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Latour 1982
OWC: 75 cl
Rating: 100 point (RP)
Maturity: Drink 2000 - 2040
Tasting Notes (Wine Advocate #129 - June 2000)
As I indicated in the review of the 1982 Bordeaux, this is an unusual Latour in the fact that it has always been precocious. It has been jammy, forward, and delicious no matter when the cork was pulled, in total contrast to its two first-growth siblings, Mouton Rothschild and Lafite-Rothschild. The dense, opaque garnet-colored 1982 Latour reveals slight amber at the edge. Sweet, smoky, roasted aromas in the nose combine with jammy levels of black currant, cherry, and prune-like fruit. It possesses extraordinary concentration and unctuosity, with a thick, fat texture oozing notes of cedar wood, tobacco, coffee, and over-ripe fruit. Low acidity as well as high alcohol (for Bordeaux) give the wine even more glycerin and textural chewiness. The finish lasts forever. The only Latour that remotely resembles the 1982 is the 1961, which has a similar texture and succulence. Anticipated maturity: now-2040
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Latour 1990
OWC: 75 cl
Rating: 96 point (RP)
Maturity: Drink 2005 - 2030
Tasting Notes (Wine Advocate #129 - June 2000)
This is a beauty, but not the awesome blockbuster I remembered. There is a roasted, earthy, hot year character with extremely low acidity, fleshy, seductive, opulently-textured flavors, and a full-bodied finish with considerable amounts of glycerin and tannin. The wine was sweet, accessible, and seductive on the attack, but it closed down in the mouth. Interestingly, when I previously tasted this wine (about six months ago) from a bottle in my cellar, I found it to be impenetrable, needing at least 6-10 years of further cellaring. Based on this example from the Chateau's cellar, it could be drunk now. In any event, it will last 25-30 years, but is it the immortal classic many observers, including myself, thought it was? Anticipated maturity: 2005-2030.
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Latour 1995
OWC: 75 cl + Magnum + Imperial
Rating: 95 point (RP)
Maturity: Drink 2012 - 2050
Tasting Notes (Wine Advocate #129 - June 2000)
A beauty, the opaque dense purple-colored 1995 exhibits jammy cassis, vanillin, and minerals in its fragrant but still youthful aromatics. Medium to full-bodied, with exceptional purity, superb concentration, and a long, intense, ripe, 40-second finish, this is a magnificent example of Latour. As the wine sat in the glass, scents of roasted espresso and toasty new oak emerged. This classic will require considerable cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2050.
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Latour 1996
OWC: 75 cl + Magnum
Rating: 99 point (RP)
Maturity: Drink 2015 - 2050
Tasting Notes (Wine Advocate #129 - June 2000)
A spectacular Latour, the 1996 may be the modern day clone of the 1966, only riper. This vintage, which is so variable in Pomerol, St.-Emilion, and Graves, was fabulous for the late-harvested Cabernet Sauvignon of the northern Medoc because of splendid weather in late September and early October. An opaque purple color is followed by phenomenally sweet, pure aromas of cassis infused with subtle minerals. This massive offering possesses unreal levels of extract, full body, intensely ripe, but abundant tannin, and a finish that lasts for nearly a minute. Classic and dense, it displays the potential for 50-75 years of longevity. Although still an infant, it would be educational to taste a bottle. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2050.
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Latour 1999
OWC: 75 cl
Rating: 94 point (RP)
Maturity: Drink 2007 - 2032
Tasting Notes (Wine Advocate #140
- Apr 2002)
Readers looking for a modern day version of Latour's magnificent 1962 or 1971 should check out the sensational 1999 Latour. It is a big, concentrated offering, exhibiting a dense ruby/purple color, and a classic nose of minerals, black currants, leather, and vanilla. The wine is long, ripe, and medium-bodied, with high levels of sweet tannin. This surprisingly full, concentrated 1999 should be drinkable in 5-6 years; it will last for three decades.
Latour 2000
OWC: 75 cl + Magnum
Rating: 98 point (RP)
Maturity: Drink 2005 - 2050
Tasting Notes (Wine Advocate #146 - Apr 2003)
There are only 14,000 cases (only 48% of the crop made it into the grand vin) of the 2000, which flirts with perfection. Truly great stuff, it reveals perfect equilibrium, great finesse, yet colossal size, with a thickness and density that rival the brilliant 1996. This saturated black ruby/purple colored wine seems almost discreet on first inspection, but with aeration, notes of vanilla, exceptionally pure, mineral-infused creme de cassis, and earth emerge. Full-bodied and tannic, it should come close to representing perfection. Latour's 2000 is hard to compare with previous vintages. It obviously does not have the opulence of the 1990 and 1982, yet there is an extraordinary purity, delineation, seamlessness, and freshness to this wine that sets it apart from previous vintages. In any event, it is prodigious, with at least five decades of evolution ahead of it. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2050.
Latour 2001
OWC: 75 cl + Magnum + Double Magnum + Imperial
Rating: 95 point (RP)
Maturity: Drink 2007 - 2025
Tasting Notes (Wine Advocate #153 - June 2004)
A brilliant offering, which should be drinkable much earlier than the blockbuster 2000,the 2001 Latour boasts an inky/ruby/purple color to the rim as well as a glorious bouquet of black currants, crushed stones, vanilla, and hints of truffles and oak. A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance primarily Merlot with a touch of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it reveals a sweetness on the palate that is atypical for such a young Latour. The beautiful integration of tannin, acidity, and wood is stunning. The wine flows across the palate with fabulous texture, purity, and presence. This luscious, full-bodied Latour was surprisingly open-knit on the three occasions I tasted it from bottle. However, do not mistake its aging ability as this 2001, despite its precociousness, will last 20-25 years. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2025.
Latour 2002
OWC: 75 cl + Magnum
Rating: 96 point (RP)
Maturity: Drink 2012 - 2045
Tasting Notes (Wine Advocate #158 - Apr 2005)
The wine of the vintage? There are only 10,000 cases of this extraordinarily rich, dense 2002 that is as powerful as the 2003 (even the alcohol levels are nearly the same, 12.85%) . It is dark ruby/purple to the rim, with notes of English walnuts, crushed rocks, black currants, and forest floor, dense, full-bodied, and opulent, yet classic with spectacular aromatics, marvelous purity, and a full-bodied finish that lasts just over 50+ seconds. Huge richness and the sweetness of the tannin are somewhat deceptive as this wine seems set for a long life. Administrator Frederic Engerer seems to be more pleased with what Latour achieved in 2002 than in any other recent vintage. Hats off to him for an extraordinary accomplishment in a vintage that wouldn’t have been expected to produce the raw materials to achieve something at this level of quality. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2045.
Latour 2003
OWC: 75 cl + Magnum + Double Magnum + Imperial
Rating: 100 point (RP)
Maturity: Drink 2010 - 2040
Tasting Notes (Wine Advocate #164 - Apr 2006)
There are only 10,800 cases (rather than the normal 15,000-20,000) of the 2003 Latour, a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot (13.3% finished alcohol). A prodigious effort, it boasts a saturated purple color as well as a gorgeous perfume of smoke, cedar, creme de cassis, flowers, crushed rocks, and blackberries. Massive and multi-layered, with huge richness and low acidity, it is about as unctuous as a young Latour can be. It could be compared to the 1982, but it may be even more pure, at least at this early stage, than that monumental wine. The level of intensity builds prodigiously in the mouth, and the finish lasts nearly a minute. Disarmingly accessible (although analytically the tannin level is high), I suspect it will ultimately shut down, but it was performing impeccably when I tasted it. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2040+. What can one say about proprietor Francois Pinault and his manager, Frederic Engerer? A strong argument can be made that in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004, Latour produced the wine of the vintage, although it has plenty of competition in the Northern Medoc in 2003. Moreover, the bargains are the estate’s least expensive cuvee, Pauillac, followed by Les Forts de Latour, Latour’s second wine which continues to increase in quality.
Latour 2004
OWC: 75 cl + Magnum + Double Magnum + Imperial
Rating: 95 point (RP)
Maturity: Drink 2013 - 2035
Tasting Notes (Wine Advocate #165 - June 2006)
The wine of the vintage, Latour’s 2004 boasts a dense purple color as well as a classic nose of ink, black currants, sweet cherries, crushed rocks, and minerals. Even though it is aged in 100% new French oak, there is not a hint of woodiness. It possesses a beautiful texture, moderately high tannin, fabulous concentration, and a long, full-bodied finish. A brilliant wine from a challenging vintage, it should be at its apogee between 2013-2035. Kudos to everyone at Latour!
Latour 2005
OWC: 75 cl + Imperial
Rating: 96 point (RP)
Maturity: Drink 2015 – 2050+
Tasting Notes (Wine Advocate #164 - Apr 2006)
The colossal 2005 Latour (44% of the total production) is a wine for the ages. A blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, it possesses the highest alcohol of recent vintages. Different both structurally and texturally from the extraordinary 2003 (which I tend to prefer, although Frederic Engerer clearly disagrees), the black/purple-hued 2005 exhibits high tannin, prodigious concentration, unbelievable purity, amazing freshness and vibrancy, and almost surreal definition and nuances for such a young wine. It is a huge, fresh, backward yet incredibly pure effort that represents a modern day classic, but don’t expect the opulence and exotic sweetness of the 2003. It will close down after bottling, and require at least a decade of cellaring before consuming. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2050+.
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Latour 2006
OWC: 75 cl
Rating: 95 point (RP)
Maturity: Drink 2013– 2030
Tasting Notes (Wine Advocate #181 - Feb 2009)
The 2006 Latour performed even better from bottle than from barrel. Only 38% of the production (10,000 cases) made it into the grand vin, a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest primarily Merlot and a small amount of Cabernet Franc. From barrel, I thought it was a modern day version of the 1996 or 1986, and certainly the 1996 comparison still holds. I thought it was somewhat austere from barrel, but that is no longer an issue. This is a beautifully rich Chateau Latour boasting a dense ruby/purple color, a sweet, smoky, charcoal, cassis, graphite, and forest floor-scented nose, full body, an attractive freshness, and sweet, noble tannins. This layered Latour is one of the vintage-s top dozen or so wines. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2030.
Les Forts de Latour 2005
OWC: 75 cl
Rating: 92 point (RP)
Maturity: Drink 2006 – 2026
Tasting Notes (Wine Advocate #164 - Apr 2006)
The second wine, the 2005 Les Forts de Latour, represents 45% of the production. A blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon and 24% Merlot, it appears to be the finest Forts de Latour since the 1982 (which I had the good fortune of drinking out of an Imperiale and Jeroboam at Restaurant Daniel on the occasion of Daniel Boulud’s receipt of France’s Legion of Honor on March 12th). The 2005 Les Forts de Latour reveals a striking minerality in addition to gorgeous notes of creme de cassis, forest floor, plum, minerals, and subtle oak. This full-bodied, superbly concentrated, fresh wine should evolve gracefully for two decades.
Les Forts de Latour 2006
OWC: 75 cl
Rating: 90-92 point (RP)
Maturity: Drink 2006 – 2026
Tasting Notes (Wine Advocate #170 - Apr 2007)
Latour’s second wine, the 2006 Les Forts de Latour, a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot, does not possess the depth of its bigger sibling. Nevertheless, it offers sweet, ripe berry fruit, crushed rock, smoke, and earth characteristics along with good precision and savoriness. It should drink nicely for 15-20 years.
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