over lunch, amazing nose of blackberries, graphite. incense. Full bodied and rich, has the depth to carry on for decades. Second to Montrose of the '90s I have tried.
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Latour Grand vin Tasting 62, 70, 71, 86, 89, 90 & 1929 1989 & 1990 served in one flight. Appearance ; dark red, clear , bright Nose; dark fruit , tannins, chocolate tar Palate; tannins are soft yet strong, sea foam , tar, dark fruit, fresh multi layer big massive body , long finish, a dreamy mesmerizing wine has the wow factor. Most friends preferred the 1989 but not me
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The 1990 Château Latour Grand Vin is medium (+) garnet, almost dark brick like in colour with a nose of dusty, sweet rosewood, dried prunes, dried plums, fresh rosemary and thyme. A very fresh nose and even slightly sweet.
On the palate, the wine displays a soft and balanced entry of fresh, sweet, purple thin-skinned currants. There's some amazing fruit freshness there. This progresses to sweet incense followed by refreshing herbs with slight mint. Slight pencil shavings is noticeable at the end. Tannins are rather refined and silky. Pretty dense palate with a lot of balance and elegance. A subtle and fine drive that powers the wine on a long, memorable finish. Commendable freshness, and definitely have many years ahead. 95+.
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Brick red and looking quite mature, it is always such a surprisingly forward and expressive Latour. Cassis/kir infused tobacco and cedar on the nose like one of those expensive Maison de Chocolate Grenache chocolates! Touch of roasted caramelised walnuts and leather. There really is a lot of fun on the nose. Palate is all lush and giving with wonderful balance. It is completely ready and the acidity is fading so I think it is like to drink these bottles and enjoy them. 54 left in the Chairman's cellar thankfully!
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Dinner at the Fung's! (Fung's): Decanted. very floral on the nose. very elegant. the wine itself very well balanced with lots of floral and black fruit. super silky tannins. it feels like it's definitely ready to be drank right now! in fact we had two bottles of it!
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Latour Vertical Tasting; 12/19/2013-12/20/2013 (Switzerland): Clear red showing some first signs of aging. Nose of horse saddle and barn. The wine is very elegant, shows extremely smooth tannins, nice red berries. This is really an easy drinking Latour. Now at the beginning of its maturity.
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Violet colour. Lots of cedar and charcoal on the nose - more than fruit. Palate is slightly more evolved than I would have guessed with blackcurrant fruit, cedar and tobacco. The charcoal tinged finish is long, very long. Classy wine, though I'm not sure it improves a lot from here.
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WCC St. Julien (Cafe Capriccio, Albany, NY): [Double-decanted at 2:30pm.] Served blind. OMG!!! This is a monumental wine. Black fruit in the nose and mouth. Seems much more Pauillac than St. Julien.
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Funky as hell on opening. When approaching a wine of this age I am always worried that the decanting might destroy rather than enhance it. But this wine, despite its 23 years of age, really benefited from the air time. After minutes it started to open, but sadly, as is the problem, we were drinking through the minutes, and like usual, the last half glass was the best by far. Cigar box, black current, plum, baking spice and a little leather (yes, we ended on leather- but we started with the steer!). Like all of the great wines, no one dominant aroma or flavour, just great intensity of everything. Amazingly fresh, so much of the fruit still in tact. The pallet mirrors the bouquet, with a hint of earth also coming into play. I can't see this getting better with age, but it should hold for some time, and is drinking beautifully right now.
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HDH '90 vs '00 BDX Comparative Tasting (Chicago, IL - Spiaggia): Another fantastic wine, maybe a step below Lafitte/Haut Brion, but that is splitting hairs. Fantastic purity of fruit, mostly cassis/cherry. Mixes in some tobacco and leather notes. Long finish. Still very young, maybe the youngest appearing of the '90s. A/A+
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Brown Bag Wine Dinner at Two Chefs - Double Blind; 9/17/2013-9/18/2013 (TWO CHEFS, MIAMI, FL): The wine looks Garnet colored. The legs are Slow. It smells like Blackberry, Black currant (cassis), Lead Pencil, and Cedar. The body is Medium/Full. The wine has Bright texture. The wine finishes Long. Luis' wine. THANK YOU! A great wine, but for me the Bon Pasteur was a tad better.
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Chez W, into neck, 1.5 hour decant, deepish garnet, youthful and bright, cassis driven nose and palate but with secondaries developing nicely, turbo-charged mid palate, long and persistent, complete aristocrat, developing nicely and probably the most accessible recent vintage and more to it than the otherwise excellent Las Cases 90 on same night. Very fine indeed (19/20).
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0.375 L bottle, early Aug 2013, "dancing chicken" BBQ: not decanted; red brown color, like autumn leaves; in the beginning black tea, walnut, iodine; after some time creme de cassis, leather and mocha added; medium body; an ethereal, suspended mouth feel; long finish.
In the beginning I wanted to rate 88-90 points, however in the end it was 98-99 points.
I always wonder and argue to what extend autosuggestion is involved? You see the bottle with the big name, you taste, the big name gets bigger and the wine gets better with every sip ...
Rubbish, in the end it was a world class wine. It's as simple as that!
This wine is ripe but can definitely stay another 10+ years on that level.
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The 1990 Château Latour seems to have really hit its stride lately. An expansive bouquet of black cherry, cassis, truffle, rich soil and the signature walnuts soar from the glass of this wine, which filled the room with its scent when I decanted it. Bearing the stamp of the vintage, with low acids, lots of sweet glycerin and expansive flavors, its deep ruby color is notably more evolved than it appeared three years ago, and this wine seems to be maturing quickly. Delicious stuff, and more persistent on the palate than I remembered.
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Chateau Latour vertical with Commercial Director Jean Garandeau (Grand Hotel Dolder, Zurich): At Arvi Chateau Latour tasting, Grand Hotel Dolder. Dark ruby with garnet rim. Expressive nose of black and red fruit with forest floor and toast. Very ripe fruit enters the palate with soft tannins and good acidity. Great energy still for its 20 years in bottle. An outstanding Latour, voted a close second behind the 2000.
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A trio of 90 Latour, 82 Haut Brion, and 89 Lynch Bages. All were great, but the 90 Latour was head and shoulders above the others in this flight. The Latour had depth, and focus, and is likely still on its upside trajectory. The 89 Lynch was very good, and is a wine I love, but it couldn't match up. This bottle of 82 Haut Brion was good, but I've had much better bottles over the past couple of years. Nonetheless, I do think 82 first growths are past their prime (even the HB) and encourage drinking them sooner rather than later.
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Slight bricking on the edges. Lighter in color than I would have guessed. Pencil shavings, a good bit of tobacco, bright red fruit, and an impressively long and beautiful finish. Elegant, classic, and almost more Burgundy than Bordeaux. Wonder if it would have gained depth and weight with more decanting. It was run through an aerator and decanted briefly. Very pretty though.
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There is some bricking in the color, which is a surprise for a young, vintage of Latour. The nose offers cigar box, smoke, cedar wood, licorice, jammy plum and cassis aromas with hints of wild strawberry. The wine is full bodied and concentrated, but it is developing at a rapid pace and might not be a wine for long term aging. The polished, soft, potent finish is a treat.
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1990 Bordeaux dinner with Latour, Beausejour Duffau, Montrose and etc (Capital Grille Tysons, VA): Medium expressive yet very youthful nose displaying dark fruits, lead pencil, cassis and earth. The palate is noble, not big, impressive and expressive like the 90 Margaux or Cheval Blan, but seamless, airy and posses the perfect balance. Reminds me a great Musigny, not big, not sweet but cool and suave. Latour.
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An interesting vintage of Chateau Latour, the wine clearly has its peaks and valleys along its evolutionary curve. Fortunately, at this tasting, it was having one of its good days with a perfume marked by a spice filled nose, coupled with wet earth, smoke, tobacco, caramel, tar, cassis, blackberry, hot bricks and cedar wood. Big, powerful full bodied and still youthful, the wine demands another decade for the ample tannins to further integrate into the rich, black and red fruit filled finish.
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Alcohol :: 12.5% Decanted for 60mins. This is better in term of overall harmony and liveliness compared to the bottle that I have had 2weeks ago. I must admit that the nose is better than the palate today. Broad and perfume, it has seductive sweet blackcurrant fruits, violet, cedar, graphite and complex by the crushed rock and sweet cigar box note. It is not close or too tight on the palate but you know that the wine is tightly coiled with lot of stuffs going on underneath even the flavor is quite complex for now. What stood out today is the freshness and purity. Heavy weight but the lightness to it shows of the class of a 1st. Long finished with good detail but not exactly great today. This could be better in another 5-7yrs but I doubt this will ever be a great Latour. 93+ - 95
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Alcohol :: 12.5% This was served after the 1982 is still incredibly young and tight despite being decanted for sometime (should be at least 1.5hrs). Not the sheer depth and scale of the 1982, but the 1990 does show better transparency, purity and freshness. Beautiful bouquet consists of cedar, sweet cigar box, pencil shaving, graphite, crushed rock and intense core of sweet black currant fruits. While the palate is not as expressive and generous as the nose, the overall balance, purity, finesse and pedigree is absolutely first class. It needs at least another 5-7yrs for the tannin to mellow down and integrated more. Nevertheless, the fine-grained tannin lends immense grip on the palate and leads to the super long, intense finished. 93-95
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Coming back to this wine five years later and wow, it has improved! Brilliant wine, hard to believe, with lower acidity than the 1990 Lafite served alongside.
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Opened about 2 hours ago. seems a bit underwhelming. bit of a bummer. the cork was stained all the way to the top. an issue? Maybe, as the wine seems a bit one dimensional. soft and bit tangy with sweet cherry and cassis. disappointing.....but at 4 hours, the wine transforms. It picks up more depth, more fruit and it shows a brightness. Aromatics clean up too, adding cigar life and spice box. Ends with cedar in the finish and while I don'tdrink Bdx all that often, for sure not this kind of pedigree, I'll offer that this wine should go another 8-10 years. Shows what aeration does for some wines and the caveat about judging some wines before they have decanted out properly. Really turned out nice, none leftover for today so the story closes.
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Tasted at the Vinter's Club in SF. This embarrassed the 89'. This wine for me is the classic balance of power and finesse. Iron fist velvet glove stuff. The nose was rich and ripe beyond anything the 89' was showing and the palate had a richness and a body that was remarkable for a 22 year old wine. A lot of heft in the structure which bodes really well for the aging curve of this wine.
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Decanted and drank over 3 hours. Wow. Incredibly open nose of dark fruits, earth and cedar. The palate matched with a nice sweetness of fruit. Full and round in the mouth. Just glides off the tongue. Very young and clearly a long way to go. Long smooth finish with a lingering sweetness.
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Drank at dinner with Heinz and the gang. Lighter colour than expected but no brick around the rim, The nose also offers light red fruit, but quite intense, mineral notes and herbal and wood complexity. The palate has light feel to it but is intense in flavour overall. There is no sense of tannins but there is no lack of structure. My notes mention the word long twice.
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bunch of Latours - short: This ex-Chateau bottle showed very well - very opulent and a bit exotic; understand the 1990s are particularly sensitive to heat - so storage and provenance is key
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Youthful Bordeauxs at Ruth’s Chris, Tysons including two 100 pointers (Ruth’s Chris, Tysons corner, VA): This came from the same cellar as the 90 Margaux, clearly demonstrating the importance of the provenance. Incredibly youthful, dark fruits, a hint of cassis, cedar, mushroom and earth. The Margaux is a bigger wine but this is a great claret showing the subtle expression of fruits, precision and perfect balance. Everything is seamless here nothing really sticking out. I however prefer the 90 Margaux and the 90 Cheval Blanc.
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Another Crappy Lineup (S1's Sunroom): All barnyard poo on first pour. Then the funk gives way to dark cherry, wild blackberry and wild blueberry. The acidity is still present and the tannins are pure velvet. Leather, tobacco and a real sense of place. I believe this is my fourth bottle from this vintage and today's was the first one which has been mind blowing.
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89/90 Bordeaux Retrospective with Hart Davis Hart: Early on this was overpoweringly oaky. Monolithic even. Thankfully with air it filled out a bit, dark fruit and tobacco notes cropping up - eventually becoming a little nutty. More walnut on the palate, beef blood. Absolutely drying tannin. An impressive wine to be sure, but not a moving one (for me, anyway). It needs more time to develop.
4+ to 5-
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A very terroir-driven Latour that shows that wonderful tar and walnut flavor. Lighter-bodied than expected but also not showing much secondary flavor development yet so let's give it a few more years. 93+
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Open and flamboyant, the nose was seductive, full of olives and sweet, ripe currant fruitiness. It has plenty of sweetness as well as a gorgeous, rich fruitiness, but while delicious, was not showing the layers of complexity I expect will emerge
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With a classic cedar, cassis, gravel, tobacco, earth, herb and lead pencil profile, this big, powerful, tannic, full bodied Latour wants to strut its stuff. Decanting is needed before it begins to emerge. There is a masculine quality to the wines character. It's a bit on the firm side. There are tannins that still need to be resolved. It needs another decade before we can know for sure what type of vintage 1990 was for Latour.
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Consumed at a Commanderie de Bordeaux event. Also on the table were 1990 Mouton, 1989 Latour, and 1989 Lafite. This wine was the best of the flight...by a fair bit too. Showing great class, exceptional balance, entrancing mature aromas including cigar box and old leather. And the wine still displays that pencil shavings thing as well. But don't take this to mean the fruit is gone - it is there in spades. Plenty of ripe cabernet fruit to satisfy that element too. Love this wine!!!
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La Commanderie de Bordeaux à Vancouver - Black Tie First Growth Gala (Hawksworth): Decanted for sediment and poured back into the bottle. 2 hours later poured back into a decanter and served 60min after that. This wine was rocking right from the first sniff. Beautifully mature aromas of cedar, tobacco, currants and plums jumped from the glass—I couldn’t stop smelling this wine! In the mouth it’s full bodied with loads of rich, almost juicy red fruits, powdery tannins and perfectly balanced acidity. This is a really classy wine that’s complex and sweet with beautiful development yet backed by so much sweet and ripe fruit this was easily the best wine I stuck my nose into all night. Just a gorgeous wine that’s drinking incredible well now but should continue to improve for at least another decade. My WOTN. Outstanding. 95+
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Acker Merrall BYO (Sepia - Chicago IL): Starts off rich, extravagant and opulent on the nose. Starts on the palate a bit more subdued, then layers upon layers of power and flavor unfold from middle to finish. Lots of structure, but everything in really sensational balance for now, with a incredibly long life ahead, with probably another couple of decades of potential improvement.
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OK, so I've accepted that this has turned out to be a lighter-bodied Latour which helps me put this vintage into perspective. While not a blockbuster by any means, it is a very transparent Latour which really shows off the terroir with lovely black fruits and walnut notes and the wonderful earthiness of the vineyard. While soft and lovely initially, it actually tightened up after 4 hours in the decanter indicating it still needs some time. It's elegant and balanced and I like drinking it but it ill never be a top vintage of this wine.
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Vertical of 15 vintages Latour followed by a 3* Michelin dinner and 11 magnums. (@ the Librije in Zwolle, Netherlands.): Dark garnet red. The bouquet still shows youthfulness with cassis, licorice and sweet spices, but there is also something vegetal like celery. On the palate a lot of juicy cassis, a touch of sweetness, some menthol, a firm amount of acidity and still firm tannin. Overall a juicy wine with good fresh acidity and a great length. Nevertheless the celery and other vegetal impressions make me wonder a little; will this ever be extremely impressive? With Latour you never know; there is still enough power left for many years. For today 95.
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Verticaal Latour (De Librije, Zwolle): Kleur: Robijnrood met een oranjerode rand Aroma / bouquet: Duidelijk een meer geëvolueerde wijn met meer tertiare tonen, vleugje maggi, wat caramel, wat kruidigheid, Smaak / Afdronk: Opvallend krachtige aanzet, royaal in zuren en tannines, enorme vulling, streng en drogend, tannines lijken niet volledig rijp Algemeen / potentieel: Wat mij betreft niet in balans, te groen en net te hard. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Smaak / Afdronk: 14 + Algemeen / potentieel: 7 = 89/100
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HK- this wine was medium red, decanted for a few hours, beautiful nose of cedars, dark fruit, earth, and i know its hard to describe but when sniffed and tasted it seemed to be brooding a bit, reserved. this wine had a long finish, very well balanced and really just stood up as the King of the table. i look forward to trying it again in 5-10yrs and beyond
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What a delightfully polished wine this is, not a hair out of place. There’s dense, sweet, ripe cassis fruit, a touch of cedar and graphite and lovely creamy texture in the mouth. The tannins are abundant yet sugar coated and at 20+ years of age it still looks like a pup.
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Tasting ‘Chateau Latour’ at the Rheingau Gourmet Festival: decanted before the tasting; rubin red color; for some moments sulfur-type aromas in the nose, gave way to classic notes like cassis and noble wood; well-balanced on the palate; medium/full body; round texture.
Excellent, mature Bordeaux, however in this bottle I couldn’t find the outstanding merits a lot of the others tasters here encountered (average CT rating at the time of this note entry is 95.7 points!).
Flight III: 1986 - 1989 - 1990 - 1993 - 1996
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This is one most complete wine I have ever had. Still so thick, violet color, nearing black. On the nose an dynamite explosion of dark fruits, cedar, and other aromas coming in waves and shades. On the palate, oh man, that was so magically thick, full and yet so light on its feet. I actually was stunned to see that such huge presence could achieve a surreal airiness like this one on the palate. So impressive and yet so noble, almost majestic. I would love to try this in another 10 years, and I am sure that it will be reaching its poetic stage, which will be something not to be missed. Most seamless, edge free, yet enough tanning to hold all the fruits in together. A giant wine, one must taste this to believe such texture exists...
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Bold and dense colour in the glass, this just has something about it that gets the mouth watering - maybe the super-compact nose that is immediately evident. Full-bodied and extremely muscular, this gets that outstandng layering effect of the finest wines. Great purity of inky fruit and more than a touch of iron. Beautiful finish - fades away like a big power chord and leaves the air crackling behind it. This is a great Latour, but as is often the case when they make it this good it needs time. A bit like playing football with a baby Superman at the moment - quite awe-inspiring natural ability, but think where it can get to if it reaches its full potential. A real beauty. FRom now but really 2020+. 97+
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Just a little taster. Nose hinted at it's age and class. Palate was still very structured with a good does of tannin. If I had any would leave for another 10 years. Super nice however.
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This was tasted side-by-side with 1990 Lafite. Medium-bodied. Intense nose of pencil shavings, with just the slightest bit of volatility. Impeccably balanced on the palate, showing almost no sign of age (except for the relative lack of tannins). A beautifully structured Pauillac, perhaps less effusive in terms of primary fruit than the Lafite, but overall more impressive (at least on this particular showing).
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Drank from a magnum, still a baby and needed several hours to really show its weight and muscle. Going to be fantastic just needs time, with that said wine was well balanced drinakble now.
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After purchasing a case on release, this is the first bottle I'm trying in light of Parker having lowered the rating on the wine from 100 to 92 at last writing. Lovely ruby color with slight fading on the edges. Needed a good 2-hours open to begin to show itself. Lovely Latour nose of cigar box, black fruits and roasted walnuts. Lighter-bodied than I expected but quite elegant with a smooth texture and lovely balance. Good complexity with notes of fine tobacco and roasted nuts on the fairly astringent finish. I opened this perfectly stored wine hoping to disagree with Parker but I'm afraid he's right, this wine is a disappointment, especially compared to recent tasting of '90 Margaux, Lafite, HB, LMHB and Angelus which all surpass this wine. Bummer.
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This was all about power combined with finesse and concentration combined with elegance. We approached the wine after it had been a good while in the decanter so it had already opened up. Black fruits, leather, cigar box sewn together wonderfully well. Although the '90 Angelus and Clinet which followed were different in style, they were all brilliant wines and it seemed churlish to declare a WOTN.
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Awesome balance - cedar nose, light black fruit, forever finish. I've had the opportunity to drink the '90 Latour on 5 separate occasions. For 3 of those 5 I would give it 100 points, proving that there are distinct bottle variations based on a multitude of factors. Be that as it may, this is my "white whale" of a wine, and continue to delight in its pleasures whenever consumed.
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This was my first Latour and, without a doubt, was the finest wine I have ever tasted. The nose suggested perfect structure, the palate suggested balance and elegance, and the finish suggested power. I have never tasted a wine with such undeniable pedigree. I don't know what a perfect wine tastes like, but, for me, this is as close as it gets. This will age gracefully for many, many years.
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Young dark ruby color. A little reserved at first. It showed licorice, oyster shell, some dark fruit, and sanguinous meat. In the mouth, it is solidly built, but maintains balance and harmony. Firm silky tannins. Over the night, 2 hours, the wine continued to become more expressive and complex showing it has room for continued development. Hold or Drink if you have several.
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Garnet,deep. Nose was Pauillac with tobacco, dried spices, licorice. Taste was the same taken up a notch. Wonderful, but I see Parker's point that this should be closer to the magic 100 but it seems to still be slightly closed.
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Nice deep red in color with a nose of spice and black tea. Classic bordeaux nose and primary fruit flavors that remain a bit closed. Still young and needs time.
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Opened and decanted 4hrs before drinking. Deep red color that shows age on the rim. Classic Bordeaux nose. Red fruit, tobacco, leather saddle, but also green hints of have-we-opened-a-bottle-far-too-early? Taste confirms suspicion. Closed, monolithic, high acidity. Improving but not coming close to the quality it is supposed to possess. I'll save half for tomorrow. Then, I'll wait ten years for the next one! Unfortunately it wasn't really better the next morning. tbc in 9 years and 364 days!
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I don't give out 100 points easily, but everyone agreed this was a perfect bottle. I bought it at a wine restaurant in Switzerland, where the bottle had been stored in a cold cellar since release. The wine was fresh, with that classic cigar box nose and a complex palate that showed tobacco, spice, and some macerated fruits. The finish was spectacular. We kept going back to this wine over and over. In the company of a 1948 Haut Brion (not a great year) and a 1949 Volnay, this was the WOTN. My friend Dirk summed it up nicely: If it were the three of us, we'd want a magnum to share as an aperitif. Then we'd want a magnum with dinner. Then we'd want a magnum of this for dessert, and we'd still probably want some more.
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Tasted at Acker BYO at Tribeca Grill - Paired with '90 Margaux and almost as good. Always reminds me of a baby '82. Cedar and eucalyptus on nose. Blackberries, plum, tar on nose. Tannins were big, acidity much less so. Drinking well but will only get better.
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Drank with nephew ATBridge and three other friends as the last red wine before dessert at a dinner that included Burgundies and other Bordeaux from 1959 and 1969. This was a baby but a bulldozer. Decanted for 12 hours and then poured back into the bottle for another six hours. It needed it. Opaque, dark color (looked purple to me, but light was dim). Tar and black fruit on the nose and palate. Somewhat primary and monolithic. Graphite, earth, and other tones were in the background. Gigantic, thick, and mouth-filling texture. Tannins were prominent but getting integrated and binding everything rather than overpowering. Long, long finish. This will easily last another 20 to 30 years and will gain in finesse and complexity. Luckily, I still have two bottles. I will continue to pray for a long life!
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Disappointing given that this is a WS 100 wine. It had not been decanted and that may have been the problem. It did improve in the glass and had strong undertones of tobacco yet if I did not know I would have thought it was at the end of its life and needed to be drunk soon.
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I had been looking forward to this for some time. I opened the half bottle and pored straight away letting it breathe a bit in the glass. Strong and thick nose of black fruit, earth/gravel, some smokey tones. Very impressive. Good structure and balance on the palate with still some smoley/earthty notes. A beautiful and long finish. Really nice. However, it seemed to close a bit down after an hour in the glass. I would leave it for some years before revisiting or alternatively drink it fast;)
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Mouton Rothschild versus other first growths and second growths (Oslo): The darkest in the flight, only slight development in color. Moderate length (relatively to the others), still somewhat closed. Complex, good finish, but with a slight burned aftertaste. 94p. Group average: 2.6
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Cassis, blackberry, grilled nuts and cedar sparked the aromatics. Still tannic. Needs time. When tasting it, I commented how much it reminded me of the Las Cases. As they are neighbors, that is easy to understand. On the palate, the wine offers a lot of ripe juicy, Cabernet fruit. While stylish, it comes up short for the vintage and a First Growth. The finish and middle are shorter than I'd hoped. This will improve, but IMO, as good as it is, it's not at the top level Latour is producing today starting with the 95.
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drunk at lunch of Lamb Shanks at L'Accento- decanted for an hour, needed more but just didnt get a chance...very dark color showing little or no lightening around edges. on the nose a little barney to start off with but that blew off pretty quickly, then black fruits, black currents, dry tannins on the mouth, very well balanced, med acidity ad very long. it drank very well next to the 0 and 01 cos and you could taste that this one was just not as far along as those other 2, i guess it remains a bit of a brooding beast and will just get beter and better with age
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Leaf and current notes, some brett?, earth, ash and coal nose- more creosote and graphite as well. Very firm with earth and currant flavors, some tobacco and fresh herb and leaf flavors. This is a really fine wine. Great texture, cool feeling with perfect balance. Beautiful and grand stuff. Love the weight and range of flavors. Not too ripe but fabulously mouth filling and compelling.
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Opened this, the first of three bottles I have, to clebrate my daughter's 18th biirthday. Drunk just before another 1990 Pichion B. As I finished decanting the most beautiful blackcurrant aroma leapt out at me. In the glass it showed more maturity than I expected, with lighter amber/ red hues on the rim. Really stong aromas of oak, cedar, and that toasty jasmine / honeysuckle I seem to get with great cabernets (??), with some black berry fruits coming through. Flavours were stong: toasty, smoke, roasted meats and truffle backed by blackcurrant cassis. It was really good, but somehow not as gobsmackingly great as the 90 Pichon B of the other day. I will keep the other 2 bottles for a few years, if I can. I think the whole thing just needs to mesh together more.
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This bottle was still tight and IMO needs another five or six years at least. The nose was overpowerd by the tannic smell; not off-putting but just hiding the fruit. In the mouth I could certainly taste the fruits however they were more muted than I remember with the tannins masking most of the taste. The finish goes on forever and the acidity is perfect for eating a "big" steak. It was paired with a poached rib eye "Pot Au Feu" with mustard flan, fried parsley, bone marrow dumpling all in a beef-cheek au jus. The wine was a bit overpowering and I preferred the '01 Pisoni Estate from the previous course with this course. (Don and Dale (birthday dinner) at the Plumed Horse Chef's Table)
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Opened at 5:45PM. Decanted to remove sediment. Something grapey jumped from the bottle as soon as I pulled the cork. The color is incredible, still a silver dollar-sized patch at the center that's completely opaque deep red. The color starts to fade only within a 1/2 inch of the edge, where it turns a lovely shade of red-orange. The first swirl fills my nose with rich fruit, enormous columns of graphite and slate. A little more coaxing to get tobacco and cedar. It's almost like every feature I associate with great Bordeaux is on panoramic display. The first swallow is fantastic-the wine has such evenly balanced weight that is possesses-what?- "presence?" It coats the entire mouth and though it's clearly got a tannic grip, the tannins are majestically smooth, standing guard like the bronze doors of a great cathedral. And this is just the first sip! Easily one of the greatest wines I've ever had. It can do 20-30 more years and just get better. My score may go up as the night progresses.
Well, my score didn't go up for two reasons. First, at around 7:30 the wine actually started to close down rather than open up. I would say that it lost 10-20% of its initial sensory impact-nothing wrong mind you-just started to go a little mute such that I couldn't in good conscience say it got better. More signs of a long and glorious life ahead. The second reason is that my dog, a big and clumsy yellow lab, is wearing one of those ridiculous satellite-dish plastic collars to prevent him from licking a paw on which he recently had surgery. Anyway, the hulking brute padded by a table that had my last glass and knocked it across the room with the stupid plastic collar. I watched in horror as the contents splashed onto the table and floor. The thought of getting on my knees and licking it up actually flashed through my mind. If you're going to decorate your furniture with red wine, it might as well be a great one.
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I have yet to have anything that was so complete as this bottle. Have had 3 of the these over the last 5 years and have loved every one. Wish I had more. Had 2 with Dad at the holidays and at our blind tasting at Rosebud with the Hollebs and Moores. The 1990 Latour was the winner with the 1982 Cheval Blanc a close second.
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KA BOOM! I kick myself so hard for drinking this. It was my prize bottle, but I was anxious. It was sooo good. Incredible richness, full body, impecable balance. It also has a little barnyard and earth. The wine was a baby, no signs of age. It was drinking really well, but it has a long life ahead of it.
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All that is right with Bordeaux. All of the power of the Latour was subdued, replaced by seamnless integration. Notes from the BNO blog: Château Latour was the overwhelming favorite wine of the night. A hands-down 4 puffer. Velvety, suave, and with a palate presence that clearly showed its class. “Laser-like intensity”, noted Steve. It also feels very fleshy which I attribute to its softness. I’ve had this wine a few times since release and it is interesting to observe its progress. In 1993, when it was released I found it muscular and tannic which, combined with its massive fruit, was an impressive display of Latour power. A bottle that I opened around its tenth year in 2000 showed the same powerful quality on the attack, but it started to soften on the finish causing its length to be slightly curtailed. Today, close to being two-decades-old, it has clearly softened and is drinking very, very beautifully. Its low acidity and soft tannins make it sweet and seductive on the palate. Someone in the group mentioned that it tastes like a “Lifesavers Blueberry candy”! This is a great Latour, but not as immortal as I thought it was. I noticed that Parker recently downscaled his rating of this wine from 100 points to 95 points. For someone who preaches low-acid constantly, as if it should be the main virtue of a wine, Parker’s own latest notes (published 2006) on 1990 Latour include: “There is a roasted, earthy, hot-year character with extremely low acidity”. To age well, it can’t just be all ripe fruit, wine needs good acidity, baby.
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HDH Comparative Bordeaux Tasting 1989 & 1990 (Casino Club): Full red color. Big aroma of black fruit with some steminess. Nice round medium red/black fruit on the palate. Nowhere near the concentration of the 89, but more approachable today.
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Seattle Tasting Group does Bordeaux 1990 and older (Issaquah, WA): Mmm, bloody, pine sap, and dusky on the nose. The palate is dark, intense, with cranberry, a motor oil texture. Wow, the tannins here are AMAZING. This is almost indescribably rich but at this point extremely primary, almost monolithic, a wine of texture and incredible size. There is some definite brett ala the 1990 Montrose, very similar wine in some respect. This is 95 points for now, but the upside here is amazing.
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Served at PH's 50th B-day Bash. Opened at 9 am, decanted at 3:30, served at 10 pm with Comet's masterfully grilled beef tenderloin. I didn't know what to make of this wine at first. Not much on the nose: muted aromas of lavender, earth, wood, and red fruits. Big fruit and big tannins on the palate, but nothing seemed to come together. We could tell there was something special inside, but it just hadn't come out yet. It was only after we poured the wine into the Riedel Sommelier glasses that this wine began to strut its stuff - enormous, intense aromas and flavors of flowers, wet earth, cedar, and luscious fruit. I would have rated it 96 points at that time. However, I left half a glass til the following morning. After 24 hours, angels were singing around me as I struggled to comprehend just how F*$&ing great this wine is. Absolutely one of the best wines I've ever brought to my lips. Intense, balanced, complex, 2 minute finish. Not my WOTN, but definitely the WOTFM (wine of the following morning). Thank you Cometspider for this tremendous experience! 100 points without question.
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Dense ruby color. Initially very reluctant on the nose, later giving up floral, red fruit and soft cedar. Initially a little tannic, with dark fruit, tobacco and cedar. Earth and leather nuances. Much more expressive out of a Reidel Sommelier than the Vinums 3 of 4 tasters were using this evening. Like a racehorse fighting to get out of the gate, this wine showed potential but never had a chance to open sufficiently to show it's stuff, even after hours opened. I think we killed a baby here. I'd wait at least 10 years before even thinking of opening another one of these. A classic wine, served before it's time...... Interestingly, a taster held a few ounces of this until the following morning and said that it was the rival of both the 1982 Mouton and 1989 Haut Brion served the same evening. And that says a whole lot!
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Old Bordeaux and young Cults with Jeff Leve (Los Angeles, CA): Wow, this bottle reminded me of the 1990 Montrose. Horsey. Amazingly dense, rich and powerful. Loaded with unreal minerality. Ridiculously young, but I derived great pleasure from this beast.
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Young and primary. This deeply colored wine had aromatics of smoke, cassis, coffee, walnuts, forest and eucalyptus. Dense, tannic and chewy, but not overly complex or deep.
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Drank this at an offline at McIntosh and it was wotn. Fabulous and perfectly balanced, velvety. Gosh, this was decadent and I'm thrilled to have had it and sad that it's gone.
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Wine Olympics (Picasso Restaurant, Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada): Now this is a classy wine. Superlative balance and structure. A more masculine wine, but not overpowering at all. Good strong finish. Tons of life left, but showing early complexity. Some pencil lead on the palate. Latour? (Group = 91.6)
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Copenhagen Tasting Group welcomes Tom in DC; 9/5/2004-9/10/2004 (Copenhagen): Dark red with browning and clearing at the rim. Notes of mustard, red berries, and forest floor. Fleshy round and delicious in the mouth with a nice soft feel. There was an interesting sulfur-like flavour component to contend with, but this was by no means off putting to me. I could also single out a tomato-like flavour ingredient. Good intensity and complexity and excellent balance for everything except the final few seconds of the after taste that seemed to turn a touch sour. This was not really a problem, but just a little something to point out for those that like to get really particular.
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While young and primary, it had it all. It was also shut down hard, but you could catch glimpses of its future greatness. Cassis, lead pencil, blackberries and oak were part of the perfume. This wine is huge, complex and very extracted. The palate is overtaken by layers of ripe fruit that awakens your taste sensors. Very tannic. I wouldn’t be surprised if this wine took 15-20 years to fully blossom into maturity and lasted another 30 years after that.
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Chateau Latour vertical (K&L Wines; moderated by Robert Parker) (San Francisco, CA): 1990 Chateau Latour Great expectation to taste this virtually perfect wine (according to most critics). Spicy, mineral dominated nose with a lot of my mom’s spice cabinet with more powdered chile peppers and some hot stone. Some black fruits coming out of the glass after swirling. Up until now, mostly unimpressive. But then came the sweet, ripe, vibrant and mouth coating fruit flavors that crowded in my mid palate. Lush, mature and sexy, this wine is at its prime and offers a finish to remember. If this wine was cooked as many claim, then I’m going to have to adjust my point rating scale. 97 points.
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Opened the magnum as one of the wines for my birthday dinner at Napa in the Rio in LV. Wine was decanted by sommelier 2 hrs prior. Deep dark purple; luscious, powerful and very balanced with long, long finish. Again, surprisingly approachable for such a relatively young but powerful wine.
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Tasted in the cellar of Jim Poet. This wine has further improved into something truly spectacular. The color is deep ruby with a red rim, the nose is intense with blackberries, cherry, clove, and mint. The palate shows massive but supple tannins, carrying the same flavors as the nose to a wonderful, smooth finish which seems to last an eternity. This wine is truly special. Unfortunately, it was Jim's last bottle!
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Tasted at July 4th celebration at Dottie's home with the Poets. The bottle was provided by Jim Poet. My impression is essentially the same as 5/11/96, although the color is somewhat more developed (rim red-orange). Slightly more complex, with additional bottle age since last year.
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A modern masterpiece. Big color. Spicy oak. Marvelous fruit. Long. Delicious already at age seven. The reputation is deserved. Not a huge blockbuster. Incredibly stylish. Now $500, almost as pricey as the ‘82 ($550). First Growth Bordeaux is now priced in the stratosphere.
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Had this on a beautiful Sunday afternoon during our college class reunion & Theo's last weekend in Baltimore. Dark purple color; big, rich tannins that slowly opened; long finish; much more approachable than I would have expected at this stage from this blockbuster wine.
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Tasted at blind California vs. Bordeaux tasting. Tasted as a blind "mystery wine." My impression was the same as 5/11/96, but many others at the tasting were fooled (thinking it was a lesser wine).
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Tasted at unblinded vertical Latour tasting at the Belgian Lion. Purple with red rim. Intense bouquet of currants, blackberries, spice and cassis. Big, tannic wine with blackberry and mineral notes on the palate. Long, tannic finish. Will last a long time.
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5/3/2024 - sdr Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drink Bordeaux’s bottle. Superb, powerful, intense yet lifted by acidity and its balance. A lot of tobacco leaf to begin. Then Latour flavors of cassis and black licorice. Very Pauillac. Fully ready.
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4/22/2024 - Whitman wrote: 97 Points
Nose is quite shy compared to the palate, but immediately theres a lot of cabernet flavors like blackcurrants. Amazing purity and richness on the full bodied palate. Also lead pencil and grafite. This is the style of Latour and ending in a long, long incredible finish.
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4/14/2024 - VINNICK Likes this wine: 95 Points
Popped for my wife’s 40th. A beautiful wine with all the elements one would expect, but on this night it was outclassed and flat out beat by the 1990 Lynch Bages. Hard to believe but both my wife and I unanimously agreed. There was an element of barn that dragged this down. Sadly this was my first time having the 1990 (a favorite vintage of mine) and I don’t think I would buy another bottle for the price this fetches these days. Just not worth it.
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3/24/2024 - grandvin100 Likes this wine: 99 Points
Double magnum. Perfect Cellar. The whole room was filled with the perfume when the wine was poured. Insane perfume, chocolate, walnut, lots of fruit, could think it is now at its peak, but will last for a long time (20+ years) and will have a lot to offer. Wonderful Bordeaux!
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3/15/2024 - fclarity wrote: 96 Points
This wine was lovely again and I was struck by how smooth and integrated it appeared. It was so drinkable, this wine might make one think it was at or near its peak.
However, the reality was that it was not even close. While certainly lovely to imbibe now, it will pick up a couple points with 10-20 years of additional cellar time when additional nuance and flavor impact will be revealed.
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3/10/2024 - yaanik wrote: 88 Points
Barnyard, leather, smoke, pyrazine, bandaid Brett. Very little fruit on nose. Pleasant palate. Alive. Rust. Lots of smokey barnyard leather. Still some nice juicy acid and tannin. Very much alive. Some mint. Roasted nuts. Toasted / smokey flavors overwhelm palate. Alive, but well past its prime. Interestingly, I had this side-by-side, blind, with a 1991 Chateau Kirwan ($80 at K&L), and I did not think there was a significant quality difference between the two (and may have even slightly favored the Kirwan, which was dominated by notes of black truffle).
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2/16/2024 - dream Likes this wine: 96 Points
This is drinking so well now and shows the great terroir in spades with classic notes of charred walnuts and the finest earth. Black-fruited and layered with a mouth-filling texture and a gorgeous, expressive finish. I think the '00 drunk alongside will pass this wine in time as it's not the deepest or most concentrated Latour but it is so seductive and silky right now. Wow!
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2/11/2024 - Francophile1 Likes this wine:
Super Bowl LVIII 2024 (Alpharetta, GA): Tasted double blind: My fourth time tasting this vintage of Latour since 2022. I don't think this bottle was stored perfectly. While it was delicious, it was not as good as my prior three tastings. It was showing older than it was and I thought it was from '82 or '86 vintage. A little cloudy with some bricking, some funk/brett, sweet tobacco, cedar. I called it '82 Gruaud Larose.
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1/25/2024 - peternelson Likes this wine: 90 Points
Med. light color; seemingly younger with some said a touch of VA which was kind of muting the nose a bit, some juicy acidity in the mid. Not a stand out. Surprising for this wine, although all 3 in this 2nd flight were kind of blah. DD Blind 1982-2005 Bordeaux 1st Growth dinner at BOA steakhouse.
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1/1/2024 - ShadowIII Likes this wine: 98 Points
Very near perfection, solid core of dark fruits, currants, cassis, pencil lead, cigar box, firm structure, long lingering finish
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12/31/2023 - pepmi wrote: 96 Points
I bought this single bottle of the 1990 Chateau Latour for $99 USD from The Wine Library soon after its release -- and way before Gary Vaynerchuk became an internet phenom. Back then he was "employed" by his dad who owned the store. Enough of the history...
Very little sediment evidenced when decanting. Dark ruby red with absolute clarity and no browning on the edges. A clean nose mostly of alcohol and esters. An initial impression in the mouth of mustiness evidenced by all tasters. A replacement bottle was readied.
Within 30 minutes this dissipated and we all experienced a near perfect wine. Not much fruit. Primary notes of leather, earth and dry tobacco. Quite round, lush and full in the mouth. The finish was remarkably long with contrasting tension between sweet black fruit and tannins. These same tannins were teeth numbing moments before. Or maybe it was the alcohol...
The mustiness returned on the second glass 20 minutes later and stayed with us for the balance of the bottle. Not so off-putting to wish we were drinking something else -- rather just the slightest of annoyances. Otherwise this wine would have been a 98 or higher.
The drinking window on Cellar Tracker extends to 2060 but I would suggest drinking this wine within the next five years -- unless you have plenty of the 1990 Latour and are willing to take the chance.
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12/31/2023 - hargy Likes this wine: 97 Points
the finest Latour I have had the pleasure of drinking - this was sensational - fabulous bouquet but with quite some bricking at the edges, complex and long - lovely
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12/27/2023 - LW31 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Perfect bottle, stored since release. Slow oxed for 2+ hrs before dinner. Regal, deep. Perhaps just missing a bit of definition on the palate. Very classic Pauillac though not sure it moves me. Proper bottles still have years to go.
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12/7/2023 - dcwino wrote: 97 Points
Holiday Dinner - Mostly Bordeaux (Taberna del Alabardero, Washington D.C.): Absolutely gorgeous claret nose displaying perfectly ripe black fruit, crème de cassis, black cherry, light caramel, cedar, lead pencil, dark spices and mineral. Excellent concentration, layers upon layers of generous black fruit, perfect balance and harmony, silky and sensual, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and a long generous black fruit driven finish with a hint of caramel and lead pencil at the end. The 90 Latour is really consistent.
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12/1/2023 - Francophile1 Likes this wine:
50th Birthday Bash: 10 Vintage Vertical of Latour: I love this vintage in Bordeaux and this vintage of Latour. My fourth time tasting the '90 vintage and thankfully twice in the past month. This has the power of the 1990 vintage but tasted less mature next to the '89 and to the older vintages that came before it (with the exception of the '82). I'm not sure which Latour from the decade of the '90s that I prefer more... '90 or '96? Only time will tell and it will be fun to taste these two vintages side by side in the next 10 years or so.
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11/24/2023 - Dionysos55 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Robe déjà évoluée et bien moins sombre qu'attendu.Le bouquet est très complexe:menthol,tabac,café,sous-bois,réglisse,fruits noirs (cassis,sureau)C'est intense et virevoltant.La bouche enchaine dans un registre plus souple que mes attentes.Cela reste bien évidemment Latour et donc un vin "puissant" mais je m'attendais à davantage encore vu la réputation du millésime.La longueur finale confirme quand même le haut niveau de cette bouteille.Peut-être une bouteille qui a évolué plus vite que prévu mais je perçois quand même des rendements confortables ce qui me conforte dans mon opinion de "relative légèreté" pour ce cru et ce millésime.
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11/19/2023 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Thanksgiving Mondo Dinner 2023 (Atlanta, GA): Tasted double blind. Slight bricking at the edges. Touch of green herb on the finish with an odd prickly tannin going on in the finish. That said, I loved the nose and could smell it all night long. I called it '89 or '90 Pauillac first growth. I initially called it as my wine, but was talked out of it by the guy sitting next to me. It was my wine and my WOTN. BTW - in blind wine tasting it is always best not to listen to those around you. Trust your gut and instincts. They are usually right.
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11/19/2023 - johnh1001 wrote: 95 Points
Amazing depth and balance. Tough off the 64 Latours this weekend. But love but it
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11/15/2023 - mclanew Likes this wine: 97 Points
Slow ox one hour. This vintage is drinking amazingly. Terrific nose of florals and tobacco. The wine itself is mature but not lacking any spunk. Majestic, full bodied, well delineated, black and red currant, tobacco weed and lead pencil. Very clean and even elegant. Finish is terrific and complex. This is at peak and will hold for 10-15 years.
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11/12/2023 - dlcolester wrote: 100 Points
Opened yesterday drank half and the vacuum corked and drink other half next day. 97 first day100 the next day. Still great body silky smooth with long after taste. Nothing to be improved perfect!!!
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11/4/2023 - cch1966 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Deep ruby/deep garnet. Fresh dark berries, light tannins and long finish.
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10/13/2023 - NoTrollingerPlease Likes this wine: 96 Points
Best bottle (Restaurant Georges, Ludwigsburg): Glass: Zalto Burgundy
Tasted blind from half bottle. Decanted for about 1h. Clear, garnet-tawny color. Beautiful classic Paulliac nose, spicy, pencil shavings, some blood, herbs, fine tobacco, very deep and elegant.
On the palate very beautiful. Pure silk, velvet texture and structure. Fine sweet red fruit, some green pepper, high, high ripe acidity, tobacco. Wonderful balance and elegance, long finish. This half bottle is at its full peak. Really beautiful, thank you Oli!
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9/6/2023 - Mimmo5 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Great wine .Remarkable how a 33 year old wine can still show load of fruit .The 12.5 alcohol does shock your mouth and allows the wine to express itself with a broad spectrum of flavor. 1 hour into it the barnyard showed up and over the next few hours continued to develop.
Not a wine for a Cali fruit forward drinker but a gem to be enjoyed with the best of friend.
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8/27/2023 - RAB007 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Not as dark as I expected and with a minimal amber edge. I must say I greatly enjoyed this wine, but far from dazzling. Not as complex or deep as I expected. This lacking was further highlighted when we opened a 2005 Verite La Desir which showed considerable more weight, concentration and complexity. Not sure holding it would help. Perhaps just a subpar bottle?
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7/23/2023 - gondrik wrote: 90 Points
Vinegar upon opening and little positive development. Bland but drinkable on the second day. I don't know if this qualifies as "flawed". It was not corked. I have one more bottle which I will drink shortly.
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7/18/2023 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 98 Points
Close to perfection for my taste, 90’ Latour has continued to deliver every time I’ve opened a bottle. So silky, ripe and fresh.
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7/14/2023 - liber Likes this wine: 98 Points
3rd of 12, opened 90 minutes then decanted 90 minutes, cork half worked, in line with superb bottle in Feb 18 with well judged acid lift to flavours, aristocratic, notable tobacco and graphite element, complexity personified and with grip and drive of top vintage, upside yet, 30+ years. VFI (19.5).......rounder and with sweeter mid palate drive than even more layered 55 on same night.
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7/4/2023 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
Continuing to develop in all the right ways, the wine balances its elegance with vibrance, power, length, and strength. Concentrated, deep, rich, and fresh, with layers of currants, blackberries, and spice, this is a beautiful example of what makes Latour special. Drink from 2023-2050.
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6/30/2023 - efeldhake@yahoo.com Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep, garnet and color. Knows of Jerry’s, leather, menthol, and spices. Taste of cherries, tobacco, leather, menthol, and spices. I can’t get over an hour and improved with aeration. Try again in 3 to 5 years.
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6/13/2023 - SpitzNV Likes this wine: 99 Points
I had this wine the first time in 2001, and I deemed it the finest wine I'd ever tasted. I was a lot less knowledgeable then, so I've been trying the last several years to have another chance to try it. Bought 4 bottles at auction and brought the first to our favorite steakhouse recently. After an hour decant, it was already amazing. The fruit I'd remembered had dissipated but the leathery, graphite notes were there in spades. Acidity, tannins, finish - all incredible. While it has been almost 22 years since my last tasting, my thoughts remain the same. If it's not the best wine I've ever had, it's damn close.
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5/18/2023 - Burgundy Al wrote: 97 Points
Top Mid-Aged Bordeaux ("Chateau La Grange" - La Grange IL): In 89/90 flight, this was the best of the flight and best of the night. Broad array of fresh black fruit with cigar box and spice notes. As complex as the great 1982 Latour from earlier in the evening, but with so much more intensity.
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5/18/2023 - acyso wrote: 98 Points
Some Bordeaux (Chicago, IL): Intense and brooding, this is one of my favourite bottles of Bordeaux. Consistent with my prior experiences, I really love the intense dark fruit that's decorated by modest classic bordelais notes of pyrazine and wood shavings. Only starting to show secondary characteristics, this is powerful wine that has many, many years left.
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5/17/2023 - Turtlerider Likes this wine:
34 year old Bordeaux. Great meal. The first bottle was decanted about 90 minutes before the second and both had a slight funk around the 90 minute mark that went away.
We drank this to remember our father and the night he first served the wine. Funny thing was we all remembered the night (around Christmas 1998) differently.
I wish I had more of this, but there will be different boardeaux in the future.
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4/16/2023 - Ozen Likes this wine: 99 Points
Spectacular showing this time. Is there anything better than this? Complex, deeply compelling, sophisticated and fully mature this is as good as it gets. At its very peak and goig strong for another decade or two. Worth every penny.
WOTN in a line up of Hudelot Noellat Saint Vivant 2017, Clos Saint Jacques Rousseau 2005.
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4/14/2023 - d'Artagnan wrote: 97 Points
Dégustation bordelaise 1989-1990 (Chez François G.): Un nez discret mais suave, de fruit noir, avec des notes de pain grillé.
La bouche est aérienne, profonde et saline, avec une texture veloutée envoûtante, d’un équilibre admirable. La structure est droite et racée, noble et imposante, mais lui aussi sans aucune lourdeur, tout est d'une folle élégance. Superbe vin, plus fin que le premier, mais un peu moins profond. La grande classe. 96-97+ pts
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4/14/2023 - Mario17 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dégusttion Bordeaux 89 vs 90. Très typé cassis, cèdre, graphite, belle structure et profondeur, assez droit, belle finesse malgré la structure, avec encore un certain potentiel, très long aussi, beaucoup de vin dans le verre mais moins accompli et impressionnant que Montrose.
Gorgeous also, typical left bank, power and structure, class and depth for sure, good length, definitely a great bottle but second to Montrose 90 clearly for all 7 tasters.
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4/6/2023 - toppcats@aol.com wrote: 90 Points
A bit disappointed overall with this wine tonight as expectations were high and just not met. 2 hour decant. Initial evaluation was that the wine was seeming closed with limited cigar box/loam nose. Wine eventually got going (as noted by another reviewer here) but never seemed to really assert itself. Decent dark fruit -cigar box- loam nose which was moderate on the palate. Moderate tannin on finish. Wine was good - but expected better. May need a longer decant time.=.
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4/4/2023 - joshabramson Likes this wine:
Drank side by side with 90’ Haut Brion. For me, tonight, the Latour had a slight edge. A bit more richness and depth, and just generally delicious!
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3/31/2023 - melvinyeowq wrote: 94 Points
Beat the '90 Latour: A deeper, more imposing wine than the other Bordeaux in the line-up. Stood out for the power and structure but didn’t quite have the magic of the other wines. The notes below from the others at the dinner describe the wine well, an excellent wine but didn’t quite assert itself for its pedigree. 94+.
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3/31/2023 - Dibbs Likes this wine: 96 Points
Beat the 1990 Latour: Needed quite a bit of air to get going. Very youthful with the sweet loamy, earthy quality to the nose that is very Latour. On the palate, massive density, concentration and length. Missing maybe a touch of elegance or finesse which I got from the 90 Margaux. Amazing wine!
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3/31/2023 - pclin wrote: 96 Points
Single blind. Co WOTN with ‘89 Unico. This had the best concentration and length of all the wines tonight, just a little subdued on the nose despite many hours of decanting, bright future ahead.
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3/31/2023 - pavel_p Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beat the 1990 Latour: Dark garnet. An oxidative whiff on the nose and hence I was immediately convinced that this must be the Unico. An earthy nose, very good density on the palate, later some pencil lead, tannins are still in place but well integrated. Medium finish. Revised my guess and admitted my error only after revisiting all the wines, when it became clear that another wine was not a Bdx. Would rate higher if there was not that oxidative whiff on the nose, which I find very unusual for a left bank Bdx at only 30 years.
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3/30/2023 - paul195 wrote: 95 Points
1 of 6 opened @ noon, decanted @ 5:00 served @ 8:00. Dark garnet core slight age on rims, blue fruited nose with hints of iron and tobacco. Deep, primary fruits, fine tannins, good minerality, dense texture, long finish. Early maturity, try again in five years.
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3/7/2023 - dlcolester wrote: 98 Points
After 3 hours of breath it drank like silk soft to the pallet and a long Lingering taste bursting with flavor and great balance of boldness and softness.
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2/24/2023 - Ary wrote: 96 Points
A wine to reflect and ponder on. This bottle was in a later stage of life. Blind I guessed 70-s or 80-s, classic style Pauillac (iron). Nevertheless an incredibly complex and very attractive wine. Lingering on for minutes. Beside Latour GV 2000.
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1/27/2023 - Euoinos wrote: 98 Points
Breathtaking wine. Incredible on the nose with cassis graphite, dried herbs and menthol. Very elegant but with structured mature tannins. Lovely already at the time of opening but developed with further aeration over two hours. Really great to drink now but with potential of further development.
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1/7/2023 - sdr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Latour, Latour, Latour (WineWatch, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida): The first one in the series to display more than fruit. There’s some bark, gravel and petrichor. Nicely fragrant. Still quite tannic though and the finish is a little short. Apparently there is a lot of bottle variation in this vintage.
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11/1/2022 - ShadowIII Likes this wine: 95 Points
in just the right spot, currants, dark fruits, hints of cedar and pencil lead, well integrated tannins, long finish, on a plateau with years to go
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10/23/2022 - mtarrant003 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted two hours before lunch and paired with roast lamb. Poured a small glass on opening which showed a hint of age in appearance and had a whiff of brett that blew off quickly. Incredible concentration on the palate with more secondary than primary flavours and a very long finish.
At lunch this was really singing, with a great range of aromas and flavours and a beautiful smoothness on the palate. A very good bottle of a very good wine.
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10/13/2022 - LJT Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very nice, but a little disappointing compared with previous bottles. Excellent bouquet, soft tannins and dark fruit. Good, not spectacular.
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9/30/2022 - PDavisMarble wrote: 96 Points
A big floral nose. Powerful and lush, with primarily red fruits. A touch tannic, but that softened over the next hour. Plums and raspberries flourished and the finish went on for minutes. This 32 year old is still an adolescent.
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9/6/2022 - acyso wrote: 98 Points
Flickinger dinner (Chicago, IL): A stupendous showing of this wine, though not at the level of another bottle that I experienced a few years ago. This one showed a little more maturity. The nose is stereotypically Bordeaux, with a hint of pyrazine but lots of ripe, plummy fruit, and a good amount of wood shavings too. On the palate, there's a bit of a coffee/chocolate thing going on, but also intense, concentrated fruit and heaps of complexity. Nowhere near mature, but a truly impressive wine nonetheless.
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9/3/2022 - The Andrews Likes this wine: 99 Points
Deep woods, truffle, mushroom. Iodine initially but developed really nicely and faded into harmony. Decanted at 4:30 and drank at 7 as the flavors smoothed out and integrated. Best around 8-9, but didn’t fade much. As a 32-year old wine, this is a middle aged welterweight that should age well. What a great, smooth experience. Loved and would try to have again.
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8/26/2022 - Cromulent Likes this wine: 97 Points
Took this out on a beach picnic as a result no decanting. The nose is starting to display tertiary aromas, the palate is still in the secondary phase. Very good but had hoped for better.
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7/21/2022 - MariusA Likes this wine:
Drank this bottle (perfect condition) at Restaurant Munch at Refnes Gods (Moss, Norway). Unfortunately, I did not plan ahead and the wine spent only a short amount of time in the decanter. It's a pity because there was so much there that started to unwind towards the end of the meal. What a pity. Don't make the same mistake as me - give this baby at least 2-3 hours in the decanter prior to drinking.
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6/26/2022 - Cailles wrote: 98 Points
Tasted double blind. At first a bit muted, this bottle got better and better by the minute. The tannins melted, the balance got to a perfect level, the precision and complexity reached the highest highs and the seductive Latour nuttiness became more prominent. The last glas and sip was close to perfection. Clearly the best bottle of Latour 1990 I‘ve had to date but this wine will likely need another decade (or two or three) to reach its peak - ageing at a glacial pace.
TN: Intense, yet delicate nose with dark fruits, spices, minty notes, and more spices. At first a touch muted but getting more expressive with time. On the palate very intense, very good, from start to finish, lots of delicate dark fruit, loads of minerality, minty notes, spices, with time lots of nutty aromas, some faint wet forest floor and tobacco aromas too but overall not much tertiary aromas yet. The precision and purity are off the charts. At first the balance was not there, the tannins even slightly coarse but that changed with more time in the decanter and glass. The tannins nicely melted, the acidity is high but perfectly round, the wine is nicely creamy and has a lot of tension, still slightly muscular overall. The finish is quite long full of fruit and minerality. Impressive from start to finish.
Decanting: Decanted for 3 hours. Could have used even more air.
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5/22/2022 - Waël Likes this wine: 98 Points
Briefly decanted for sediments and drank over a 2h dinner paired with duck. It slides in the decanter with a crimson robe, letting just enough light through to signal that it is at an optimal age to show its best. The nose immediately reveals the earthy tones of moist forest floor, black truffles, crushed graphite, leather, white pepper and hints of bay leaf and thyme. The palate is just right. Medium bodied at this age, subtle tannins and a long a finish. At first, the palate was congruent with the nose- earthy, bold, green pepper, black pepper, blackurrant, leather, coffee, and chocolate. As time went by, ripe red fruit emerges, and the cocoa becomes more apparent. The sheer magnitude, diversity, and balance of flavors was unlike anything I have ever experienced. This was not a wine. It was a symphony.
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5/13/2022 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Showing extremely well at age 32. Classic nose of white pepper, some earthy funk, black currant, tobacco, bay leaf. crushed stone, truffles and hints of oak. Super fresh, complex, refined and pumping out tons of flavor, this is in a sweet spot for my palate. The polished tannins are fully integrated and there's still plenty of structure and acidity to push this to age 40 without issue.
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4/28/2022 - hprphf wrote: 96 Points
As expected, one of the best Bordeaux tonight. Really could have used much longer in the decanter. So much substance and purest of tannins. 96+
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4/26/2022 - chatters wrote:
En-Primeur campaign for the 2021 vintage; 4/25/2022-4/29/2022 (Bordeaux): From double magnum
Polished, rich, dense initially, ripe, concentrated, still exceedingly powerful on the nose, some alcohol prickle, ripe blackcurrant tends to cassis and a little rubbery reductiveness. In the mouth it is juicy with loads of ripe fruit, massive power is crazy but also precise, chalky and oaky tannins in support, alcohol warmth is contained. A beast but a rather splendid on with incredible potential – Double magnum goes some way to explaining its relative youthfulness.
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4/24/2022 - Cailles wrote: 95 Points
48x 1990 (37x Bdx, 6x Napa, 5x others): Tasted side by side with the Lafite (95 pts). Unsurprisingly, the Lafite is all about delicacy and finesse, while the Latour is bold and beautiful. This wine is nowhere near its peak but with a bit of air is still drinking well. Could very well become a (close to) perfect wine in 2, 3 decades. It has the structure, the fruit, the complexity and misses tetiary notes and a more softened structure to get there.
TN: On the palate this is so Pauillac with crushed rocks, graphite cedar, herbs, a dark cassis core, some blue fruit and floral aromas. Some first hints of tobacco emerging but overall this remains young with an impeccable structure which will allow for long, graceful ageing. Loads of round, fine tannins, high acidity, already slightly creamy, super weightlessness but with lots of tension and aromatic intensity. Long finish but not as spectacular as the Mission. 95/96 pts and certainly more is possible once the wine is mature.
Decanting: Quick double decant three+ hours prior to the tasting to remove sediment. Was drinking well but my guess is that it would have been even better with more air.
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4/9/2022 - Gilles Dupont Likes this wine: 98 Points
This was just soooooo good. Enjoy one of you have the chance…
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4/7/2022 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Spring Break with Friends (Boca Raton, FL): Decanted for 2 hours. About as good as it gets in the world of wine. In comparison to the ‘82 Calon Segur tasted along side it, this is still very youthful, black as pitch color with no sign of bricking, and the glow and typicity you would expect from a great vintage of Latour. This ranks amongst the best vintages of Latour that I’ve tasted including ‘59, ‘66, ‘82, and ‘96. Incredible wine… I don’t even have to drink it because I could just smell it in the glass all night long. Utterly delicious! I expect this will only get better over the course of the next 10-15 years. Latour is a wine for kings and queens and is always a treat to taste.
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4/5/2022 - RayOB Likes this wine: 97 Points
Drank at 67
An incredible deep beautiful and mature Paulliac, A joy
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3/27/2022 - Satoshi Nakamoto Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped from a well stored 375ml with a base neck fill. Started off a bit funky on the nose, but that blew off quickly. Loved the nose-- notes of graphite, tobacco, iron, and dark fruit-- screamed classic Cabernet. Needed some time to pick up weight on the palate, which was really lacking in fruit, but that's eventually picked up. Still missed a few extra gears to make it great, but a nice experience.
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3/5/2022 - OurSine wrote:
Drank
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3/3/2022 - Purple Tooth wrote: 98 Points
One would expect the 1990 Latour to be dense, dark, and brawny. Its not...Its rather medium bodied and very polished, with no signs of fatigue at all. It has that healthy shine to it, and the power of the wine is well preserved and just transforming into more nuances of complexity. This very much reminds me of the 1990 Montrose, but with more elegance and focus. The wine is rich in earth, herbaceous cabernet fruit, and floating a perfect nuance of barnyard that keeps drawing you back in. The finish is incredibly fresh and pure, with color changes and a nice pull. This is ready and should just get better and better for at least another 10 years. Ready to Drink or Hold
97-99
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2/27/2022 - ephorn wrote: 97 Points
Fruit hits the nose first. Black cardamom nuance. Plenty of life on the palate. Best wine of the tasting needless to say. Reminded me of 1972 Caymus that I had recently.
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1/24/2022 - Sean Tay Likes this wine: 100 Points
This is the most delicious and beautiful Latour I ever drank. Its charming on the nose. Full of graphite, mineral, pencil lead, fresh, ripe black fruits, ripe berry, toast. Medium+ acidity and medium+ tannin. Tannin fully integrated and silky. This wine still have a long long way to go. It could hit another peak years later. At current stage, I’m already mesmerised by it. This is how a good Bordeaux wine should taste like, with good provenance.
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1/5/2022 - Gregmonroe Likes this wine:
WWC - JD (FWC): Tasted blind - Deep red in the glass, no bricking; muted nose (not sure how long it was decanted) but spice, leather, and stewed red fruit on the nose. Some sediment. Beautiful red fruit on the palate, and tasted fresher than it smelled. Fantastic wine and experience, and this one has a good bit of life ahead of it. Guessed a 20+ year old bordeaux.
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12/24/2021 - lepetitchateau wrote: 95 Points
Shows youth and power on the nose, so much complexity on the attack, classic pencil character. Clean and pure, not unctuous, more high-toned.
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11/22/2021 - LB88 wrote: 94 Points
Much improved over the last try with a great structure. But was a little too spicy for me compared to the silky smooth margaux tonight. Will also improve with more cellaring and tannins will resolve more
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11/15/2021 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 98 Points
Ripe, silky and elegant. Very youthful and fresh, fairly primary with notes of maturity, but drinks like younger wine. Zero harsh edges here, smooth as silk. After 2 hours of air this really came out, super classy stuff!
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11/7/2021 - iainlo@gmail.com Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened 1pm, decanted at 7pm and drank at9pm from Zalto glasses. I gave it this extended breathing after reading some of the tasting notes here (thank you!). Colour still primary, no evidence of aging. Wonderful and textured nose with layers of primary and secondary fruit, cedar also coming thru. Explosive on the palate but with great precision and depth. The flavours go on and on. Truly a great bottle and went very well with roast duck! Wine of the night, beating out the Mouton 82, Martray corton charlemagne 08 and P2 02
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11/6/2021 - King Julien wrote: 96 Points
Decanted about 2 hours.
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10/13/2021 - Benoit Hardy Likes this wine: 98 Points
Nose of a crazy class bringing together all that Bordeaux classism can do best: it is subtly earthy, grassy, leather, black fruit and cedar.
Surprisingly fine on the palate where I expected power. The whole is still stunningly youthful, with aromas of undergrowth, truffles and spices. It's silky and complex, with incredible freshness, almost lace. A pure, racy and juicy wine, of great complexity with incredible depth and suppleness. It's still a great moment spent with a mature Bordeaux. Masterful finish on tobacco which combines power, softness and length.
A grandiose, serene wine that imposes itself quite naturally.
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10/2/2021 - fclarity wrote: 96 Points
From a lovely looking bottle with a bottom neck fill, this wine had a red/purple center with light red rims and just a touch of orange. The medium+ intensity nose was riveting with its black cherry, orange vanilla, fig, plum, and mineral notes.
This wine was nice from the start but it took 6+ hours in a decanter for it to show what it could really do. It was rich and ripe in the mouth with incredible balance and great length. This wine was extremely seductive and yet young and powerful.
Given that the 59 and 61 need 4-5 hours to show their best, it was not surprising that this wine needed 8-10 hours of air. There was clearly an impressive future here. I would bet there will be a couple points of upside in 10-20 years.
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9/21/2021 - orange boy Likes this wine: 97 Points
perfect nothing else to say
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9/3/2021 - BenBlu Likes this wine: 94 Points
1990 Champagne / Bordeaux / N Rhone (London): Unfortunately not at the same level as a bottle a few weeks back. The cork here was very porous and it felt as if this bottle was just a tiny but advanced and tired. Still beautiful aromatics of cassis and leather, very classic 90 to Bordeaux left bank. It showed better initially but with more air the condition showed through. There are better bottles of this very good wine.
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9/2/2021 - dream Likes this wine: 95 Points
From the first whiff, this wreaked of Latour terroir with a fabulous earthy smell that included charred walnuts, dried herbs, dark chocolate and what I can only describe as sweet gravelly funk. The palate almost delivers on the nose but how could it. This felt a little lighter than other top vintages but it's very pure and terroir-expressive with great freshness and lift on the gorgeous finish that's just a bit less complex than expected. Still, just a great experience to taste this terroir in all its glory.
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8/24/2021 - Cailles wrote: 92 Points
17x Bordeaux 1982-1990 (+ 2 Martha’s): All wines tasted single blind. Second time in about a year a was able to taste the two 1990 legends Latour and Margaux (rated 94) side by side and again both wines were muted, not revealing their true colors despite a proper decant. The Latour is just too young and completely closed. Some bottles of Margaux such as this one go trough a dump phase (see more mixed CT notes in recent years). The structure is ready but the aromatic complexity is limited. Better just wait a few years for both wines to get out of their shell.
TN: Seemed very young, not perfectly integrated and very muted on the nose an palate. Not much complexity revealed with some dark fruit and minerality peaking through. Towering tannin structure and high acidity which will need time.
Decanting: Decanted for roughly 3+ hours which wasn’t enough but I guess no decanting would have made a huge difference here.
Group score: 95.4 pts
Group rank: Shared 7th out of 16 reds
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8/7/2021 - BenBlu Likes this wine: 98 Points
True standout of a lovely lunch was this Latour 1990. Bottle with high shoulder fill. The somm pulled the cork and thought it very ready so we only splash decanted. For this bottle a good decision. Singing straight off the bat - visually mahogany, on the nose earthy, tea, fine leather, forest floor, the palate open with warming chestnut, centre of sweet strawberry jam, lifted by a sweet sour acidity. Totally ready. Then went onto a Lafite 09 and when coming back to it there was more pipe tobacco on the nose and overall detectable slight rusticity - but not in a bad just an old school claret style. Definitely my type of wine, so elegant and low alcohol making it so drinkable. A point.
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7/31/2021 - vetty wrote: 94 Points
Bottle decanted for 4 hrs. Red fruits, red flower, purple fruits, purple flower. High acidity and high tannin. It has the complexity and pronounced flavor intensity but lack of middle palate (maybe because we didn't give it enough time to breath?) Can drink now but for sure has potential for aging.
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7/31/2021 - johnh1001 wrote: 94 Points
Excellent but a little flat compared to other bottles
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7/29/2021 - hprphf Likes this wine: 96 Points
Bottle breathed for four hours. Classic classic Pauillac on the nose, cedar, pencil box, purple fruit. Then there is the sheer Latour elegance, soft touch, velvety tannin, pure class. It is accessible and it is good. 96-97+
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7/13/2021 - dlcolester wrote: 91 Points
Not the typical strength depth of taste/flavor expected from this wine even at 21 years. Loosing its color and density. Color moving from the typical deep burgundy to a brownish color. Might be due to past storage as 3/4 of cork wet.
More to drink from different batch determining if it is a one off
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6/30/2021 - Burgundy Al wrote: 96 Points
A Multi Birthday Celebration (Tocco - Winnetka IL): A great showing tonight in an evening of great wines. Intense black fruit with liqueur and sweet spice. Great freshness and concentration, then bright textures in the near background providing brilliant support. This clearly outshone the charming 1982 Latour in the next glass.
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6/26/2021 - La Sprezzatura wrote: 94 Points
94
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6/26/2021 - sirpat00 wrote: 95 Points
Bordeaux 1982-1990 tasting (Restaurant Essen'z, Brugg): Bordeaux 1982-1980 tasting of selected wines, including a couple of pirates. All wines were decanted for at least 2-3 hours, tasted in flights of 2 and single-blind. While not a representative sample, I would venture the following observations: 1/ First growths in 1988 should not be underestimated for the hedonistic pleasure they offer, 2/ 1990 first growths have not yet passed through their closed stage, 3/ you’ll find stand-out second tier wines from 1982. 4/ Highlights were Palmer 89 and Gruaud Larose 82 (96 each).
Tasting note:
Round, fresh and juicy with impeccable harmony. Ripe red and blue berry fruit, a bit of sweet spice, leather and cold smoke. There is a lot of substance here, but running in 1st gear currently and it would appear decanting wasn't able to fully unlock this potential beast.
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6/17/2021 - johnh1001 wrote: 97 Points
Another brilliant bottle
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6/12/2021 - aquacongas wrote: 98 Points
blind
This was a semiblind flight of Latour 59, 75, 90 and 96.
1st one I guessed 96, most guessed 90. Silky, elegant and nice black currant scent. Tannins fine and elegant. At least 20 more years. 98
2nd This time I guessed 1975 but it was 1959. in perfect shape. Everything at the right place. Still fresh, at his peak. 99
3rd One of the best 1975s I had. Not over his peak. 95
4th I love the hedonistic 1996. Beautifully young but even in this stage it makes more than fun. 98
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6/3/2021 - Bigtuna Likes this wine: 96 Points
Opened, decanted, tasted over a 10 hours. The wine improved throughout the tasting. IMO, today this wine needs at least 6 hours of air or better yet wait. Well structured, Tobacco, cedar, 96
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6/2/2021 - lepetitchateau wrote: 98 Points
The nose is just amazing - a real wow experience - showing pure, vibrant, black fruit, very juicy. The wine still needs more time but it no longer a nasty beast that it was for the first 25 years of its life. Beautiful integration and great promise.
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6/2/2021 - Misterobit Likes this wine:
Drank side by side with Latour 1989. I find this to be very powerfull, even with a 3h decant. The depth is incredible and the tannins not fully integrated. This was fantastic, just not use to this pedigree of wine, so I hope I will have the chance to try again in 10 years.
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5/24/2021 - aquacongas wrote: 99 Points
blind
I love this wine. I had it a few times and always delivering. Still in the background black currant but also some tertiary aromas as black tea, coffee and graphite. Refreshing acidity. Despite the power it feels balanced and smooth. At least 20 more years. 98-99
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5/20/2021 - rossi.wine wrote: 93 Points
Tobacco, spice box, pencil shavings, dark fruit, hints of green pepper on the nose. Very complex and intriguing, but not overly powerful or intense. Rather soft tannins, lots of acidity, spicy, lovely core of fruit. Very long. 92-94
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5/2/2021 - Ozen Likes this wine: 95 Points
Quite an exotic line up with Redigaffi 2004, Gerbet-Berthaut Cazetiers 2018 and Chateau Latour 1990 as more friends joined during the day.
And of course the Latour is just a true aristocrat of a wine. Profound, with great depth, complex, rich and fully mature. At this age its more about a great bottle than a great wine. And given the fact the previous bottle we had 2 years ago, scored a clear 100 points, this was one that just did not reach that level. Tasted again on day 2 and just a beautiful lovely wine at the level of a great mature Bordeaux but unfortunately this bottle was not a standout. Happily 4 more bottles to go.
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5/2/2021 - dchain Likes this wine: 99 Points
Wow. This is really quite a wine at the moment. Such an open and welcoming Latour and not all at the brooding giant like so many other vintages. Immediately hit with a wall of tobacco, cedar, blackberry, leather and sweet candied pecans. But underneath that is a very subtle white lilly/jasmine scent which I often associate with its neighbour Pichon Lalande. There is just so much going on. So complex and long and totally at its apogee at the moment. This is epic Bordeaux and if you are lucky enough to have this in your cellar I really suggest you pull a bottle to enjoy its grandeur and magnificence! Best wine of the year so far.
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3/18/2021 - dharrison93 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Brilliant! Drank with a friend after a restaurant splash decant.
Fully mature age 31 with deep, seemingly impenetrable seam of black fruit and berries.
Seems to have 2-5 years great drinking ahead but I'm concerned, like happened with my 1982s in 2012, the fruit may disappear one day soon without warning.
Drink up + Enjoy!
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3/3/2021 - bookert wrote: 92 Points
Still quite young, dominated by primary fruit. Long length, good acidity with present but fine tannins.
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3/2/2021 - AaronMaxwell Likes this wine: 95 Points
Was better the next day. This baby needed air! Which is interesting because so many people say the opposite. *Shrug*
So much brett. Very similar to the '90 Montrose.
Such a privilege to drink a bottle of this cost, but slightly underwhelmed by our enjoyment (vs. other BDX wines at less cost),.
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2/14/2021 - Bullethead Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened 7 hours prior to serving. Sign of seepage. Should be a off bottle and opened too early. Nose is medium. Palate is delicious with chocolate, pencil, black berry and silky. Tannin is almost non-exist. Hope I will get a better bottle next time
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2/12/2021 - parkline_wine Likes this wine: 95 Points
Alan’s bday. 3hr decant. This started off as a 97-98. Stunning nose. Rustic smoke backed off to dried cherries, earth, and tinderbox. The pallet was consistent w the nose, and the finish was excellently persistent.
1hr into drinking, she really lost steam. The depth was gone, length eradicated, and she was a mere shadow of what she was before. I suspect we overdecanted, but that behavior didn’t match what I read from users below.
Overall, we were treated to 1.5 glasses of classic old school Bordeaux. It was stunning for a moment - but then I was disappointed with where it ended up.
I’d reckon 1hr in décanteur and then let it envelop in the glass is the safe bet.
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1/12/2021 - LB88 wrote: 94 Points
This was a little more rustic compared to the 1990 lafite tonight but still very good!
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11/26/2020 - tannicity Likes this wine: 95 Points
Strong scents of fruit but very balanced acidity and tannins. First sip was very powerful and rich but over time lost its depth and became something quite light. Decanted for 1 hour.
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11/20/2020 - hprphf wrote: 95 Points
Pauillac but lifted, sweetness in the middle. Super packed, tremendous energy and layers. 95+
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11/7/2020 - Doctor Koulodare Likes this wine: 99 Points
An amazing, beautifully-aged Bordeaux. Still expressing a beautiful currants, black cherry and mocha, mineral and cedar notes, full bodied, gentle tannins, gorgeous mouthfeel, lovely finish. We feel so privileged to have had this bottle in our cellar.
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10/24/2020 - jordanj Likes this wine: 97 Points
A Zoom tasting of decent wines. An excuse to be social. (Zoom): Great nose. A bit of funk. Noticeably more oak than the other wines of the flight. Other notes of chocolate cherries, a hint of plum, and fresh dirt. A tiny bit of heat on the tail end of the nose detracts a little bit. More weight on the palate than the other two Pauillacs. Persistent finish after a terrifically balanced palate.
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10/16/2020 - King Julien wrote: 97 Points
Decanted 3 hours. Consistently outstanding.
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9/26/2020 - rmcnees Likes this wine: 95 Points
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/09/wedding-wines-birthyear-and-big-bottle.html
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9/5/2020 - Sopravvento Matteo Melfa Likes this wine: 95 Points
A nice vivid ruby red in the glass.
The perfume is so intense and elegant.
At the palate the wine is absolutely fine, elegant and fresh.
It feels like a medium body.
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8/24/2020 - sirpat00 wrote: 92 Points
Bordeaux 1990 horizontal tasting (Fribourg): 1990 Bordeaux horizontal hosted by a private collector. 30 years down the road, the vintage comes across as bold and muscular, youthful and in general not yet open for business or at times closed. Highlights included Figeac, Haut-Brion, Mouton, Calon Ségur – and to my surprise – Marquis de Terme. See tasting story for more take-aways and the complete line-up.
Tasting note
This felt as if was standing on the back feet, trying to avoid getting into close contact. But one of the most unique bouquets of the night. A personality best described as dark, herbal even with bit of black olives - could pass as a Syrah at first sight! But then entirely different on the palate. Shining red fruit, lots of acidity with not yet integrated, mouth-coating tannin. You have to acknowledge the singularity here, but pleasure factor was low to be honest. Again probably best stored away for another few years.
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8/24/2020 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
As this ages, it continues improving, filling out, softening and gaining in nuances. Now you find oceanic nuances interspersed with creme de cassis, cigar box, lead pencil, wet soil and leafy complexities. The wine is full- deep, long and regal, with a present tannic backbone and the structure for at least 2-3 more decades of aging.
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8/22/2020 - dream Likes this wine: 96 Points
Just tremendous depth here with classic terroir notes of smoky walnuts and earthy black fruits. So opulent with great lift and intensity and a masculine profile as compared to the Margaux's feminine. This was wonderful tonight and perhaps has the most upside still of the '90 first growths which is a surprise given where I thought this wine was 5 years ago. 96+
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8/1/2020 - OmiyaDrinker wrote: 97 Points
Only medium color in appearance. Intoxicating nose - fresh but complex. Black currant leaf, mint, balsamic, forest floor. With some air, particularly on day 2, gorgeous pronounced aromas of smoke, cigar box, tobacco leaf. On the palate, a delicious hit of sweet fruits wrapped in cedar and tobacco, with some exotic spice through the mid-palate. Hints of caramel. There’s a character to this as if every time you taste it, it is different. You could hold onto this, and there is some tannic grip remaining, but based on this bottle, I see no reason not to drink now.
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7/25/2020 - Cailles wrote: 95 Points
Tasted double blind. This wine is is amazing, although far too young. Everything is still slightly muted but you sense all the substance, the glorious complexity and precision with every sip, the luxurious structure. Today it was mainly intellectually appealing but never really that super seductive and sensual wine Bordeaux can be. I would be amazing to meet this beauty again once mature (maybe in 20 years?).
TN: A rainbow of dark fruit and red furit, superb minerality, herbs, hints uf almonds. Never fully expressive, not as complex as it could be but as mentioned above you sense that there is more. No hints of any teritary development (I guessed it to be a 2000). Perfect structure with a wall of luxurious tannins without hard edges and a perfectly integrated acidity. Harmonious and balanced.
Decanting: Decanted for roughly 4 hours, followed over 3 more hours with little change.
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7/15/2020 - englishman's claret wrote: 95 Points
Really, really dense nose full of blackberry, grilled nuts, and and still surprisingly okay at age 30. Fullish on the palate with pencil and mineral notes. Promising finish. When will this be ready? 94-95ish
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7/8/2020 - hprphf wrote: 93 Points
Bordeaux Left Bank First Growth BYO (Grand Hyatt Hong Kong): Off bottle? It is quite strong in peppery flavor, and lacks the graceful balance of the vintage. 93 for the dense showing(?)
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6/10/2020 - FoinZap Likes this wine: 94 Points
This had two distinct phases. From an hour to two hours in the decanter, it was exceptional, extremely varied, harmonious and balanced. After about 2.5 hours and continuing for the next few hours, a strong combo of pipe tobacco, leather and pencil lead took over, burying the fruit, and it was a much less enjoyable wine.
The first 2 hours experience was amazing probably 98-100. The 2.5 to 5 hour experience was more like a 90. I'll describe the amazing stretch...garnet color, huge nose, with impressive breadth, scents of rich beef bouillon, black olive, coffee, pencil lead, cedar, blackberry. The palate was red raspberry, blackberry, black cherry, beef, coffee, pencil lead, earth, wet gravel, cocoa, so much going on and remarkably flawless and in harmony. Mid-to full-bodied with integrated tannins and a smooth, warm, robust finish.
At about the 90 minute point a sweet caramel flavor emerged, and a slightly bitter note mid-palate, graphite? An hour later, the more bitter flavors took over an knocked it from one of my all-time favorite drinking experiences to no longer in contention. Looking forward to giving it another shot.
Oddly enough I had a very similar experience with a '98 Haut-Brion recently, which ended up almost undrinkable after several hours out of the bottle. Has anyone else had this experience with Left Bank Bordeaux from the '90s?
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4/12/2020 - Verb Likes this wine: 98 Points
dark red with brick rim - beautiful nose of black fruit (cassis, blackberries) interlaced with bright red fruit - more complexity than my last bottle (leather, lead pencil and cigar box), but not as much as I expected for a 30-year old first growth - the real beauty of this wine is in the body - massive full fruit with superb acid-tannin balance - a long 30-40 second finish - will easily last another 10-20 years, but drinking very nicely now - a powerful but elegant Latour
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3/21/2020 - steinersing wrote: 97 Points
This is now in a great phase - some evolution with a little tobacco but still great fruit and focused yer opulent
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3/13/2020 - DickMull Likes this wine: 98 Points
Even better than last year. After a 4 hour decant, it still had a touch of Brett/funk/earth, which actually complimented the dark fruit, ash, and leather on the nose. More dark fruit flavors cascaded over the palate, which was incredibly balanced with muted acidity, muted tannins, and subtle earthiness. It was a powerful wine, but not overly so. The only (tiny) flaw was that the finish was a bit on the short side, but that’s not unusual for a 30 year old wine. While I don’t think this will improve a whole lot more, it will certainly last another 10-20 years. I’m not sure whether it was bottle variation or the longer decant, but it did seem much more approachable than it did last year.
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3/11/2020 - Nanda wrote: 97 Points
Single Blind 1990 Bordeaux (The Bristol - Chicago, IL): Single blind and my WOTN. A wow, fragrant and bright nose that has mature red fruit, herbs and spice. The palate has arresting intensity and delicious fruit that is both broad and deep. Plenty of suave tannins throughout. Legs to age another decade+
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3/11/2020 - Burgundy Al wrote: 94 Points
1990 Bordeaux Dinner (The Bristol - Chicago IL): Single blind at 1990 Bordeaux dinner. Easily, without doubt the class of the flight. Meaty and dense with ripe black fruit and cigarbox character, but also great balance and elegance. Not the best example of this wine I have ever tasted, but certainly better than others, like one late last year.
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3/10/2020 - becassine wrote: 97 Points
À l’ouverture un odeur de poney désagréable
Ce vin doit être décanté au moins 1-2 heures
Incroyable bouteille! Un des plus grands bordeaux jamais dégustés
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3/6/2020 - rnyrny79 Likes this wine: 99 Points
Finaly I tried my Latour 90 which I have followed for a long time. Expectations were high and still the latest CT notes suggested only a “great” wine.
Well...what can I say, this bottle was magical and in the top 3 bottles I have tasted.
It was decanted 3 hours and enjoyed over the Following 2 hours chilled at 18 oC.
The bouquet offers a soft complex array of Violet flowers, woodsmoke, red berries, touch of green soft herbals, mint, pencil shavings, melange of sweet dark berries, liqourish, touch of leather and sweet tobacco.
On the palate, you get every single component just described,which is balanced beautifully out together by completely disolved tannins and acid.
This is craftmanship at the highest level.
Luckily my bottle was perfect!!
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2/13/2020 - dream Likes this wine: 95 Points
This was clearly the most backward wine in the flight (with Lynch and LLC) and kept developing in the glass. Lots of dark fruits and a classic walnut note with good depth and a big, silky texture. The finish is fairly coiled but shows a fine complexity with notes of gravel and minerals. Still on the upswing. 95+
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2/9/2020 - hajoha wrote: 92 Points
Chateau Latour 1990.
Servert blindt.
Starter med litt fjøs, blyantspiss, gammelt trevirke, paprika og mørke bær.
Bra, men river ikke skinnet av pølsa.
Fremstår ganske moden.
Ganske bra på smak med svær konsentrasjon, men frukten er dessverre i ferd med å tørke ut på denne flasken.
Jeg er ganske sikker på at det finnes bedre flasker der ute.
Sitter lenge med avvikende frukt og mye tanniner.
Helt vilt bidrag, likevel lov å være litt skuffet her. 92p
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1/26/2020 - King Julien wrote: 97 Points
Decanted 3 hours.
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1/18/2020 - Matt Scott Likes this wine: 99 Points
Tasted February 2014...
Very youthful, with a vibrantly strong backbone. Full-bodied and very complex. Cassis, dried earth, chocolate, tobacco, cedar, flower shop and blackberry. There’s an extravagant finish that is wide. So much staying power. I love the slight tannins that still show grip. Unctuous and not meek, this and the stunning ‘03 are on the same plain. Utterly close to perfection, this is just starting to open up. Legendary. Nay a hard edge and seamless. Drink now -.
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12/26/2019 - bobadopolis Likes this wine: 94 Points
Capsule in perfect condition. No signs of leakage. Cork soaked all the way through to a quarter inch of the top, but comes out intact. Nose is that of a younger Bordeaux. Initial palate is quite extraordinary, and with a hint of smoke that is unlike any Bordeaux that I have tried. 2 hours in the decanter reveals an elegant prototypical Pauillac style. After 4 hours began to degenerate a bit. Based on this bottle, would drink after a splash decant, but not an extended one.
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12/7/2019 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Some Wine Tasted at the Zachys Auction (Formento's - Chicago IL): Late afternoon, small glass alongside the 2000. Others oo'ed and ah'ed over this, but I didn't think it perfect vs previous bottle experiences. There was an odd green bitterness that never disappeared despite th great fruit clearly there, plus the impressive concentration.
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12/7/2019 - Nanda wrote: 99 Points
Wines tasted at Zachy's Chicago Watch Party (Formentos): Side by side with the 2000. This is an insanely good bottle of wine that hits every note with near perfection. Towering and complicated aromas with each aromatic having full intensity. The palate is youthful but not young as the cedar, tobacco and graphite elements are seamless with the fruit. Long finish. Amazing property in an amazing vintage, and it shows.
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12/7/2019 - acyso wrote: 100 Points
Zachys auction at Formento's (Chicago, IL): No, it's not fully mature, but I'm also not one of the necrophiliac fetishists who derive their enjoyment of old Bordeaux from wines that have one foot in the grave. This is sitting at this boundary where the fruit and secondary characteristics are in perfect harmony with each other. An explosively perfumed nose with graphite and leather and a hint of pyrazine, followed by sweet black fruits. On the palate, this still shows a bit of rawness on the finish from the structure, but whatever primary elements here have softened and give this a really luxurious, plush quality. The juiciness from the ripe vintage, coupled with all that Latour structure make for an incredibly complex drinking experience.
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12/6/2019 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
The best bottle of this I have ever tasted hit all the right notes. It is important to note that the has over the past few years come close to full-development. It is now showing a refined, soft, elegant, regal character. The fresh, blackberry, cassis, tobacco and leafy personality is right where you want it to be. It might improve a bit from here, but the wine is 30 years of age, so if you are sitting on any, it is time to enjoy it.
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12/1/2019 - sburtt Likes this wine: 95 Points
wow, everything you would expect from a latour and more, an incredible vintage for this wine, drunk next to cheval blanc and angelus and this was the WOTN
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10/25/2019 - JeffO Likes this wine:
Wow still just a tannic monster. All seemed good and balanced on open and decant. One hour later I smelled a sour cellar smell and worried. But now 3 hours later and midway through the decanter, it is just a monster, well balanced and firmly right and still tannic as hell. Decades to go. Sweet Jesus.
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10/23/2019 - Rob-Rah Likes this wine: 96 Points
From 75cl. No decant. A very special wine. Very young still, and barely ready. Took a couple of hours to properly open up.
Graphite, chocolate, cedar and stewed fruit. Floral, or at least freshly vegetal aspects. Very 1990, with that obvious bruised fruit and chocolate aspect. Someone in the notes below commented someone thought this might be right bank, and that's right on the money. This has the character of excellent Merlot/CabFranc, rather than any hint of cabernet austerity or even any of that pure cassis. Bruised plums, chocolate, haunting fragrance. Hints of truffle. The bouquet could almost be from Piedmont :P Palate is youthful. Stern structure, hints of leather, but with 1990 generosity: not a million miles away from the style and profile of the 1990 Cos d'Estournel. Sweetish and good without food. Almost hedonistic. Falstaff, not King Henry. This will go on for a couple of decades, though the acid is not terribly high I think and I don't think it will make exceedingly old bones.
Criticisms..... perhaps a bit rustic in some ways, perhaps not quite as long and complex as it could be. Slightly hollow in the middle? Lacking a bit of precision really. Utterly enjoyable, though, perhaps, it's not as Pauillac and Latour as it should be.
96(+?)
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8/25/2019 - King Julien wrote: 98 Points
Decanted 4 hours. Outstanding Bordeaux!
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8/1/2019 - dream Likes this wine: 96 Points
A great showing tonight of a Latour that seems fully developed and integrated. Just a beautifully layered wine with flavors of dark fruits, dark chocolate and walnuts that lead to an ultra-complex finish with notes of es of sweet earth and dazzling graphite minerals. Awesome. At Vaucluse.
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7/10/2019 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for three hours before serving. Graphite, pencil shaving, ripe black fruit, leather, perfume and cinnamon roll. Expressive and classy on the palate in a harmonious manner. Drinking in the zone. Likely to stay in this plateau for a long time.
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6/25/2019 - curtr Likes this wine:
I have been told that Latour needs to be aged 30 years before it starts to show development. At 29 there is a nice presence of leather and the wine is unfolding. I found it improved over 3 hours. This is a special wine with grace rather than intensity.
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6/16/2019 - VDLT Wine Likes this wine:
Some 1990 1st growths etc (Chez Herb Wollowick): I imagine if I doled out points for wines, I would have been tempted to issue something near perfection here. The structure, individual components all were immensely impressive...and the wine appears to be merely in early adolescence, seemingly capable of living forever. Yet, tonight, my quibble was a lack of enough distinct personality. The Lafite has more soul.
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5/20/2019 - salil wrote: 96 Points
A phenomenal wine, still surprisingly youthful with a lot of richness to the fruit and enough tannin here that it needed a couple of hours of air to soften and open up aromatically. But this is more than worth the wait - the aromatics are stellar with graphite, walnut, tobacco, cedar wood, and more earthy and leathery notes emerging with air, and a core of rich black fruit beneath. The palate presence is regal - remarkably polished and graceful, with the richness of the vintage coming through, and finishing with impressive length.
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5/3/2019 - Elpaninaro Likes this wine:
deepish garnet color with slight bricking at the rim, classic cedar and cassis nose, on the palate a fine depth of ripe cassis fruit, soft tannins resolving, fine length, still a bit of oak sticking out on the palate, surprisingly relaxed and friendly but this bottle also seems to be somewhat reserved, following on the heels of 82 and 86 Mouton might impact that impression, an elegant Latour and most enjoyable- but this bottle was somewhat reluctant to show its full glory, possibly a passing phase.
**** for this bottle, now to 2035.
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5/1/2019 - dcwino wrote: 97 Points
Jailbreak Wine Dinner - 08 Cristal, 16 PYCM Remilly and etc. (St. Anselm): Initially a bit musty but quickly blows off. Expressive hedonistic nose displaying opulent black fruit, creme de cassis, crushed blueberry, black cherry, roasted fruit, caramel, cedar, a hint of black truffle, lead pencil and earth. Excellent concentration, layers upon layers of opulent black fruit, silky and polished, bright acidity, good mineral expression, fine tannins and a seamless long black fruit driven finish with lead pencil at the end. Beautifully expressing the 90 ripe black fruit yet remains very classic. Excellent showing.
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4/29/2019 - Sotto325 wrote: 97 Points
Just perfect Latour now. Somewhat reminiscent of the the 1952 in that it carries both the classic Latour purple grandeur in its masculine profile and a bit more of some very nice but not overdone fruit. Dark purple/deep garnet hue, with a nose that screams classic Latour: dark red and black berries,old oak, elegant dark soil, sous bois, a hint of cigar box, and an endless scent even while drinking. On the palate, the 1990 is in perfect tannic balance, with a complete and non- ending finish. This will persist in nice form for a long time.
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4/27/2019 - fcxj wrote: 94 Points
Latour dinner. Showed well tonight, surprisingly not far off 1982 level. Some acidity here.
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3/11/2019 - DickMull wrote: 97 Points
First of all, all these observations should be considered in the context of the fact (or my wholehearted opinion) that this behemoth is years away from being truly mature. I don't think I've ever had such an intriguing bottle of wine. The nose at first was full of black fruit, black earth and graphite, with bold scents of mint and anise. The palate was dark red fruit in front, and blackish on the mid palate, finishing with prominent tannins. There was a discernible presence of Brett as well. Its appearance was dark garnet with slight bricking around the edges. It evolved noticeably over 5 hours, with the fruit profiles gradually darkening. Flavors of cassis, tea, currants, autumn leaves were present throughout, but the Brett disappeared, and the initially drying tannins grew ever more subtle as the evening went on. It is big, bold, and will be one for the ages. If you really want to drink some now, please decant it for at least 4 hours, and then take your time and see how it changes as it continues to evolve in the glass.
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2/3/2019 - Keith Levenberg Likes this wine: 96 Points
2nd Annual Sommelier Appreciation Dinner (Undisclosed Location): Surely a 50+ year wine. Aromas are tight, with a bit of walnut. This is seriously tannic but in an appropriately grand fashion, arching like a cathedral. It's packed with deep, dark blueberry and blackberry fruit, piercingly intense and saturating (and it would have to be to charge through all that structure - which it does). This is still youthfully inky and primary compared to the Lafite and if I preferred the Lafite by a notch it was only for that reason; this is not as far along but it's gonna be an epic journey.
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2/3/2019 - dcwino wrote: 97 Points
Sommelier Appreciation Dinner 2019 (The Brown Residence): Perfectly harmonious nose displaying decadent yet very precise black fruit, crème de cassis, crushed blackberry and blueberry mix, strong lead pencil, a hint of green, cedar and earth. Exceptional balance, very finely layered ripe yet pure black fruit, silky and polished, good acidity and mineral, and a long cassis driven finish with strong lead pencil and a hint of green at the end. This clearly demonstrated the 90 ripeness yet it remains beautifully balanced and perfectly harmonious. Although it shows exceptional concentration, it seems lighter compare to the 90 Margaux. However, it is more precise and very “claret”.
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2/3/2019 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
Even though this was from a magnum, interestingly, it seemed softer, more approachable and even more open than some bottles I've tasted from a 750. On the way to silky in texture, the wine showed loads of ripe, round, sweet, fleshy fruits with soft tannins and freshness in the spicy, cedar and tobacco leaf filled, red berry finish. At close to 30, if you are holding this in your cellar, it is a good tie to start popping a cork.
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1/29/2019 - tinybubbles wrote:
A lot of variability with this wine. Not a great bottle. Would have been 90-
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1/19/2019 - King Julien wrote: 97 Points
Decanted 4 hours. Consistent with previous note. Another great bottle!
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12/22/2018 - dream Likes this wine: 95 Points
This was the most brooding of the ‘90’s with plenty of structure and silky power. It improved greatly in the glass and showed classic vineyard notes of walnuts, blackish fruits and sweet earth. Finishes complex and minerally but also holding something back. 95+ At Daniel game dinner.
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12/16/2018 - King Julien wrote: 97 Points
Decanted 4 hours. Nose continued to blossom over the 2 hours following. Very nice and expect more to be had in the future.
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12/14/2018 - Clogston Likes this wine: 100 Points
Opened and decanted for 2 hours then back in bottle before going out to dinner. Had small taste on opening. Nose was moderate barnyard on opening but became beautiful in the glass at the restaurant. Had Dom Perignon with first courses (venison pate, duck sliders and jerk octopus). Followed with this bottle with bone marrow w/escargot followed by beef tenderloin with foie gras. Paired beautifully. Wonderful complexity. Tannins were subtle and well balanced. Medium body. Long finish.
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11/28/2018 - Collector1855 wrote: 99 Points
Chateau Latour - 30 year vertical (1983-2010) tasted blind (Switzerland): Expressive and beautiful nose here with dark fruit, exotic aromas of red fruit as well, barnyard, sweet spices. Lush palate, very good structure. I really liked this. Mature Bordeaux at its best.
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10/30/2018 - jdtonic Likes this wine: 97 Points
Very very tasty wine.
Wow. Going to side by side with the Margaux 90.
The Marge nose is better, but the Latour has more grit.
On day two the Marge has lightened in profile, and more raspberries and young cherries than cassis yesterday. The Latour has like become a rioja with plums leather and a lot of Rutherford dust—or La Mancha Dust, fine..
Sorry for shitty notes. I got tired of writing “cassis” and the rest of it, and been busy n high. Dream Living, your winos, you get it...
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9/28/2018 - dream Likes this wine: 95 Points
This has really improved over the past few years although it's still a bit short of peak. Delicious dark fruits give way to a fine, silky texture with lots of depth and subtle power. Finishes with classic Latour notes of walnuts, cigar box, grilled nuts and sweet gravel. 95+
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9/22/2018 - ericindc wrote:
Marc's 70th Birthday Dinner in DC (Oval Room in DC): Weird bottle. This was super, super green on the nose. The strong back fruit was overwhelmed by the green notes. Honestly, reminded me of an older Baudry Loire. Medium body, integrated tannins, moderate acid. Good fruit, but the palate was also overwhelmed by the green notes... and I like a bit of green. Nice, but not typical.
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9/13/2018 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Served semi blind, I suspected this was the bottle but also had a suspicion this would be here. Maybe as good as Bordeaux gets. Elegant and yet powerful. Tannins are fine and resolving but still present. Mint intertwined into the leather and currant notes. Really holds on the finish. Mature, but this isn’t going anywhere for a LONG time.
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9/12/2018 - cos65 Likes this wine:
Deep garnet red,
Rather backward on opening, but opened beautifully with an hour decant.
Rich mouthfeel, long finish.
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9/4/2018 - mye Likes this wine:
Still dark red, with slight translucency. This one has got 10+ years of development ahead of it before hitting peak.
Decanted 2 hours and enjoyed with tasting menu @ Meadowood restaurant.
Dark black and red fruit, cigar/smoke that's classic Pauillac. Amazing depth, density, and complex finish. One of the best Bdx ever had.
That said, if you have lots, try one. if you have one, hold for a while longer.
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9/4/2018 - fcxj wrote: 88 Points
Reticent and tannic. How did they not make a better wine in 1990?
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9/3/2018 - Verb Likes this wine: 95 Points
dark red with brick rim - beautiful nose of black cassis interlaced with bright red fruit, but not very much comlexity (I would be stretching it to imagine a lot of leather, lead pencil and cigar box) - but also none of the bret or vegetal flavors some of the other reviews described - the real beauty of this wine is in the body right now - massive full fruit with superb acid-tannin balance - a long 45 second finish - both of 2 bottles were consistent and matched a rotisseried leg of Pennsylvania lamb beautifully - clearly drinking very nicely now, but I'd wait another 5-10 years for (hopefully) more complexity to develop in the nose
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8/3/2018 - europat55 wrote: 95 Points
Nose: A Palate: A
My #1, Group's #4 (81 pts). Tasted blind.
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7/26/2018 - magicchef Likes this wine: 98 Points
A pure pleasure, enjoyed with good friends who are serious wine lovers. The first impression was: smooth, supple, and rich. Nose and flavors of cedar, tobacco, gorgeous fruit, and cassis. Dark red, very slight browning, almost opaque. 12.5% alcohol, thank-you-very-much! We drank it over two hours, and while I was half expecting the common decline to spoilage, this beauty only developed more smoothness and intensity. This is the joy of well-aged Bordeaux.
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7/4/2018 - camachodavalos Likes this wine: 100 Points
Extraordinario. Insuperable. No necesitó tiempo de decantación. Cien puntos
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6/22/2018 - rossi.wine wrote: 94 Points
A little barnyardy on the nose at first, and while this blew off to some extent over the course of the evening, it kept affecting the nose unfortunately. Nevertheless there was lots of depth - dark fruit, cassis, liquorice, tobacco, graphite, cedar. On the palate quite a contrast to the 1989 Lafleur tasted before - much cooler and more elegant, very polished and complete, very dense with lovely complexity and impressive length. Wonderful, at least in parts! Drink or keep. 93-95
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6/12/2018 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 99 Points
Latour Big Vintages (Berens am Kai 1 star Restaurant): Flattering, sexy, sweet, powerful, balanced, no limits. 99+
For me WOTN after 59
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6/2/2018 - dcwino wrote: 99 Points
Annual gathering with Chicago winos in Chicago - Burgs, old Bordeauxs, Cult Cabs and SQN (Smyth and The Loyalist - Chicago IL): Exquisite nose displaying perfectly ripe rich black fruit, crème de cassis, Asian medicine, leather, caramel, cedar, lead pencil and earth. Incredibly concentrated yet perfectly balanced palate, layers upon layers of decadent cassis, unctuous and dense yet silky and polished, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and the endless finish. Incredibly rich and opulent yet perfectly balanced. My guess is Margaux.
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6/2/2018 - Burgundy Al wrote: 96 Points
Wine Dinner Extravaganza (Smyth and The Loyalist - Chicago IL): Single blind in 1990 left bank star flight. All open 3 hours before serving. So much concentration and diverse elements, but in a wild and complex fashion I wouldn't have thought classically Latour. Easily the most interesting wine of the flight, this kept changing, unfolding and improving in glass.
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5/29/2018 - dharrison93 Likes this wine: 99 Points
Thrilling. Drank with friends at a local restaurant after a splash decant.
Perfectly mature deep ruby with moderate sediment in the bottle but not the glass.
Deep brooding complex nose of black fruits, spice and cassis.
The only reason this is slightly shy of 100 point perfection is a very slight, subtle distant green note on the nose which dispersed and wasn't noticeable in the mouth.
20 years of fantastic drinking ahead with no indication of fruit decline.
If a date, this was a drop-dead sexy 35 year old corporate executive who hangs her Chanel & Armani wardrobe on your bed footboard.
AAA+ I cannot wait for an opportunity to open the remaining siblings.
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4/23/2018 - camachodavalos Likes this wine: 100 Points
Tobacco and leather. Cork with defects but wine perfect and smooth. Typical french Bordeaux flavors and smells. Non fruity. Extraordinary. It had only 1/2 hour decanting. Should have done it earlier.
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4/22/2018 - AllRed wrote: 89 Points
Second Sunday Group: Chateau Latour vertical (Frank's (hosted by Marty)): Double blind. Deep core with some bricking. This starts out a little weedy and vegetal, qualities which never blow off and I find distracting. There are red berry and currant notes underneath. Tannic and firm, with red currant and flavors akin to a wet bale of hay, some might say horse blanket, but I say this is more "vegetal" than "animal," therefore the hay bale. To me, this has a touch of brettanomyces- the same strain as that which afflicts the '90 Montrose, and that was my guess for this bottle. 89-90 pts.
My #5, Domino's #1
Group #2, 45 pts
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4/11/2018 - Ramberg wrote: 97 Points
Small and simple dinner gathering with some special friends, no formal notes.
The bottle (actually all Bdx. we drunk tonight) had been open for approx. 4 hours.
What an amazing nose, so deep and so filled with impressions.
Textbook leftbank, no doubt of from where this bottle origins.
Dark fruits, black currant, cassis, blackberries, lots of classical pencil shavings, English gentleman’s library, leather, cigar tobacco and cedar, fines stable, with newly polished leather and cedar, touch of forest floor, herbs and warm gravels.
Palate is just as intriguing, loads of fine and ripe rich fruit, seemingly younger than almost 30 years of age.
Darker fruits, cassis, black currants, blue berries, plums.
Some leather, earth and of course gravel too.
Perfect balance in this wine, its simply breathtaking.
Far from anywhere near at any peak, just drinking beautifully.
(97 – 100+)
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4/1/2018 - TheThirstyYau wrote: 97 Points
Started with a beautiful bordeaux nose with flavors of forest floor, barnyard, red fruit and a little concetrated intense nose indicating it had a lot to give - it reminded me of an older 58 Gruaud Larose I drunk years back that was impecable. On the palate beautifully balanced, a little softer than I was expecting (drunk with a 1990 Grange which prob exasperated the structure & fruit differences), lingering taste that wouldn't go away with great length and persistence. This was amazing, easily WOTN. Drinking well and will continue to for years to come.
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2/17/2018 - oxwombat Likes this wine: 97 Points
Enjoyed at 10TS in London. From Magnum; condition ex-Chateau. Decanted for an hour before enjoying.
Wow, this was an absolute stunner. Incredible aromatics, unfurling a nose full of dark fruit and cassis. Tannins were completely integrated, but there was ample structure backed by a finish that just kept on going.
What a way to kick off an evening, and happy to have shared it with friends.
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2/2/2018 - liber Likes this wine: 98 Points
Chez W, decanted an hour, perfect level, slightly worked, back on top form after more sulky bottle last May, more generous and with more material than 95 on same night, wonderful now and for the next 25 years at least, expands in mouth like very best, 2 minute persistence and wonderful balance and drive to last and improve for many years. VFI (19.5).
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1/30/2018 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 97 Points
Fireworks for January: plethora of top wines with great friends (Black Salt Restaurant, Washington D.C.): This exudes fresh forest aromas, Hermes leather, ripe roasted fruit, cigar box. Very succulent. Leather aspects come to the fore on the finish but not obvious or heavy. A very endearing Port like richness, here. Just a lovely match to the steak and its mushrooms. A wine at its peak, as Ken Brown said, and one of the most enjoyable of the evening.
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1/15/2018 - galewskj wrote: 98 Points
Big Bordeaux XIV (Kevin and Vicki's): Decanted 1 hour. Wow! This is one of the best wines I've ever had. It is completely open and delicious. It is soft and complex. There is a ton of complexity. Old world Bordeaux that is easy to drink and the palate is as good as the nose.
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1/13/2018 - rocknroller wrote: 98 Points
Big Bordeaux XIV: Featuring 1982 and 1990 (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Very dark red/purple color, 1mm clear edge. Decanted for 1 hour; drank 1 glass over 2 hours plus. This was really pretty on opening and despite recent notes suggesting this needed 4 or more hours decanting, that was not my impression on trying it. It was just so pretty and aromatic on opening, so I decided on an hour would do. As I poured this into glasses the smell wafted across the room and it was already apparent this was special. Simply a stunning nose of ethereal aromas, one of those wines that you just want to suckle, hold tight, and let the nose caress your soul. Sometimes, the nose gets all the glory, but not so here. This Latour delivers on every level offering waves of sensuous pleasure and intellectual delight. The nose is so sexy and aromatic, pretty doesn't do it justice; a perfume of flowers, leather, mint, creme de cassis, damp earth, blissful pencil lead, and a touch of funk. The palate is a harmonious blend of those same elements in a most elegant package that is texturally devine: cassis, bright red berries; this feels more red fruited in many ways, earthy, fine tobacco, pencil and well resolved tannins, on an impeccable, long finish. So good now, one can only imagine where this can go in another 15 to 20 years. Just a joyful wine of great purity and harmony. My and group WOTN in a landslide.
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1/13/2018 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 94 Points
90 Latour is still very tight despite 1.5 hours of decanting. Truffle, cedar, dark fruit, tobacco and earth. Palate is ripe and powerful. Still too young but the potential seems to be there. It keeps surprising you with more power in the glass. I think Parker’s comment in 2009 is spot on. The 90 is very rich and fruity but it lacks the firmness of some of the best Latour. I would wait 5 more years if you only have one bottle. Hopefully it will add more complexity with more time. A good Latour for sure. 94-95
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12/21/2017 - burgcamel wrote: 97 Points
After about an hour in the glass it began to open up and just kept improving over the next 2 hours. Beautiful full rich nose. Pencil shavings and tobacco and minerals. This is still very early in the drinking window.
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12/10/2017 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 98 Points
2017 Wine & Food Society of La Jolla Holiday Gala (The Lodge at Torrey Pines, La Jolla, CA): This pristinely cellared bottle was double-decanted (allowing four hours in decanter prior to funneling back into the rinsed bottle) and serially tasted over a 2-3 hour period. Effusive of black currants, dark plums, baking spices, lavender, tobacco and truffles on the nose, it is an opaque red, full-bodied, heavily extracted wine. Low in acidity, seamlessly alcoholic and with plentiful fine-grained tannins, it delivers flavors mirroring the aromas, adding notes of loamy earth and cocoa. With nicely woven oak, a silky mouth texture and impressively dense middle palate, it is an absolute joy to drink. The finish seems to last forever. This is classic claret in every sense of the term. It should be noted that the wine was still improving upon completion of the evening's tasting, suggesting that even more aeration in decanter would have been beneficial Comparably cellared bottles will continue to improve over the next decade, although no one would be faulted for seizing the moment. Drink now-2050.
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12/2/2017 - NoTrollingerPlease Likes this wine: 96 Points
Best bottle - X-Mas Edition (Restaurant 5, Stuttgart): Glass: Zalto Bordeaux
Not decanted, from perfect bottle. Clean, medium intense nose that need time to open up. Unfortunately we did not decant it, so it could not show its full potential and I could only estimate its true greatness: Very elegant, fine tobacco, pencil shavings, cassis, spices, cedar wood and almost not brett/animal notes.
On the palate an amazing experience: The often cited “Boxer with velvet gloves” matches perfectly: Elegance meets pressure and tension! High, perfectly fine and silky tannin, lots of dark and red fruit, combined with wonderful spices, pencil shavings and mineral notes. Masculine, without being raw. Very long, lingering finish. Still young. 96-97.
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12/2/2017 - ricknat1 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wine of the flight, but not nearly as good as the bottle i had in october which was decanted for 4.5 hours before we tasted so much more secondary and tertiary flavors were coaxed out of the glass. this was still drinking very well and i think is richer and somewhat atypical compared to other mature Latours I have had
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11/15/2017 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 94 Points
Château Latour Vertical (Vaucluse): A slightly quieter nose on this than I recall from past bottles. Still very nice with damp earth and and bold minerality over robust red and blue fruit. Nevermind, this bouquet is blossoming beautifully and has classic Latour terroir-laden fruit. Palate is lush and delicious. Big and rich but totally approachable and pleasurable. Opulent. My notes seem to be all over the place on this wine. This bottle is maybe just a click short of 95, but it is in the middle of a massive vertical..
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10/13/2017 - dream Likes this wine: 95 Points
This bottle of Latour from Kovac's cellar was gorgeous but fairly reticent and needed more than the 1.5 hours we gave it. Seriously silky and refined with a bit of Latour earth and walnut slipping through, it tasted very fine and very young and kept improving in the glass. Based on this bottle, this is a great Latour in the making but needs more time. 95+
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8/22/2017 - gondrik Likes this wine: 98 Points
Double decanted and served after 3 hours; definitely need to extract sludge. Developed superb richness over time. Have had a number of bottles over 20 some years and this was the best showing. Last glass, at five hours, was the best.
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8/17/2017 - gcarl wrote: 97 Points
Decided to open this with a Prime steak after seeing Jeff Leve's recent review, and realizing that I would hate not having tried it in my lifetime. My impressions mirror his. This has got to be one of the top 3 wines I can remember experiencing over45+ years of wine drinking. I probably should have scored it higher, but 97 is Jeff's score and I defer to his vast experience. I wish I had more,given the price I paid from a pristine cellar.
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8/6/2017 - MC wrote:
Decanted 45 minutes. Wonderful in every way. It a great spot right now, where it should hold for some time. Maybe not the classic structure for the ages (I could be wrong there), but boy this is wonderful to drink now. A
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8/4/2017 - Sean Tay wrote:
The wine looks garnet colored. It smells like blackberry, blueberry, mushroom, toast, cedar, black pepper and apple blossom.
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8/2/2017 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
In magnum, there is an extra level of depth, refinement and pleasure I have not seen in regular bottles. It takes some coaxing, but all the tobacco, wet earth, cedar, dark red fruit and spice comes out. Full bodied, fresh and vibrant, at 27 years of age, this is really drinking well. But if you only have a bottle or two, and you're the patient sort, if well stored, it will be even better at 37!
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7/29/2017 - Blair Curtis wrote: 97 Points
Voted wine of the flight when stacked up against 1989 Haut Brion, 1990 Margaux, and 1996 Margaux. This wine tends to be underrated, I think. People don't seem to acknowledge the near perfection of a well-stored bottle of this wine. Any score under 95 is underselling this wine. It remains masculine and verile, but the fruit quality and spherical mouthfeel are astounding. Balance is great. This is a great Bordeaux.
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7/21/2017 - smenzies Likes this wine: 98 Points
Decanted 1.5hrs drank over 5hrs (total time since decant). Nearly flawless...at its peak at the 3hr mark...but it began to decline at 5hrs. No need to keep ... drink now.
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6/3/2017 - JS1056 Likes this wine: 97 Points
It was everything one would expect it to be. All the adjectives to describe a great Bordeaux are here, cassis, leather, tobacco, spice box etc..
But like the Leroy Vosne-Romanee, it is really about the whole not the parts.
Interestingly, I think there is still room here for it evolve further. But why take a chance.
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6/2/2017 - eporres wrote: 100 Points
As perfect as ever I have had the privilege. The finish lasts for minutes. Decanted.
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5/27/2017 - Papies wrote: 98 Points
The Athens Wine Event to put all the others to shame (Paleo Reastaurant, Piraeus): Tasted blind.
The energy in this wine made us feel this was a 96 top Pauillac .
A masterclass of wine, so energetic,bright and this will last a few more decades . Dark fruited, light spice, lightest touch of herbs. Has that iron feel across , vibrant, good acidity and firm albeit silky tannin. SUPERB. 98,99,100 take your pick...
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5/25/2017 - DrZett wrote: 93 Points
Great 1982 vs 1990 Vintage Tasting (Rare-Bordeaux-Weine, Wachtberg (Germany)): Very young - firm tannins. A little too young in my opinon, patience will be rewarded. Shows great potential. Lots of fruit and a long finish.
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5/7/2017 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 100 Points
Blind flight with Margeaux 1990
all persons guessed Margeaux because the silkieness and roundness, Achim guessed the vintage correctly, I guessed HB 1989, a lot of iron, cassis and cigarbox, starting to reach his peak, the best 1990 Latour I had so far
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5/6/2017 - liber Likes this wine: 95 Points
2nd of 12, decanted an hour, perfect cork and level, not quite up to previous notes (last 9/13), now in awkward adolescence, still some purple on rim, fine cassis/black plum fruit wrapped round iron core, secondaries evident, but iron dominates, fine grain tannin obtrudes and the fruit lacks the usual nuance, aristocratic, long and concentrated though, will recover poise with time and merit much higher score than current VF (18.5), Margaux, HB and Mission surer bet for current drinking.
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5/6/2017 - D. Mitchell wrote: 92 Points
Tasted Blind this was a bit of a disappointment tonight, our bottle could have been slightly damaged as the cork showed saturation, and there was evidence of past leakage in the capsule. On the nose the fruit seemed very ripe, and showed some earthy mushroom, cedar notes. In the mouth, this wine had dark fruit, plum. (some in the blind tasting thought this was a wine from Napa) The structure and finish seemed light for a wine of this pedigree. We had tasted 1990 Lafite right before this wine, and it openly revealed the structural differences between the 2 on re-visit. I hope to taste this wine again soon, and from a bottle that has seen better storage to figure out if our bottle was representative of this wine. 91 to 93 points, My 3/4 Group 3/4
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3/28/2017 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 92 Points
1990 Bordeaux Blind: Highlights: This nose is a little tight with dark red and black berry fruit. Black currant and cassis. Also a little roasted. Nose adds some development with air time, but the overall impression is still dark black and blue fruit. Palate is solid, dense and robust. Very good, very big, but still youthful. Seem to be having large variance with this wine, sometimes it is so showy and spectacular, and sometimes it is really closed up.
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3/10/2017 - Burgundy Al wrote: 95 Points
Zachys La Paulée Auction, Day Two (Le Bernardin Prive - New York NY): Small glass, brief note. Decanted well before I got to taste. Black currant, black plum, dark chocolate filled with liqueur. Rich and powerful. Wonderful now with lots of clear upside as it softens and mellows.
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3/5/2017 - King Julien wrote: 96 Points
Decanted 3 hours, continued to open up over the following hour, and then was quite nice over two hours following until it was gone. Nose was good but a little weak.
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2/25/2017 - AllRed wrote: 96 Points
4th Saturday group uptown tasting (R&C's): Double blind. Rather green with red fruit, currants and herb notes. Loads of red fruit on the palate, well-integrated and balanced. Flavors of red currants and green tobacco. Tobacco and leather notes emerge with time in the glass. Guessed 1990 Pichon Lalonde.
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2/21/2017 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 96 Points
First growth dinner (Cafe Maxx, Pompano Beach, Florida): Beautiful bright ruby color. Red and dark fruits, leathery, tobacco, wet cedar. A blockbuster s in the making. Very drinkable and charming right now. It's hard not to like this.
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2/5/2017 - Rezy13 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Super Bowl 2017 (Alpharetta, GA): Dull maroon with brick rim; dusty nose, cedar, mushroom, wilting red floral and beef blood, green pepper, earth, cranberry, tobacco; slight medicinal on the palate, iodine, tertiary; was torn between Montrose and Latour but swore this was much older, this was opened the night before which may have had to do with its relative leanness to me; still a great wine; my #2 but group's #1.
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2/3/2017 - tinybubbles wrote: 89 Points
Not the best showing for this wine. Quite ripe fruit with a bit of roastiness to the palate.
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12/25/2016 - franm Likes this wine: 97 Points
cheers - so hard to rate without a comparable bottle open to compare it with, no reason this couldn't be a 98 or 99. Decanted, incredible nose, velvety smooth, complex and great finish. WOW! Thanks Pepere and Merry Christmas!
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12/11/2016 - MC wrote:
Decanted an hour but pretty good right out of the bottle. Medium red with some bricking. Dark fruit, cedar, leather on the nose. Round and full bodied in the style of the 90s. Wonderful wine that maybe is just a bit less concentrated than the best but certainly a great wine. A
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12/3/2016 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dinner at friends' house, with 1982 Pichon Lalande. Amazingly, this was not as dark or opaque. Aromas of pure cassis, opened slowly to show more cedar. Full-bodied but not as rich or concentrated as the Pichon. Long aftertaste. I would have expected more power and concentration, but that may still develop. All seven of us thought the Pichon was definitely a cut above.
Ric
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12/2/2016 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 94 Points
Another positive experience. A relative overperformer in the vintage. 94-95
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11/27/2016 - docjer Likes this wine: 94 Points
WAS SURPRISED HOW LIVELY THIS WINE WAS. MINIMAL SEDIMENT. LUCKY THE PEOPLE WHO STILL HAVE SOME BOTTLES.
HAD ANOTHER BOTTLE SAT NIGHT AND IT ALSO WAS BEAUTIFUL
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11/21/2016 - Nick4378 wrote: 99 Points
Powerful, structured, ceder, leather, beautiful red & blue fruits & stunning earth. As good as Bordeaux gets.
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11/16/2016 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 98 Points
Teasing nose with some fruits under the mighty tannin structure. In this period a little bit closed. Some cedar, cigarbox, decanted two hours before (50+5+14+19+10), 97-98
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11/15/2016 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 95 Points
Consistently great despite this fan's notes being all over the place. Beautiful nose, impeccable balance, singing finish. The robust Latour style is just slightly giving up secondary flavours and good development. Ripe, delicious, and very enjoyable every time.
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11/4/2016 - dcwino wrote: 99 Points
2016 Villa d’Este Wine Symposium - Kelly, Alan and Kevin's excellent adventure; 11/3/2016-11/12/2016 (Villa D’este, Lake Como, Piedmont, Milan and Frankfurt): Absolutely stunning showing. Hedonistic nose displaying decadent black fruit, cremes de cassis, cedar, a hint of milk chocolate, lead pencil and earth. Perfect balance and harmony, intense cassis driven palate impression, beautifully layered, silky and precise, perfect amount of acidity and tannins, and an incredibly long finish with cassis and lead pencil as the end notes. The bottle seems sweeter and more concentrated than the previous bottles. The best showing of the 90 Latour.
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9/1/2016 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
Drinking well, it takes little effort to discover the tobacco, cassis, cedar wood and earthy charms. Refined, and in between tannic austerity and elegance, the spicy, red fruits in the fresh finish pack a nice punch. This is a very good Bordeaux, but for Latour in a great vintage, it is missing that little extra something.
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8/31/2016 - Bressler wrote: 95 Points
1 hour decant. Smooth and delicious
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7/31/2016 - Sonoffalstaff wrote: 93 Points
Very good but see the comments below. Tried along side the 99 Grange. Different styles but slightly disappointed this great wine from the top vintage of my life didn't blow me away...and I won't comment on the crazy price
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7/18/2016 - jpwines Likes this wine: 95 Points
Doesn't get much better than a great Latour.
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5/7/2016 - King Julien wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 3 hours, weak nose, possibly needed longer decant or maybe an off bottle.
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5/2/2016 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still relatively primary with high quality red fruit. Emerging undertones of earth and tar, but without many of the tertiary Latour characteristics at this point.
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3/28/2016 - McKraftyWino Likes this wine: 97 Points
still a baby, showing beautifully
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3/6/2016 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 97 Points
Breathtaking bouquet of mature red cherry, currants, creme de cassis, blueberry, red cedar wood, spices, and damp forest floor. Truly everything you could hope to smell in a Bordeaux. Sweet red cherry tingles on the palate. In a perfect spot for drinking right now, the Latour power is dialling back somewhat and yielding to soft and silky berry fruit and rich earth. Not too young, not advanced, just sort of transcendent and amazing. Tannins strike at first but melt away nicely. Incredible finish. What a comparison to the last bottle of this (same collection). Spot-on.
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1/28/2016 - nywine68 Likes this wine: 93 Points
1989 vs. 1990 Bordeaux (Vaucluse): 89 vs 90 tasting. In this case the 89 was clearly better than the 90. The 90 had a gorgeous nose and was a very nice wine but lacked a bit of structure. Very round as was typical of all the 90s.
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1/22/2016 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 98 Points
Château Latour vertical tasting ((Wine Watch, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida)): The 1990 Château Latour was my #2 wine of the night. Gained weight the whole night and kept revealing its complex layers. Dark fruits, lots of cherry, barnyard, lots of cedar, fennel, and sweet tobacco. Full-bodied, with incredible balance. Clearly in its wheelhouse right now. Silky ripe tannins, with a solid structure. Very long finish, with lots of fresh acidity.
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12/16/2015 - MEKWINE Likes this wine: 90 Points
Served with venison. Surprisingly shy on the nose and palate. I would lock this away and try again in 5 years.
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12/10/2015 - nywine68 wrote:
A bit underwhelming given the scores and cost. Nice mature Bordeaux for sure but lacked the wow factor. Perhaps the cheese plate that preceded it dulled the flavor a? Lou reminded me we've had this vintage on 2 occasions before and it was underwhelming then too
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12/4/2015 - KenK Likes this wine: 97 Points
Drinking really well today. Dark bing cherry aromas with a dirty edge. Sweet brambly red fruit flavors with nice verve and balanced structure. Layered and lovely spices with earthy appeal. Very well integrated, nice complexity, broad deep flavor profile. Fine length as well. Great window now, but see it holding well, fully mature and ready to drink.
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10/31/2015 - crikel Likes this wine: 96 Points
This is the ninth bottle from my collection that I have drunk over the years, and this is the best yet. The wine has arrived in all its classic characteristics. Decanted and sat for an hour before tasting. Pronounced bouquet and fully open after that. Where can it go from here? Can it match the iconic '61 which I first tasted in '91 & it was every bit what this vintage was last night.
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10/26/2015 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 98 Points
8 Great Bordeaux
1.Flight Latour 1990 MG vs Lynch Bages 1989 MG
2 Flight La Mission Haut Brion 1989 vs Haut Brion 1989
3.Flight Mouton 1982 vs Latour 1982 MG
4 Flight Mouton 1986 vs Lafite 1986
Opened yesterday, Still a lot of Cassis, forest strawberries, ripe blueberries, great acidity structure, feels still very young, but a hint riper than the Lynch Bages, not so powerful than get used from Latour, a not totally perfect balanced giant
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10/16/2015 - fcxj wrote: 92 Points
Tobacco, leather. Pretty long. Highly enjoyable but is this the best Latour vintage of this period?
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9/26/2015 - Turtlerider Likes this wine:
I opened this with great anticipation. The last time I had it was at Christmas in 1997. Dad bought it as a future and paid $70 / bottle. The most he had ever paid for a bottle of wine at the time.
When I pulled the cork the air was filled with the pungent aroma of a nice bordeaux. I had a sip right after decanting and the wine was bright and acidic with lots of dark fruits.
After a few hours of decanting the wine was much more complex and subtle.
We shared it with my mom and had it with simple ribs eyes, infused with rosemary, garlic mashed potatoes grilled asparagus and mushrooms in a cream sauce.
I don't drink this caliber of wine very often, so I was expecting something really amazing. The wine was good, very good, but not $800 / bottle good.
Maybe my palette is not refined enough to appreciate a first growth. Two bottles left, one to share with my brother, one to share with my sister.
Maybe one or both of those will be amazing...
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9/12/2015 - The Vines That Bind Likes this wine: 90 Points
Far funkier than expected for Latour, more complex and nuanced than big. Sweet red cherries, thin top soil, lots of rusty and iron notes. Very farmy, this bottle wasn't perfect, damp hay roost beef, driftwood. Not corked, but odd.
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9/11/2015 - Alex H wrote: 93 Points
More powerful with flowery nuances. A powerful bloom of dark violet scented currents and plums with fresh pristine fruits. Long lasting and grand. Well framed and clean cut gentleman in his prime. Like a James Bond of sort. I though this was a Lafite rather than a latour.
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8/25/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
A good, but not great Latour, that is better on the cigar box, tobacco, cassis, cedar, wet earth, blackberry and spicy nose, than on the palate, where it should shine. Still young, this will improve for years.
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8/20/2015 - drwine2001 wrote:
A Dinner Focused on Two 1990 First Growths (Home): Decanted for an hour before drinking. Medium ruby through the edge. Strikingly minty nose, almost like Mouton. Slightly denser than the Margaux. Black fruited with strong green elements, coal, and higher acidity. Not THAT much more powerful than the Margaux. This actually seemed quite round and fleshy right out of the decanter, but it displayed more typical Latour structure and minerality as it aerated. Marvelous bottle probably at about its midpoint of evolution (at least if it is as pristine and well stored as this bottle was).
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6/6/2015 - george61 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Finally... After a flawed bottle, the second one was absolutely find. Needed two hours in a decanter for the nose to develop but the cigar box bouquet more than made up for the wait. Medium bodied, balanced and classy this is a great Latour
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4/24/2015 - Burgundy Al wrote: 94 Points
Wine Dinner Extravaganza (North Lincoln Avenue Loft - Chicago IL): In flight with Margaux and Cheval Blanc 1990. Clearly the most backward of the flight. Intense aromas of black fruit, liqueur hints, background spice. Powerful fruit is very fresh on palate. Long, meaty throughout. This bottle had been open several hours before serving, while the others were popped and poured.
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4/19/2015 - King Julien wrote: flawed
Flawed bottle, cork came out in pieces, good but not great.
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4/18/2015 - dream Likes this wine: 95 Points
Good dark color with slight bricking on the edges. Just a gorgeous nose of black currants, roasted walnuts and sweet tar pit. This took a good hour in a decanter to really start to strut and then showed a thick, velvety texture with deep flavors of Latour dirt with ripe black fruits, roasted walnuts and fabulous minerals. The wine has good acidity underneath and the finish is so terroir-driven with the flavors and complexity of the vineyard. There are notes of black smoke, bitter chocolate and the sweetest dark earth. With time to breathe, this drinks very nicely now and the only knock is maybe it doesn't have a full mid-palate. But go bbq lamb chops tonight and eat out on your deck like I'm doing and tell me how much better wine and food can get!
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4/13/2015 - gondrik Likes this wine: 92 Points
This bottle didn't fully developed over the course of 5 hours. It was not flawed but it never sang. Good wine, but not what is expected of a Latour.
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4/1/2015 - cnichelson wrote: flawed
Made the mistake, I believe of not decanting for very long at all. Do not make this mistake.
Really never opened up. I was very disappointed. Granted this was the worst looking bottle of this that I own, with a high shoulder fill and some oxidation on the capsule and a weird stain on the label. So maybe the bottle was flawed. Anyway, not happy. Probably will try again with one of my other bottles in a couple of years and will decant for a very long time.
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2/14/2015 - beatles wrote: 97 Points
Served vis-a-vis Château Grand Puy Lacoste of the same year, and this was superior by far. A very young showing, I was guessing vintage 2000, he harmony, the mature, rich fruit, the silky texture ...a complete wine. Thank you, IB.
#LaTour#Aalborg
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1/7/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
One of the best bottles of 1990 Latour I recall having, with its showy notes of clay, black and blue fruit, smoke, earth and spice filled cassis. Powerful, soft and fresh, the wine is long, deep and complex.
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1/4/2015 - emzee.mc wrote: 99 Points
The wine pours a thick unctuous purple with thick legs and minimal bricking and sediment. This is a testament to good storage. On the nose, there is a concentrated bouquet of preserved plums, earth, leather, lead pencil shavings and tobacco. It is so powerful that I can smell the wine all the way in the living room! There is even some smokiness in the end. On the palate, the wine is very unctuous with much poise, finesse and balance. There are prominent flavors of plums, black fruits, eucalyptus, kirsch and scorched stones. This is a classic left bank Bordeaux but with the power of an American cult cabernet. Great extraction by the wine maker. Finish is super long, lasting over a minute. As time grows, the wine develops and spins more and more power in the stem. It is amazing how light-footed yet robust the wine is. What a crazy wine for my first Latour. This may well be highest score I have ever given thus far. But well justified!
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12/19/2014 - CamWheeler wrote: 92 Points
Beat your 2014 WOTY Dinner: Cedar and pencil, some earthy/funky bretty, chocolate truffles and graphite. Tannins are still intense, though it has really good length and I quite like it, though more time will be of great benefit.
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12/12/2014 - Rhone Ranger Likes this wine: 97 Points
This was a charity auction wine of unknown provenance. Cork was intact but just starting to show signs of moisture at the top. Decanted for 3 hours then back into the bottle for a birthday dinner at a great french restaurant. I noted in the CT comments that there can be some off bottles, thankfully this was not one of them. What a beautiful wine. Lots of black fruit, tobacco, menthol, eucalyptus and mild spice notes. Tannins are mostly integrated. This bottle was ready to drink now. Sorry to say it was 1 of 1.
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12/9/2014 - la turque wrote: 96 Points
Phoenix Society Inaugural Dinner (Chez Moi): Consistent notes with my last experience with this: Showing a little age through lightening of colour, but no garnet/bricking. Gorgeous, complex aromas of cedar, earth, black fruits. Unbelievable depth on the palate, and layers of taste sensations that go on and on. Beautiful long finish. Was expecting a little more structure to this. Runner up for WOTN. Drink now or over the next 15 years.
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11/14/2014 - pablopilot Likes this wine: 99 Points
Hard to imagine enjoying a bottle of wine more than this one... I hope I'm alive to drink it at its peak! Tarry, tarry smoke and deep brooding fruit. An emotional experience that leaps out of the bottle and grabs you by the throat. Dark, dark color and winey, grapey vineyard aroma, with menthol and old Italy smells. Powerful -- would be inelegant if it weren't in such high wire balance. But not subtle -- demands attention and discussion.
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11/13/2014 - dream Likes this wine: 94 Points
"20 Vintages of Latour at Daniel." The '90 showed quite well tonight although certainly lower in acidity than most other vintages, it was hedonistic, warm and smooth with wonderful notes of bitter chocolate, walnuts and smoky earth. This was very "terroir expressive" and I could really taste the glorious flavors of this incredible vineyard. Still young but clearly filling out and pretty much ready to start drinking.
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11/11/2014 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for two hours. Strong nose of dark earth, tar and licorice. In many respects similar to the '82 but not as complex and without the same depth of fruit. Still, very Latour to me.
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10/31/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
A very good, but not great Latour that is developing at a rapid pace. Rapid for Latour. The tannins are soft, the nose is complex, the fruit is ripe, but intensity and concentration found in the great years is missing.
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10/26/2014 - jclary wrote: 94 Points
Back in Chicago for meetings, opened to watch the World Series. As the old adage goes, "there are no great wines, just great bottles." The '90 Latour has always been a bell weather for that adage from my perspective. I have had stunning bottles, and so-so bottles. Tonight was somewhere in the middle.
The '90 Latour is still very youthful, especially on the nose. Very drinkable, it shows some blue cheese and dark red fruit on the nose. Very deep red in the glass, with a long finish that really lasts. I have three more bottles, will be interesting to see where they all come out.
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10/20/2014 - la turque wrote: 98 Points
Winos Event @ Glenview: 1990 Chateau Latour (contributor KS)--A very close second to the 90 La Mouline. Showing a little age through lightening of colour, but no garnet/bricking. Gorgeous, complex aromas of cedar, earth, black fruits. Unbelievable depth on the palate, and layers of taste sensations that go on and on. Beautiful long finish. 98 points
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10/16/2014 - vindictive wrote:
Bordeaux dinner - first growths, blancs and d'Yquem. Bottle, fill and cork all good. This was breathing for about 8 hours before dinner. A big wine, more velvety than the older Latours -blackberry, cedar, earth. Very young, not that expressive. Really not a wine for drinking in the next 20 years (or more). Stands up to anything and (of course) will last.
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9/27/2014 - WildeMeeuw wrote: flawed
Paris Tasting in Zwolle (again... at last) (De Librije - Zwolle): Bottle was flawed... A pity...
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8/2/2014 - fcxj wrote: 92 Points
Length
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7/11/2014 - dream Likes this wine: 94 Points
To me, this wine has closed down some in the past few years and is not showing as much terroir as it did but seems also deeper and richer. Telltale smoky dark fruits with hints of walnuts, tobacco and dark spices, it has a thick texture with a lovely silky mouthfeel on the finish wth lots of complex mineral and spice notes. I look for this to emerge again in a few years and improve. 94+
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5/23/2014 - maw246 wrote: 96 Points
Brick red in the glass. Dark berry and leather notes on the nose. Very approachable and open. Was expecting more tannins. Dark red fruits, leather and cigar box notes on the palate. Long finish.
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3/6/2014 - LWI wrote: 99 Points
1990 Bordeaux Horizontal: Blind. Wonderful sweet-and-sour deep dark fruit, some mint, minerals and black currants, smokey, very complex; Even better in the mouth, unbelievable length, fresh, still some tannins – but not overly so and they are well integrated. The most impressive characteristic was an absolutely stunning finish.
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2/24/2014 - subtlet Likes this wine: 95 Points
1990 Bordeaux Dinner (Noisette, Portland, OR): Lots of scents show in the glass here, giving the nose great complexity. Deep earth works with strawberries and deep blackberries on the dark side. On the lighter side, scents of hibiscus and nutmeg bring more character. Everything is in balance as well. It's very delicate on the start, with lovely acid giving even texture all the way across the palate. A wave of blackberries and strawberries flow across the palate with great elegance. The acidity shows some grapefruit character on the mid palate. The finish is incredibly long, with the lovely acidity creating echoes of fruit that resonate as the experience slowly fades. This is gorgeous!
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2/21/2014 - macker100 wrote: 97 Points
Over lunch, amazing nose of blackberries, graphite. incense. Full bodied and rich, has the depth to carry on for decades. Second to Montrose of the '90s I have tried.
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2/12/2014 - Veritas 53 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Latour Grand vin Tasting 62, 70, 71, 86, 89, 90 & 1929
1989 & 1990 served in one flight.
Appearance ; dark red, clear , bright
Nose; dark fruit , tannins, chocolate tar
Palate; tannins are soft yet strong, sea foam , tar, dark fruit, fresh multi layer big massive body , long finish, a dreamy mesmerizing wine has the wow factor. Most friends preferred the 1989 but not me
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2/11/2014 - Average Wine Guy (MH) wrote: 95 Points
The 1990 Château Latour Grand Vin is medium (+) garnet, almost dark brick like in colour with a nose of dusty, sweet rosewood, dried prunes, dried plums, fresh rosemary and thyme. A very fresh nose and even slightly sweet.
On the palate, the wine displays a soft and balanced entry of fresh, sweet, purple thin-skinned currants. There's some amazing fruit freshness there. This progresses to sweet incense followed by refreshing herbs with slight mint. Slight pencil shavings is noticeable at the end. Tannins are rather refined and silky. Pretty dense palate with a lot of balance and elegance. A subtle and fine drive that powers the wine on a long, memorable finish. Commendable freshness, and definitely have many years ahead. 95+.
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1/12/2014 - dchain wrote: 95 Points
Brick red and looking quite mature, it is always such a surprisingly forward and expressive Latour. Cassis/kir infused tobacco and cedar on the nose like one of those expensive Maison de Chocolate Grenache chocolates! Touch of roasted caramelised walnuts and leather. There really is a lot of fun on the nose. Palate is all lush and giving with wonderful balance. It is completely ready and the acidity is fading so I think it is like to drink these bottles and enjoy them. 54 left in the Chairman's cellar thankfully!
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12/30/2013 - jeremy@ Likes this wine: 96 Points
Dinner at the Fung's! (Fung's): Decanted. very floral on the nose. very elegant. the wine itself very well balanced with lots of floral and black fruit. super silky tannins.
it feels like it's definitely ready to be drank right now! in fact we had two bottles of it!
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12/21/2013 - johnh1001 wrote: 95 Points
Very similar to the bottle we had in June although this was more earthy. Stunning wine.
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12/19/2013 - Wine_lvr wrote: 95 Points
Latour Vertical Tasting; 12/19/2013-12/20/2013 (Switzerland): Clear red showing some first signs of aging. Nose of horse saddle and barn. The wine is very elegant, shows extremely smooth tannins, nice red berries. This is really an easy drinking Latour. Now at the beginning of its maturity.
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12/3/2013 - Lord Rayas wrote: 95 Points
Juliano's 40th (The Principal): youthful, powerful structure. overshadowed by Margaux 90's charm and finesse.
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11/21/2013 - il_diavolo wrote: 96 Points
Violet colour. Lots of cedar and charcoal on the nose - more than fruit. Palate is slightly more evolved than I would have guessed with blackcurrant fruit, cedar and tobacco. The charcoal tinged finish is long, very long. Classy wine, though I'm not sure it improves a lot from here.
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11/7/2013 - kenv Likes this wine: 98 Points
WCC St. Julien (Cafe Capriccio, Albany, NY): [Double-decanted at 2:30pm.] Served blind. OMG!!! This is a monumental wine. Black fruit in the nose and mouth. Seems much more Pauillac than St. Julien.
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11/7/2013 - BaroloRob wrote: 94 Points
Lots of graphite. Still fair amount of fruit. Tasty for a bordeaux.
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10/15/2013 - LWI wrote: 96 Points
27 Vintages of Latour: Massive wine, structured and with good acidity, becomes richer in the glass, not the longest. 96p for now
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10/13/2013 - Winekrupt Likes this wine: 97 Points
Funky as hell on opening. When approaching a wine of this age I am always worried that the decanting might destroy rather than enhance it. But this wine, despite its 23 years of age, really benefited from the air time. After minutes it started to open, but sadly, as is the problem, we were drinking through the minutes, and like usual, the last half glass was the best by far. Cigar box, black current, plum, baking spice and a little leather (yes, we ended on leather- but we started with the steer!). Like all of the great wines, no one dominant aroma or flavour, just great intensity of everything. Amazingly fresh, so much of the fruit still in tact. The pallet mirrors the bouquet, with a hint of earth also coming into play. I can't see this getting better with age, but it should hold for some time, and is drinking beautifully right now.
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9/20/2013 - Nutty08 wrote:
HDH '90 vs '00 BDX Comparative Tasting (Chicago, IL - Spiaggia): Another fantastic wine, maybe a step below Lafitte/Haut Brion, but that is splitting hairs. Fantastic purity of fruit, mostly cassis/cherry. Mixes in some tobacco and leather notes. Long finish. Still very young, maybe the youngest appearing of the '90s. A/A+
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9/17/2013 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com Likes this wine: 94 Points
Brown Bag Wine Dinner at Two Chefs - Double Blind; 9/17/2013-9/18/2013 (TWO CHEFS, MIAMI, FL): The wine looks Garnet colored. The legs are Slow. It smells like Blackberry, Black currant (cassis), Lead Pencil, and Cedar. The body is Medium/Full. The wine has Bright texture. The wine finishes Long.
Luis' wine. THANK YOU! A great wine, but for me the Bon Pasteur was a tad better.
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9/7/2013 - liber Likes this wine: 97 Points
Chez W, into neck, 1.5 hour decant, deepish garnet, youthful and bright, cassis driven nose and palate but with secondaries developing nicely, turbo-charged mid palate, long and persistent, complete aristocrat, developing nicely and probably the most accessible recent vintage and more to it than the otherwise excellent Las Cases 90 on same night. Very fine indeed (19/20).
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8/7/2013 - Fatty Cat wrote: 98 Points
0.375 L bottle, early Aug 2013, "dancing chicken" BBQ: not decanted; red brown color, like autumn leaves; in the beginning black tea, walnut, iodine; after some time creme de cassis, leather and mocha added; medium body; an ethereal, suspended mouth feel; long finish.
In the beginning I wanted to rate 88-90 points, however in the end it was 98-99 points.
I always wonder and argue to what extend autosuggestion is involved? You see the bottle with the big name, you taste, the big name gets bigger and the wine gets better with every sip ...
Rubbish, in the end it was a world class wine. It's as simple as that!
This wine is ripe but can definitely stay another 10+ years on that level.
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8/5/2013 - William Kelley Likes this wine: 96 Points
The 1990 Château Latour seems to have really hit its stride lately. An expansive bouquet of black cherry, cassis, truffle, rich soil and the signature walnuts soar from the glass of this wine, which filled the room with its scent when I decanted it. Bearing the stamp of the vintage, with low acids, lots of sweet glycerin and expansive flavors, its deep ruby color is notably more evolved than it appeared three years ago, and this wine seems to be maturing quickly. Delicious stuff, and more persistent on the palate than I remembered.
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6/14/2013 - Collector1855 wrote: 98 Points
Chateau Latour vertical with Commercial Director Jean Garandeau (Grand Hotel Dolder, Zurich): At Arvi Chateau Latour tasting, Grand Hotel Dolder. Dark ruby with garnet rim. Expressive nose of black and red fruit with forest floor and toast. Very ripe fruit enters the palate with soft tannins and good acidity. Great energy still for its 20 years in bottle. An outstanding Latour, voted a close second behind the 2000.
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4/26/2013 - BradE wrote:
A trio of 90 Latour, 82 Haut Brion, and 89 Lynch Bages. All were great, but the 90 Latour was head and shoulders above the others in this flight. The Latour had depth, and focus, and is likely still on its upside trajectory. The 89 Lynch was very good, and is a wine I love, but it couldn't match up. This bottle of 82 Haut Brion was good, but I've had much better bottles over the past couple of years. Nonetheless, I do think 82 first growths are past their prime (even the HB) and encourage drinking them sooner rather than later.
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4/12/2013 - pdrago wrote: 95 Points
Slight bricking on the edges. Lighter in color than I would have guessed. Pencil shavings, a good bit of tobacco, bright red fruit, and an impressively long and beautiful finish. Elegant, classic, and almost more Burgundy than Bordeaux. Wonder if it would have gained depth and weight with more decanting. It was run through an aerator and decanted briefly. Very pretty though.
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3/27/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
There is some bricking in the color, which is a surprise for a young, vintage of Latour. The nose offers cigar box, smoke, cedar wood, licorice, jammy plum and cassis aromas with hints of wild strawberry. The wine is full bodied and concentrated, but it is developing at a rapid pace and might not be a wine for long term aging. The polished, soft, potent finish is a treat.
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1/18/2013 - dcwino wrote: 98 Points
1990 Bordeaux dinner with Latour, Beausejour Duffau, Montrose and etc (Capital Grille Tysons, VA): Medium expressive yet very youthful nose displaying dark fruits, lead pencil, cassis and earth. The palate is noble, not big, impressive and expressive like the 90 Margaux or Cheval Blan, but seamless, airy and posses the perfect balance. Reminds me a great Musigny, not big, not sweet but cool and suave. Latour.
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11/22/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
An interesting vintage of Chateau Latour, the wine clearly has its peaks and valleys along its evolutionary curve. Fortunately, at this tasting, it was having one of its good days with a perfume marked by a spice filled nose, coupled with wet earth, smoke, tobacco, caramel, tar, cassis, blackberry, hot bricks and cedar wood. Big, powerful full bodied and still youthful, the wine demands another decade for the ample tannins to further integrate into the rich, black and red fruit filled finish.
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11/19/2012 - Sleepy Dave wrote: 93 Points
Alcohol :: 12.5%
Decanted for 60mins. This is better in term of overall harmony and liveliness compared to the bottle that I have had 2weeks ago. I must admit that the nose is better than the palate today. Broad and perfume, it has seductive sweet blackcurrant fruits, violet, cedar, graphite and complex by the crushed rock and sweet cigar box note. It is not close or too tight on the palate but you know that the wine is tightly coiled with lot of stuffs going on underneath even the flavor is quite complex for now. What stood out today is the freshness and purity. Heavy weight but the lightness to it shows of the class of a 1st. Long finished with good detail but not exactly great today. This could be better in another 5-7yrs but I doubt this will ever be a great Latour. 93+ - 95
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11/5/2012 - Sleepy Dave wrote: 93 Points
Alcohol :: 12.5%
This was served after the 1982 is still incredibly young and tight despite being decanted for sometime (should be at least 1.5hrs). Not the sheer depth and scale of the 1982, but the 1990 does show better transparency, purity and freshness. Beautiful bouquet consists of cedar, sweet cigar box, pencil shaving, graphite, crushed rock and intense core of sweet black currant fruits. While the palate is not as expressive and generous as the nose, the overall balance, purity, finesse and pedigree is absolutely first class. It needs at least another 5-7yrs for the tannin to mellow down and integrated more. Nevertheless, the fine-grained tannin lends immense grip on the palate and leads to the super long, intense finished. 93-95
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10/13/2012 - lepetitchateau wrote: 97 Points
Coming back to this wine five years later and wow, it has improved! Brilliant wine, hard to believe, with lower acidity than the 1990 Lafite served alongside.
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10/12/2012 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Opened about 2 hours ago. seems a bit underwhelming. bit of a bummer. the cork was stained all the way to the top. an issue? Maybe, as the wine seems a bit one dimensional. soft and bit tangy with sweet cherry and cassis. disappointing.....but at 4 hours, the wine transforms. It picks up more depth, more fruit and it shows a brightness. Aromatics clean up too, adding cigar life and spice box. Ends with cedar in the finish and while I don'tdrink Bdx all that often, for sure not this kind of pedigree, I'll offer that this wine should go another 8-10 years. Shows what aeration does for some wines and the caveat about judging some wines before they have decanted out properly. Really turned out nice, none leftover for today so the story closes.
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8/26/2012 - fdub wrote: 95 Points
Tasted at the Vinter's Club in SF. This embarrassed the 89'. This wine for me is the classic balance of power and finesse. Iron fist velvet glove stuff. The nose was rich and ripe beyond anything the 89' was showing and the palate had a richness and a body that was remarkable for a 22 year old wine. A lot of heft in the structure which bodes really well for the aging curve of this wine.
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6/24/2012 - johnh1001 wrote: 97 Points
Decanted and drank over 3 hours. Wow. Incredibly open nose of dark fruits, earth and cedar. The palate matched with a nice sweetness of fruit. Full and round in the mouth. Just glides off the tongue. Very young and clearly a long way to go. Long smooth finish with a lingering sweetness.
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6/2/2012 - Milos wrote: 95 Points
Drank at dinner with Heinz and the gang. Lighter colour than expected but no brick around the rim, The nose also offers light red fruit, but quite intense, mineral notes and herbal and wood complexity. The palate has light feel to it but is intense in flavour overall. There is no sense of tannins but there is no lack of structure. My notes mention the word long twice.
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5/3/2012 - steinersing wrote: 97 Points
bunch of Latours - short: This ex-Chateau bottle showed very well - very opulent and a bit exotic; understand the 1990s are particularly sensitive to heat - so storage and provenance is key
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4/28/2012 - jinks wrote: 95 Points
Epic KW Blind Tasting of 16 of the best wines in the world: 3/16. Classic old bordeaux. Awesome.
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4/21/2012 - pablopilot wrote: 91 Points
Delicious, but kind of syrupy and overripe. Almost syrah-like. Unevolved. Needs many more years.
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3/25/2012 - pakabear wrote: 97 Points
Amazing dark fruits, very clean, cooking spices, cedar, tobacco and cigar box. This was really impressive and has a long life ahead of it.
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3/25/2012 - dcwino wrote: 98 Points
Youthful Bordeauxs at Ruth’s Chris, Tysons including two 100 pointers (Ruth’s Chris, Tysons corner, VA): This came from the same cellar as the 90 Margaux, clearly demonstrating the importance of the provenance. Incredibly youthful, dark fruits, a hint of cassis, cedar, mushroom and earth. The Margaux is a bigger wine but this is a great claret showing the subtle expression of fruits, precision and perfect balance. Everything is seamless here nothing really sticking out. I however prefer the 90 Margaux and the 90 Cheval Blanc.
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3/25/2012 - mxpbuy wrote: 96 Points
Sampled 3/23/12. Took about 30 minutes in the glass to open. Blackberries, currant, tobacco, leather and some Oak. Smooth with still firm tannins.
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1/28/2012 - S1 wrote: 98 Points
Another Crappy Lineup (S1's Sunroom): All barnyard poo on first pour. Then the funk gives way to dark cherry, wild blackberry and wild blueberry. The acidity is still present and the tannins are pure velvet. Leather, tobacco and a real sense of place. I believe this is my fourth bottle from this vintage and today's was the first one which has been mind blowing.
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1/25/2012 - englishman's claret wrote: 96 Points
89/90 Bordeaux Retrospective with Hart Davis Hart: Early on this was overpoweringly oaky. Monolithic even. Thankfully with air it filled out a bit, dark fruit and tobacco notes cropping up - eventually becoming a little nutty. More walnut on the palate, beef blood. Absolutely drying tannin. An impressive wine to be sure, but not a moving one (for me, anyway). It needs more time to develop.
4+ to 5-
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12/7/2011 - dream wrote: 93 Points
A very terroir-driven Latour that shows that wonderful tar and walnut flavor. Lighter-bodied than expected but also not showing much secondary flavor development yet so let's give it a few more years. 93+
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12/3/2011 - ricknat1 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Open and flamboyant, the nose was seductive, full of olives and sweet, ripe currant fruitiness. It has plenty of sweetness as well as a gorgeous, rich fruitiness, but while delicious, was not showing the layers of complexity I expect will emerge
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11/27/2011 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
With a classic cedar, cassis, gravel, tobacco, earth, herb and lead pencil profile, this big, powerful, tannic, full bodied Latour wants to strut its stuff. Decanting is needed before it begins to emerge. There is a masculine quality to the wines character. It's a bit on the firm side. There are tannins that still need to be resolved. It needs another decade before we can know for sure what type of vintage 1990 was for Latour.
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11/6/2011 - Blair Curtis wrote: 96 Points
Consumed at a Commanderie de Bordeaux event. Also on the table were 1990 Mouton, 1989 Latour, and 1989 Lafite. This wine was the best of the flight...by a fair bit too. Showing great class, exceptional balance, entrancing mature aromas including cigar box and old leather. And the wine still displays that pencil shavings thing as well. But don't take this to mean the fruit is gone - it is there in spades. Plenty of ripe cabernet fruit to satisfy that element too. Love this wine!!!
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11/5/2011 - godx wrote: 95 Points
La Commanderie de Bordeaux à Vancouver - Black Tie First Growth Gala (Hawksworth): Decanted for sediment and poured back into the bottle. 2 hours later poured back into a decanter and served 60min after that. This wine was rocking right from the first sniff. Beautifully mature aromas of cedar, tobacco, currants and plums jumped from the glass—I couldn’t stop smelling this wine! In the mouth it’s full bodied with loads of rich, almost juicy red fruits, powdery tannins and perfectly balanced acidity. This is a really classy wine that’s complex and sweet with beautiful development yet backed by so much sweet and ripe fruit this was easily the best wine I stuck my nose into all night. Just a gorgeous wine that’s drinking incredible well now but should continue to improve for at least another decade. My WOTN. Outstanding. 95+
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10/20/2011 - Burgundy Al wrote: 97 Points
Acker Merrall BYO (Sepia - Chicago IL): Starts off rich, extravagant and opulent on the nose. Starts on the palate a bit more subdued, then layers upon layers of power and flavor unfold from middle to finish. Lots of structure, but everything in really sensational balance for now, with a incredibly long life ahead, with probably another couple of decades of potential improvement.
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10/16/2011 - dream wrote: 92 Points
OK, so I've accepted that this has turned out to be a lighter-bodied Latour which helps me put this vintage into perspective. While not a blockbuster by any means, it is a very transparent Latour which really shows off the terroir with lovely black fruits and walnut notes and the wonderful earthiness of the vineyard. While soft and lovely initially, it actually tightened up after 4 hours in the decanter indicating it still needs some time. It's elegant and balanced and I like drinking it but it ill never be a top vintage of this wine.
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9/9/2011 - Zweder wrote: 95 Points
Vertical of 15 vintages Latour followed by a 3* Michelin dinner and 11 magnums. (@ the Librije in Zwolle, Netherlands.): Dark garnet red. The bouquet still shows youthfulness with cassis, licorice and sweet spices, but there is also something vegetal like celery. On the palate a lot of juicy cassis, a touch of sweetness, some menthol, a firm amount of acidity and still firm tannin. Overall a juicy wine with good fresh acidity and a great length. Nevertheless the celery and other vegetal impressions make me wonder a little; will this ever be extremely impressive? With Latour you never know; there is still enough power left for many years. For today 95.
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9/9/2011 - WildeMeeuw wrote: 89 Points
Verticaal Latour (De Librije, Zwolle): Kleur: Robijnrood met een oranjerode rand Aroma / bouquet: Duidelijk een meer geëvolueerde wijn met meer tertiare tonen, vleugje maggi, wat caramel, wat kruidigheid, Smaak / Afdronk: Opvallend krachtige aanzet, royaal in zuren en tannines, enorme vulling, streng en drogend, tannines lijken niet volledig rijp Algemeen / potentieel: Wat mij betreft niet in balans, te groen en net te hard. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Smaak / Afdronk: 14 + Algemeen / potentieel: 7 = 89/100
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9/8/2011 - reichken wrote: 95 Points
HK- this wine was medium red, decanted for a few hours, beautiful nose of cedars, dark fruit, earth, and i know its hard to describe but when sniffed and tasted it seemed to be brooding a bit, reserved. this wine had a long finish, very well balanced and really just stood up as the King of the table. i look forward to trying it again in 5-10yrs and beyond
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4/10/2011 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
What a delightfully polished wine this is, not a hair out of place. There’s dense, sweet, ripe cassis fruit, a touch of cedar and graphite and lovely creamy texture in the mouth. The tannins are abundant yet sugar coated and at 20+ years of age it still looks like a pup.
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3/2/2011 - Fatty Cat wrote: 92 Points
Tasting ‘Chateau Latour’ at the Rheingau Gourmet Festival: decanted before the tasting; rubin red color; for some moments sulfur-type aromas in the nose, gave way to classic notes like cassis and noble wood; well-balanced on the palate; medium/full body; round texture.
Excellent, mature Bordeaux, however in this bottle I couldn’t find the outstanding merits a lot of the others tasters here encountered (average CT rating at the time of this note entry is 95.7 points!).
Flight III: 1986 - 1989 - 1990 - 1993 - 1996
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2/23/2011 - psmith wrote:
Charlie Trotter's with Friends (816 W Armitage, Chicago): Medium-full bodied Latour. Dark fruits and tobacco notes. Middle aged, with fine tannins that are starting to resolve. Nice length and balance. Very nice.
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1/2/2011 - swyang wrote: 98 Points
This is one most complete wine I have ever had. Still so thick, violet color, nearing black. On the nose an dynamite explosion of dark fruits, cedar, and other aromas coming in waves and shades. On the palate, oh man, that was so magically thick, full and yet so light on its feet. I actually was stunned to see that such huge presence could achieve a surreal airiness like this one on the palate. So impressive and yet so noble, almost majestic. I would love to try this in another 10 years, and I am sure that it will be reaching its poetic stage, which will be something not to be missed. Most seamless, edge free, yet enough tanning to hold all the fruits in together. A giant wine, one must taste this to believe such texture exists...
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12/27/2010 - Khamen wrote: 97 Points
Bold and dense colour in the glass, this just has something about it that gets the mouth watering - maybe the super-compact nose that is immediately evident. Full-bodied and extremely muscular, this gets that outstandng layering effect of the finest wines. Great purity of inky fruit and more than a touch of iron. Beautiful finish - fades away like a big power chord and leaves the air crackling behind it. This is a great Latour, but as is often the case when they make it this good it needs time. A bit like playing football with a baby Superman at the moment - quite awe-inspiring natural ability, but think where it can get to if it reaches its full potential. A real beauty. FRom now but really 2020+. 97+
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12/20/2010 - Wrighty wrote:
Just a little taster. Nose hinted at it's age and class. Palate was still very structured with a good does of tannin. If I had any would leave for another 10 years. Super nice however.
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12/17/2010 - Guy Des Rosiers wrote: 96 Points
This was tasted side-by-side with 1990 Lafite. Medium-bodied. Intense nose of pencil shavings, with just the slightest bit of volatility. Impeccably balanced on the palate, showing almost no sign of age (except for the relative lack of tannins). A beautifully structured Pauillac, perhaps less effusive in terms of primary fruit than the Lafite, but overall more impressive (at least on this particular showing).
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9/11/2010 - esburgundy Likes this wine: 97 Points
Drank from a magnum, still a baby and needed several hours to really show its weight and muscle. Going to be fantastic just needs time, with that said wine was well balanced drinakble now.
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6/26/2010 - Grapenut49 wrote:
Gift to TSS for helping with Chaumette deal
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5/3/2010 - dream wrote: 91 Points
After purchasing a case on release, this is the first bottle I'm trying in light of Parker having lowered the rating on the wine from 100 to 92 at last writing. Lovely ruby color with slight fading on the edges. Needed a good 2-hours open to begin to show itself. Lovely Latour nose of cigar box, black fruits and roasted walnuts. Lighter-bodied than I expected but quite elegant with a smooth texture and lovely balance. Good complexity with notes of fine tobacco and roasted nuts on the fairly astringent finish. I opened this perfectly stored wine hoping to disagree with Parker but I'm afraid he's right, this wine is a disappointment, especially compared to recent tasting of '90 Margaux, Lafite, HB, LMHB and Angelus which all surpass this wine. Bummer.
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3/5/2010 - chrisraub wrote:
Had in Disney with Dad. Seemed to be a bit past its prime based on the alst time I had one 3 years ago...
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3/3/2010 - Whistler wrote: 96 Points
HK Crown Cellars, pre-auction tasting
This was all about power combined with finesse and concentration combined with elegance. We approached the wine after it had been a good while in the decanter so it had already opened up. Black fruits, leather, cigar box sewn together wonderfully well. Although the '90 Angelus and Clinet which followed were different in style, they were all brilliant wines and it seemed churlish to declare a WOTN.
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2/18/2010 - eporres wrote: 98 Points
Awesome balance - cedar nose, light black fruit, forever finish. I've had the opportunity to drink the '90 Latour on 5 separate occasions. For 3 of those 5 I would give it 100 points, proving that there are distinct bottle variations based on a multitude of factors. Be that as it may, this is my "white whale" of a wine, and continue to delight in its pleasures whenever consumed.
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2/10/2010 - gigabit wrote: 98 Points
This was my first Latour and, without a doubt, was the finest wine I have ever tasted. The nose suggested perfect structure, the palate suggested balance and elegance, and the finish suggested power. I have never tasted a wine with such undeniable pedigree. I don't know what a perfect wine tastes like, but, for me, this is as close as it gets. This will age gracefully for many, many years.
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2/8/2010 - Roentgen Ray wrote: 96 Points
Young dark ruby color. A little reserved at first. It showed licorice, oyster shell, some dark fruit, and sanguinous meat. In the mouth, it is solidly built, but maintains balance and harmony. Firm silky tannins. Over the night, 2 hours, the wine continued to become more expressive and complex showing it has room for continued development. Hold or Drink if you have several.
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12/27/2009 - Harry Cantrell wrote: 96 Points
Garnet,deep. Nose was Pauillac with tobacco, dried spices, licorice. Taste was the same taken up a notch. Wonderful, but I see Parker's point that this should be closer to the magic 100 but it seems to still be slightly closed.
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11/16/2009 - rwstorer wrote: 94 Points
Nice deep red in color with a nose of spice and black tea. Classic bordeaux nose and primary fruit flavors that remain a bit closed. Still young and needs time.
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11/7/2009 - 60ouvrees wrote:
An outstanding bottle showing all the breed, class and power you'd expect. This was every bit as good as the excellent bottle tasted a few months ago.
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9/26/2009 - svdheijden wrote: 93 Points
Opened and decanted 4hrs before drinking. Deep red color that shows age on the rim. Classic Bordeaux nose. Red fruit, tobacco, leather saddle, but also green hints of have-we-opened-a-bottle-far-too-early? Taste confirms suspicion. Closed, monolithic, high acidity. Improving but not coming close to the quality it is supposed to possess. I'll save half for tomorrow. Then, I'll wait ten years for the next one! Unfortunately it wasn't really better the next morning. tbc in 9 years and 364 days!
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6/28/2009 - 60ouvrees wrote:
This was superb. RP might have underrated this one.
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6/18/2009 - Wil wrote: 100 Points
I don't give out 100 points easily, but everyone agreed this was a perfect bottle. I bought it at a wine restaurant in Switzerland, where the bottle had been stored in a cold cellar since release. The wine was fresh, with that classic cigar box nose and a complex palate that showed tobacco, spice, and some macerated fruits. The finish was spectacular. We kept going back to this wine over and over. In the company of a 1948 Haut Brion (not a great year) and a 1949 Volnay, this was the WOTN. My friend Dirk summed it up nicely: If it were the three of us, we'd want a magnum to share as an aperitif. Then we'd want a magnum with dinner. Then we'd want a magnum of this for dessert, and we'd still probably want some more.
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6/17/2009 - snordhoff wrote: 96 Points
TNs: Latour, La Turque SQN, LLC, Shafer HSS, Alban, Bryant, etc. (Rancho Sante Fe): Delicious. Entering early adulthood. Deep red color, deep nose and a nice round mouthfull of Cabernet. Blackberry, iron and very smooth tannins. Not sure if it will match my all time fave the 1955, but damn good.
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6/9/2009 - JJL wrote: 96 Points
Tasted at Acker BYO at Tribeca Grill - Paired with '90 Margaux and almost as good. Always reminds me of a baby '82. Cedar and eucalyptus on nose. Blackberries, plum, tar on nose. Tannins were big, acidity much less so. Drinking well but will only get better.
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5/15/2009 - JBBridge wrote: 96 Points
Drank with nephew ATBridge and three other friends as the last red wine before dessert at a dinner that included Burgundies and other Bordeaux from 1959 and 1969. This was a baby but a bulldozer. Decanted for 12 hours and then poured back into the bottle for another six hours. It needed it. Opaque, dark color (looked purple to me, but light was dim). Tar and black fruit on the nose and palate. Somewhat primary and monolithic. Graphite, earth, and other tones were in the background. Gigantic, thick, and mouth-filling texture. Tannins were prominent but getting integrated and binding everything rather than overpowering. Long, long finish. This will easily last another 20 to 30 years and will gain in finesse and complexity. Luckily, I still have two bottles. I will continue to pray for a long life!
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5/8/2009 - cab blends wrote: 93 Points
Disappointing given that this is a WS 100 wine. It had not been decanted and that may have been the problem. It did improve in the glass and had strong undertones of tobacco yet if I did not know I would have thought it was at the end of its life and needed to be drunk soon.
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5/5/2009 - HIT wrote: 93 Points
I had been looking forward to this for some time. I opened the half bottle and pored straight away letting it breathe a bit in the glass. Strong and thick nose of black fruit, earth/gravel, some smokey tones. Very impressive. Good structure and balance on the palate with still some smoley/earthty notes. A beautiful and long finish. Really nice. However, it seemed to close a bit down after an hour in the glass. I would leave it for some years before revisiting or alternatively drink it fast;)
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3/20/2009 - LWI wrote: 94 Points
Mouton Rothschild versus other first growths and second growths (Oslo): The darkest in the flight, only slight development in color. Moderate length (relatively to the others), still somewhat closed. Complex, good finish, but with a slight burned aftertaste. 94p. Group average: 2.6
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2/11/2009 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
Cassis, blackberry, grilled nuts and cedar sparked the aromatics. Still tannic. Needs time. When tasting it, I commented how much it reminded me of the Las Cases. As they are neighbors, that is easy to understand. On the palate, the wine offers a lot of ripe juicy, Cabernet fruit. While stylish, it comes up short for the vintage and a First Growth. The finish and middle are shorter than I'd hoped. This will improve, but IMO, as good as it is, it's not at the top level Latour is producing today starting with the 95.
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12/17/2008 - reichken wrote: 94 Points
drunk at lunch of Lamb Shanks at L'Accento- decanted for an hour, needed more but just didnt get a chance...very dark color showing little or no lightening around edges. on the nose a little barney to start off with but that blew off pretty quickly, then black fruits, black currents, dry tannins on the mouth, very well balanced, med acidity ad very long. it drank very well next to the 0 and 01 cos and you could taste that this one was just not as far along as those other 2, i guess it remains a bit of a brooding beast and will just get beter and better with age
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10/3/2008 - KellyW wrote: 98 Points
A real thorough-breed. Solid core of dark fruits. Copious glossy ripe tannins. Ever so slight angular finish. A stunning wine.
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7/19/2008 - nwk wrote:
Leaf and current notes, some brett?, earth, ash and coal nose- more creosote and graphite as well. Very firm with earth and currant flavors, some tobacco and fresh herb and leaf flavors. This is a really fine wine. Great texture, cool feeling with perfect balance. Beautiful and grand stuff. Love the weight and range of flavors. Not too ripe but fabulously mouth filling and compelling.
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7/8/2008 - peetee wrote: 96 Points
Opened this, the first of three bottles I have, to clebrate my daughter's 18th biirthday. Drunk just before another 1990 Pichion B. As I finished decanting the most beautiful blackcurrant aroma leapt out at me. In the glass it showed more maturity than I expected, with lighter amber/ red hues on the rim. Really stong aromas of oak, cedar, and that toasty jasmine / honeysuckle I seem to get with great cabernets (??), with some black berry fruits coming through. Flavours were stong: toasty, smoke, roasted meats and truffle backed by blackcurrant cassis. It was really good, but somehow not as gobsmackingly great as the 90 Pichon B of the other day. I will keep the other 2 bottles for a few years, if I can. I think the whole thing just needs to mesh together more.
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4/5/2008 - davidn wrote: 89 Points
This bottle was still tight and IMO needs another five or six years at least. The nose was overpowerd by the tannic smell; not off-putting but just hiding the fruit. In the mouth I could certainly taste the fruits however they were more muted than I remember with the tannins masking most of the taste. The finish goes on forever and the acidity is perfect for eating a "big" steak.
It was paired with a poached rib eye "Pot Au Feu" with mustard flan, fried parsley, bone marrow dumpling all in a beef-cheek au jus. The wine was a bit overpowering and I preferred the '01 Pisoni Estate from the previous course with this course.
(Don and Dale (birthday dinner) at the Plumed Horse Chef's Table)
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2/14/2008 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
Wine Specatator 100 pointer was far from being enjoyable. Weak, leafy, I am still wondering what happened? The wine didn't look bad in color at all.
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1/26/2008 - bevetroppo wrote: 97 Points
Opened at 5:45PM. Decanted to remove sediment. Something grapey jumped from the bottle as soon as I pulled the cork. The color is incredible, still a silver dollar-sized patch at the center that's completely opaque deep red. The color starts to fade only within a 1/2 inch of the edge, where it turns a lovely shade of red-orange. The first swirl fills my nose with rich fruit, enormous columns of graphite and slate. A little more coaxing to get tobacco and cedar. It's almost like every feature I associate with great Bordeaux is on panoramic display. The first swallow is fantastic-the wine has such evenly balanced weight that is possesses-what?- "presence?" It coats the entire mouth and though it's clearly got a tannic grip, the tannins are majestically smooth, standing guard like the bronze doors of a great cathedral. And this is just the first sip! Easily one of the greatest wines I've ever had. It can do 20-30 more years and just get better. My score may go up as the night progresses.
Well, my score didn't go up for two reasons. First, at around 7:30 the wine actually started to close down rather than open up. I would say that it lost 10-20% of its initial sensory impact-nothing wrong mind you-just started to go a little mute such that I couldn't in good conscience say it got better. More signs of a long and glorious life ahead. The second reason is that my dog, a big and clumsy yellow lab, is wearing one of those ridiculous satellite-dish plastic collars to prevent him from licking a paw on which he recently had surgery. Anyway, the hulking brute padded by a table that had my last glass and knocked it across the room with the stupid plastic collar. I watched in horror as the contents splashed onto the table and floor. The thought of getting on my knees and licking it up actually flashed through my mind. If you're going to decorate your furniture with red wine, it might as well be a great one.
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10/14/2007 - lepetitchateau wrote: 96 Points
This is big, lovely and dusty, pure and long. Yum; needs plenty of time.
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9/24/2007 - Paul D wrote:
Wine Society Famous Five Tasting - Bordeaux First Growths 2000 & 1990 (Merchant Taylors' Hall, Threadneedle Street, London EC2): Medium ruby, medium rim - most backward of the 1990s in appearance. Classy, perfumed, refined nose, cassis and red berry fruit, spice and hints of menthol. Classy, perfumed dark fruit on the elegant palate, beautifully poised, some residual tannins still on the extremely long, savoury finish. Just lovely, pretty much perfect - my WOTN, and undoubtedly will still improve.
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9/24/2007 - Rupert wrote: 91 Points
Famous Five tasting with Jancis Robinson (Merchant Taylors Hall, London): Very like the 2000 - shy on the nose, dense and grippy, puppy fat there - once again I found this hard to judge, but for many this was a favourite
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6/19/2007 - chrisraub wrote: 100 Points
I have yet to have anything that was so complete as this bottle. Have had 3 of the these over the last 5 years and have loved every one. Wish I had more. Had 2 with Dad at the holidays and at our blind tasting at Rosebud with the Hollebs and Moores. The 1990 Latour was the winner with the 1982 Cheval Blanc a close second.
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5/26/2007 - beecavewino wrote: 100 Points
Drank May of 2006. A flawless wine.
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5/22/2007 - P.A. Cross wrote: 99 Points
KA BOOM! I kick myself so hard for drinking this. It was my prize bottle, but I was anxious. It was sooo good. Incredible richness, full body, impecable balance. It also has a little barnyard and earth. The wine was a baby, no signs of age. It was drinking really well, but it has a long life ahead of it.
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5/18/2007 - Margauxguy wrote: 99 Points
All that is right with Bordeaux. All of the power of the Latour was subdued, replaced by seamnless integration. Notes from the BNO blog: Château Latour was the overwhelming favorite wine of the night. A hands-down 4 puffer. Velvety, suave, and with a palate presence that clearly showed its class. “Laser-like intensity”, noted Steve. It also feels very fleshy which I attribute to its softness. I’ve had this wine a few times since release and it is interesting to observe its progress. In 1993, when it was released I found it muscular and tannic which, combined with its massive fruit, was an impressive display of Latour power. A bottle that I opened around its tenth year in 2000 showed the same powerful quality on the attack, but it started to soften on the finish causing its length to be slightly curtailed. Today, close to being two-decades-old, it has clearly softened and is drinking very, very beautifully. Its low acidity and soft tannins make it sweet and seductive on the palate. Someone in the group mentioned that it tastes like a “Lifesavers Blueberry candy”! This is a great Latour, but not as immortal as I thought it was. I noticed that Parker recently downscaled his rating of this wine from 100 points to 95 points. For someone who preaches low-acid constantly, as if it should be the main virtue of a wine, Parker’s own latest notes (published 2006) on 1990 Latour include: “There is a roasted, earthy, hot-year character with extremely low acidity”. To age well, it can’t just be all ripe fruit, wine needs good acidity, baby.
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2/1/2007 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
HDH Comparative Bordeaux Tasting 1989 & 1990 (Casino Club): Full red color. Big aroma of black fruit with some steminess. Nice round medium red/black fruit on the palate. Nowhere near the concentration of the 89, but more approachable today.
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10/30/2006 - MRichman wrote:
Chateau Latour vertical at Danube (Danube restaurant in NYC): Gorgeous. Sweet, full fruit. Balanced. Still young, but passable now. Dark notes.
A+
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9/8/2006 - Eric wrote: 95 Points
Seattle Tasting Group does Bordeaux 1990 and older (Issaquah, WA): Mmm, bloody, pine sap, and dusky on the nose. The palate is dark, intense, with cranberry, a motor oil texture. Wow, the tannins here are AMAZING. This is almost indescribably rich but at this point extremely primary, almost monolithic, a wine of texture and incredible size. There is some definite brett ala the 1990 Montrose, very similar wine in some respect. This is 95 points for now, but the upside here is amazing.
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9/4/2006 - navantis wrote: 96 Points
not quite ready, but still delicious
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7/16/2006 - 128 wrote:
Dinner with the wife at the Hostellerie de Plaissance.
Intense berries on the nose. Good balance. Still young. I preferred this to the 82 we had a couple of months ago. My wife preferred the 82.
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7/4/2006 - festiva wrote: 100 Points
Served at PH's 50th B-day Bash. Opened at 9 am, decanted at 3:30, served at 10 pm with Comet's masterfully grilled beef tenderloin. I didn't know what to make of this wine at first. Not much on the nose: muted aromas of lavender, earth, wood, and red fruits. Big fruit and big tannins on the palate, but nothing seemed to come together. We could tell there was something special inside, but it just hadn't come out yet. It was only after we poured the wine into the Riedel Sommelier glasses that this wine began to strut its stuff - enormous, intense aromas and flavors of flowers, wet earth, cedar, and luscious fruit. I would have rated it 96 points at that time. However, I left half a glass til the following morning. After 24 hours, angels were singing around me as I struggled to comprehend just how F*$&ing great this wine is. Absolutely one of the best wines I've ever brought to my lips. Intense, balanced, complex, 2 minute finish. Not my WOTN, but definitely the WOTFM (wine of the following morning). Thank you Cometspider for this tremendous experience! 100 points without question.
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6/29/2006 - PurpleHaze wrote: 95 Points
Dense ruby color. Initially very reluctant on the nose, later giving up floral, red fruit and soft cedar. Initially a little tannic, with dark fruit, tobacco and cedar. Earth and leather nuances. Much more expressive out of a Reidel Sommelier than the Vinums 3 of 4 tasters were using this evening. Like a racehorse fighting to get out of the gate, this wine showed potential but never had a chance to open sufficiently to show it's stuff, even after hours opened. I think we killed a baby here. I'd wait at least 10 years before even thinking of opening another one of these. A classic wine, served before it's time...... Interestingly, a taster held a few ounces of this until the following morning and said that it was the rival of both the 1982 Mouton and 1989 Haut Brion served the same evening. And that says a whole lot!
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6/19/2006 - Eric wrote:
Old Bordeaux and young Cults with Jeff Leve (Los Angeles, CA): Wow, this bottle reminded me of the 1990 Montrose. Horsey. Amazingly dense, rich and powerful. Loaded with unreal minerality. Ridiculously young, but I derived great pleasure from this beast.
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6/15/2006 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
Young and primary. This deeply colored wine had aromatics of smoke, cassis, coffee, walnuts, forest and eucalyptus. Dense, tannic and chewy, but not overly complex or deep.
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1/18/2006 - dfontana wrote:
Drank this at an offline at McIntosh and it was wotn. Fabulous and perfectly balanced, velvety. Gosh, this was decadent and I'm thrilled to have had it and sad that it's gone.
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6/15/2005 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
Cassis, walnut, maple, tobacco and earthy aromas are at your service. Classy, layers of ripe fruit end in a long cassis filled finsih.
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1/7/2005 - Blair Curtis wrote: 95 Points
Wine Olympics (Picasso Restaurant, Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada): Now this is a classy wine. Superlative balance and structure. A more masculine wine, but not overpowering at all. Good strong finish. Tons of life left, but showing early complexity. Some pencil lead on the palate. Latour? (Group = 91.6)
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9/10/2004 - Joe Belmaati wrote: 93 Points
Copenhagen Tasting Group welcomes Tom in DC; 9/5/2004-9/10/2004 (Copenhagen): Dark red with browning and clearing at the rim. Notes of mustard, red berries, and forest floor. Fleshy round and delicious in the mouth with a nice soft feel. There was an interesting sulfur-like flavour component to contend with, but this was by no means off putting to me. I could also single out a tomato-like flavour ingredient. Good intensity and complexity and excellent balance for everything except the final few seconds of the after taste that seemed to turn a touch sour. This was not really a problem, but just a little something to point out for those that like to get really particular.
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4/25/2004 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
While young and primary, it had it all. It was also shut down hard, but you could catch glimpses of its future greatness. Cassis, lead pencil, blackberries and oak were part of the perfume. This wine is huge, complex and very extracted. The palate is overtaken by layers of ripe fruit that awakens your taste sensors. Very tannic. I wouldn’t be surprised if this wine took 15-20 years to fully blossom into maturity and lasted another 30 years after that.
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12/25/2003 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 91 Points
1990 Latour
10/25/03 at K&L's Parker Tasting of Latour in SF. Evolved color. Excellent nose, best so far. Palate lovely, soft, feminine. Fine. 5-13-16-7-91/100
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10/15/2003 - hcampana wrote: 97 Points
Chateau Latour vertical (K&L Wines; moderated by Robert Parker) (San Francisco, CA): 1990 Chateau Latour
Great expectation to taste this virtually perfect wine (according to most critics). Spicy, mineral dominated nose with a lot of my mom’s spice cabinet with more powdered chile peppers and some hot stone. Some black fruits coming out of the glass after swirling. Up until now, mostly unimpressive. But then came the sweet, ripe, vibrant and mouth coating fruit flavors that crowded in my mid palate. Lush, mature and sexy, this wine is at its prime and offers a finish to remember. If this wine was cooked as many claim, then I’m going to have to adjust my point rating scale. 97 points.
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7/27/2001 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 98 Points
Vineyardgate Wine Dinner at Park Hongkong restaurant in San Francisco (5322 Geary Blvd.): 2005-2035. 98+/100.
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12/27/2000 - winegal001 wrote: 96 Points
Opened the magnum as one of the wines for my birthday dinner at Napa in the Rio in LV. Wine was decanted by sommelier 2 hrs prior. Deep dark purple; luscious, powerful and very balanced with long, long finish. Again, surprisingly approachable for such a relatively young but powerful wine.
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5/20/2000 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 99 Points
Tasted in the cellar of Jim Poet. This wine has further improved into something truly spectacular. The color is deep ruby with a red rim, the nose is intense with blackberries, cherry, clove, and mint. The palate shows massive but supple tannins, carrying the same flavors as the nose to a wonderful, smooth finish which seems to last an eternity. This wine is truly special. Unfortunately, it was Jim's last bottle!
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9/1/1999 - sdr Likes this wine: 87 Points
Surprising tinge of orange already. Earthy and animale. Full and potent. Awkward. Interesting, though.
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7/4/1997 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 95 Points
Tasted at July 4th celebration at Dottie's home with the Poets. The bottle was provided by Jim Poet. My impression is essentially the same as 5/11/96, although the color is somewhat more developed (rim red-orange). Slightly more complex, with additional bottle age since last year.
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4/1/1997 - sdr Likes this wine: 98 Points
A modern masterpiece. Big color. Spicy oak. Marvelous fruit. Long. Delicious already at age seven. The reputation is deserved. Not a huge blockbuster. Incredibly stylish. Now $500, almost as pricey as the ‘82 ($550). First Growth Bordeaux is now priced in the stratosphere.
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3/17/1997 - winegal001 wrote: 96 Points
Had this on a beautiful Sunday afternoon during our college class reunion & Theo's last weekend in Baltimore. Dark purple color; big, rich tannins that slowly opened; long finish; much more approachable than I would have expected at this stage from this blockbuster wine.
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2/7/1997 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 95 Points
Tasted at blind California vs. Bordeaux tasting. Tasted as a blind "mystery wine." My impression was the same as 5/11/96, but many others at the tasting were fooled (thinking it was a lesser wine).
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5/11/1996 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 95 Points
Tasted at unblinded vertical Latour tasting at the Belgian Lion. Purple with red rim. Intense bouquet of currants, blackberries, spice and cassis. Big, tannic wine with blackberry and mineral notes on the palate. Long, tannic finish. Will last a long time.
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3/1/1993 - sdr Likes this wine: 86 Points
Somewhat reserved. Lovely fruit, though. Rounded tannins. Long finish. Fine future.
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