Château Latour

"You can't know great wines without knowing Latour."
- Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate

With production totaling around 10,000 cases per year, Latour is the smallest of its First Growth peers. Even in weaker vintages, exemplary wines are produced. The decision to not participate in en primeur was recently made by Frederic Engerer, the general director, who wishes to have more control over the path of the wines. “This is something that I wanted to do for quite a while. Generally, we're concerned by the fact that our wines are drunk too young, we believe it is our duty, especially for a long-aging wine such as Château Latour, to be more concerned of that problem. We think this new commercial rhythm is in line with a growing demand from wine amateurs to be able to acquire wines that reach a 'drinkability phase' and that have been kept in perfect conditions in our cellars.” The standard of excellence, prestige and pedigree make Latour a “must have” for collectors.

This is an interesting as well as great vintage for Latour. As indicated in my barrel tasting report, Latour's 1994 possesses an atypically high percentage of Merlot (27%) in the final blend. Because of this, the wine appears to have a sweeter, more fleshy texture than is typical for a young Latour, but do not make the mistake of thinking this will be a commercially-styled, easy to drink wine. It exhibits an opaque dark ruby/purple color, and a backward, intense textbook nose of walnut and cassis scents complemented by smoky pain grille notes that build in the glass. This full-bodied, powerful, layered Latour reveals high tannin, but no bitterness or astringency. The superb purity, fabulous precision, and remarkable length should ensure 35-40 years of longevity. Readers will find more fat, flesh, and glycerin than usual for a young Latour (save for such great vintages as 1982 and 1990), but don't be deceived, this wine requires 8-10 years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2035.

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Château Latour

Latour 1994 6L

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