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Latour 2006

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Pauillac
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyCabernet Sauvignon

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Label

Tasting Notes

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.

95
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (181), February 2009

The 2006 Château Latour has quite a vibrant bouquet with lively raspberry, wild strawberry, cedar and pencil lead scents that all gently unfold in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with supple, slightly chewy red berry fruit, a dash of spice, maybe a little tight towards the finish, unlike the Lafite-Rothschild and Mouton-Rothschild. It has a grainy texture and offers fine precision on the finish, although I would have liked a little more persistence to come through, a tad more conviction. It is not quite the revelation of say the 2002 Latour that transcends the limitations of the vintage, yet it still has much to offer.

94
Neal Martin, RobertParker.com, May 2016

Very long. Wonderful licorice, berry and currant character. Full and silky, beautiful and pure. This is really distinguished. Feminine but strong. Classic Bordeaux style.

95/100
James Suckling, WineSpectator.com, March 2007

The 2006 Latour is composed of 91.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7.5% Merlot, 0.5% Cabernet Franc and 0.5% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it charges out of the gate with impressively energetic crème de cassis, cured meats, wood smoke and black forest cake notions plus hints of licorice, sandalwood and iron ore, not to mention a fragrant waft of dried roses that emerges with coaxing. Medium to full-bodied, suitably rich, expressive and accented by sparks of exotic spices, it has a frame of now velvety tannins contributing just a bit of chew to the long, perfumed finish. Drinking beautifully now, it should cellar gracefully over the next 20+ years. 2018 - 2038

95
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (218), March 2018

6% press wine. This vintage can be compared with 1986 yet in 2006 105mm rain fell in September, whereas 1986 was a perfect summer - which just shows how much work in the vineyard has evolved, and how much work is involved. The harvest took 250 people five muddy weeks, and the labour costs were 60% higher than in 2005. Picked at 4.5 g/l TA (acidity levels in the Cabernet were unusually high) but a lot was lost during fermentation (partly because there was quite a high proportion of malic acid in the grapes and this was softened by the malo, and partly because of the amount of tartaric acid that settled out). This is quite different from the old Latour yet the current team have managed to get it to evolve rather than change.
Very dark crimson right out to rim. Dense with some wild herbs on the nose. Very wild and smooth and racy. Rather musical in the sense that there seem to be many different themes here. Not a hint of rusticity. Delicacy actually with masses of very very fine tannins. Great finesse as well as intensity. But very embryonic even though this is the final assemblage. Very very dry - very bright fruit. Strong herbs yet polish too. Very slightly raw and angular yet lifted lively.

18.5
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2007

As to the Grand Vin, the 2006 Latour showed beautifully. A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance mostly Merlot, with a splash of Cabernet Franc, it offers a deep ruby/purple color to go with straight up classic Latour graphite, lead pencil and minerality all balanced by terrific cassis and blackcurrant fruit. With medium to full-bodied richness, present, yet silky tannin, impeccable balance and a great finish, it’s terrific today and I suspect on the early edge of a long drinking plateau. 2018 - 2038

96
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com, April 2018

Bright full ruby. Slightly stern aromas of cassis, graphite, licorice, incense and flowers. Then dense and penetrating, with terrific energy to the subtle dark fruit, licorice and mineral flavors. There's a coolness to the fruit that makes this wine dramatically different from the Forts de Latour. Finishes with big, building tannins and a powerful sense of structure. A fairly large-scaled Latour but not particularly sweet in the early going. In fact, this went into a shell with 24 hours in the recorked bottle.

95
Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar, May 2009

Power, richness and depth show on both nose and palate. The blackcurrant and bilberry has a touch of liquorice backed by smoky oak, the fruit is surrounded by firm but ripe tannins.

92/95
Derek Smedley MW, April 2007
Read more tasting notes...

The 2006 Latour’s inky/ruby/purple color precedes pure aromas of red and black fruits, high tannin, medium body, impressive sweetness and purity as well as a long finish. Thirty-eight percent of the production (about 10,000 cases) made it into the final blend (86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc). A modern version of the 1986 and 1996, the slightly austere 2006 will need a decade of aging. It should keep for 40-50 years.

93/96
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (170), April 2007

Tasted at the château. A very deep purple hue. The nose is extremely well focused with blackberry, cedar and wonderfully defined vanillary new oak. Very intense and harmonious. The full-bodied palate has a beautiful texture and exquisite balance: controlled and restrained, but with wonderful purity. Much finer, more filigree tannins than in recent vintages, much more feminine. I am parsimonious with my score simply because compared to others it is lacking some depth and persistency on the finish. Still a marvellous wine, yet surpassed by others in 2006. It will be fascinating to see how this progresses in bottle. Tasted April 2007.

93/95
Neal Martin, RobertParker.com, April 2007

Deep garnet-black in color, the 2006 is just starting to show evolutionary mocha and baking spice notes. The palate gives a great purity of fruit with an appealing line of firm chewy tannins, lively acid and finishing long.

95
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, RobertParker.com, May 2012

Deep ruby-red. Sexy nose offers currant, graphite, coffee and cedary oak. Sweet, vibrant and deep, with terrific spine giving strength to the middle palate and extending the finish. As powerful as this is, it has sweetened up beautifully in the past year and is very easy to taste today; it's hard to believe that this is only 12.9% alcohol. Fatter and longer than the 2007, finishing with wonderfully polished tannins. If only I could afford this!

93/95
Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar, June 2008
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.