2018 Latour
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Tasting notes
The 2018 Latour has an intense nose, a little more concentration than its peers and conveys more opulence. This grows in the glass with hints of cassis and pressed violets, pure and utterly entrancing. The palate possesses amazing concentration, primal and precocious, bold and multi-dimensional. Mint-infused black fruit appears toward the peacock's tail finish. Its initial brutishness is rapidly subsumed and reveals another layer of complexity. This is an outstanding Latour, but it will require considerable cellaring. Tasted at the château.
Critic scores
Average Score
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Tasted blind. Very deep, dark blackish crimson. Lifted, high-toned, exotic wine. Rich and bloody on the palate. Savoury notes. Accessible, with a hint of mint. Very long. (JR)
Giving the opaque purple-black colored 2018 Latour the obligatory swirl in the glass sets off an eruption of powerful, profound molten black fruit—blackcurrant preserves, boysenberries and blueberry compote—followed by emerging sparks of licorice, Indian spices, Sichuan pepper, rose oil and tree bark, plus wafts of cast-iron pan and pencil shavings. The palate is big, full-bodied and super rich on entry, and yet it has an exquisitely crafted structure, featuring very finely grained tannins and fantastic freshness, acting to curtail and channel the many, many earthy layers, culminating in a supernova display of minerals and exotic spices that just go on and on. A mind-bending paradox, this is a Latour that so clearly evokes time and place, conflict and triumph, energy and elegance; think not of it as a wine so much as a liquid account of history. Like many 2018s, it is delicious right now, but not to allow it 8-10 years in bottle would be missing the point. It will continue to cellar for as long as any of us now living care to imagine. This vintage of Latour is composed of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Merlot, with 14.3% alcohol and an IPT (total polyphenol index) of 81. Only around 6,000 bottles were produced, due to mildew pressure early in the 2018 season, affecting the yields but not the quality. This is the second smallest crop since the terrible frosts of 1991, the smallest being 2013.
The 2018 Latour was picked from September 17 to October 11. It has a dense, powerful bouquet of black cherry and blueberry with floral violet aromas that gain intensity with aeration. The medium-bodied palate displays supple tannins that are finer than Les Forts de Latour. This is silky-smooth in texture and very opulent, yet that opulence is fully contained, allowing the spiciness and mineralité to flourish on the amazingly persistent finish. A "complete" Latour that might not challenge the supremacy of the 2016, but is not far off.
About the producer
One of Bordeaux’s five First Growths, as classified in 1855, Ch. Latour is among the most famous addresses in Pauillac and the world. The estate is renowned for its long-ageing, powerful and structured wines.