There are days when I think Château Latour is my favorite First Growth. Then I try an uninteresting bottle and think maybe not. To try to make a final decision on this epic question I decided to round up some examples and extend the list to include some ancient bottles to determine if Latour’s reputation for exceptional longevity was justified. Fortunately I was able to corral enough tasters to help me drink all the bottles.
Dom Pérignon Reception
- 1996 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon - France, Champagne
Nicely mature now; gingery and minerally. Strong acidity, as usual for this vintage. Will last well. (93 pts.) - 1996 Dom Pérignon Champagne Oenothèque - France, Champagne
It’s a distinct step up from the very good original release. Richer, rounder, oily, yellow fruity, less acidic. Really delicious but I wonder if it will last as long. At its glorious peak now. (95 pts.)
- 2000 Château Latour Grand Vin - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Very young, bold sweet cassis fruit framed by oak. Give it a lot more time to let the magic develop. Will be great since it’s a beauty now and it’s clean and built to age. (94 pts.) - 1996 Château Latour Grand Vin - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
An off bottle since it was more advanced than it should have been. Moody and stern and the tannins were too bitter. NR (flawed) - 1996 Château Latour Grand Vin - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
This backup bottle showed just how good the ‘96 is when it’s sound. Really fresh, bright, intensely fruity. Not mature yet since there's not much secondary development but so promising. No denying how delicious it is right now so don’t feel guilty if you guzzle it down. But try to save some for your grandchildren. (95 pts.)
- 1989 Château Latour Grand Vin - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Some brown at the rim and fruit deficient. Too dry. If this bottle is indicative, the ‘89 Latour is not a success in a vintage with many stars. (88 pts.) - 1988 Château Latour Grand Vin - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Distinctly better than the ‘89. It has the vintage characteristic of some coarseness of tannin and rawness of black fruit. Enjoyable, though and maybe a modicum of Latour character. Perhaps with even more bottle age the balance could improve and addition nuance emerge. (92 pts.) - 1990 Château Latour Grand Vin - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
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. (92 pts.)
- 1978 Château Latour Grand Vin - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
This is really quite good in a vintage much praised at the time but most have not evolved especially well. This one has. Very pretty fragrance softened by time and somewhat gentle fruit. Slightly too dry. Perhaps a bit past prime but pleasant. Very good rather than great. Intriguing though. (93 pts.) - 1975 Château Latour Grand Vin - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Almost all the wines from this ferociously tannic vintage have dried out and give no pleasure. Latour is a modest exception. While roasted and leathery there still remains an interesting kernel of cranberry fruit. The race between the tannin and the fruit is a decisive win for the tannin. It will probably go on like this for some time since it hasn’t changed in years. (90 pts.) - 1971 Château Latour Grand Vin - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Gentle and shy in Latour terms, such is this vintage which has evolved kindly rather than falling apart. Light cherry and some cinnamon. Nice but not memorable. (91 pts.) - 1970 Château Latour Grand Vin - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Nineteen-seventy Latour has always been a candidate for Wine of the Vintage, especially at this age. It still has the meaty, masculine intensity and concentration that only old Montrose seems to rival. From an era where modern levels of selection and vinification were unknown it shows a certain sternness and leather that are very imposing. The epitome of “masculine” Pauillac character. (93 pts.)
- 1966 Château Latour Grand Vin - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Not obviously spoiled or corked but far from a good example of this variable vintage. Just dull and tired. Sad. (86 pts.) - 1966 Château Latour Grand Vin - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Luckily this backup bottle was flat out fabulous. I can’t imagine any other bottle of ‘66 Latour showing better than this one which has it all. Healthy deep maroon color. Archetypical Latour bouquet of black, black berry, cassis jam, charcoal and damp earth. Medium full palate. Great energy and thrust. Just the right amount of ripe tannins. Wonderful balance. Wow. (97 pts.) - 1964 Château Latour Grand Vin - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Latour picked before the rains that adversely affected the late pickers on the left bank and avoided the dilution and dullness of most of them. Still, while correct, it’s not inspiring and the depth is modest. Not bad but why bother? (91 pts.) - 1949 Château Latour Grand Vin - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Mellow, sweet and simply stunning. Perfectly preserved very old Bordeaux like this develops honey and gentle smoke. Of course you don’t get the bold blackberry you might in the younger vintages but the tradeoff in mysterious kaleidoscopic range of smell and flavor is more than worth it. I don’t normally worship ancient Bordeaux or any other wine but this one forces me to recalibrate. A revelation. (95 pts.)
- 1982 Château Latour Grand Vin - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
So disappointing; the ‘82 did not show up. Most of us expected it to be Wine of the Night but alas it was not to be. It’s just this bottle though since 1982 Latour is usually reliable and a strong candidate for wine of the vintage. This one was slightly flat and lacked life and natural sweetness. (89 pts.) - 1961 Château Latour Grand Vin - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Another major disappointment for what should have a masterpiece. It’s not spoiled but it is definitely off. There was a lot of coffee in the bouquet but not much else. Medium weight but seemed even older than it was. Lacking the kernel of blackcurrant the better examples have. Interesting but not giving much pleasure. (88 pts.) - 1959 Château Latour Grand Vin - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Looks and somehow both smells and tastes brown. Roasted plum, old bark, woodsmoke. Turns astringent. Only the best preserved of these old bottles show well so this one may have been overheated at some point in the past. Yet at least one taster thought it was Wine of the Night though. (92 pts.) - 1928 Château Latour Grand Vin - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Even to survive at this age is quite an accomplishment. This bottle not only survived but thrived. Of course you don’t expect juicy fruit from a near centenarian but this example did have a whisper of it. Phenomenal complexity that no mere 30 year old youngster ever shows. Remarkably thick texture. Appreciated on its own terms there is a lot of pleasure to be had even if it is more for the intellect than the palate. Fascinating. (94 pts.)
- 1952 Château Latour Grand Vin - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
A late addition to the Latour lineup, the ‘’52 was definitely alive. Severe as usual for this vintage, it’s more about the structure than the flavor. Encouragingly it acts younger and more lively with air which is quite unusual with these ancient bottles. Yet it somehow shows its age even more than some of the other ancients. (91 pts.)
- 1962 Château d'Yquem - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
This vintage, or at least this bottle, showed a tremendous concentration of orange fruit with a hint of pineapple. Perhaps slightly less concentrated and sweet than monsters such as the ‘59 but all the more enjoyable for that. Not as many layers as some yet extremely enjoyable if you like orange juice. (94 pts.)
Big tastings like this always yield surprises. In this case there were fortunately enough to the upside, such as ‘28, ’49 and ‘66 to drown out the relative failures.
Check out this for an entertaining review by the Impresario of WineWatch:
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