Very well defined Pauillac in 2016. Blackcurrants, black berries and minerals with crushed stones. Full bodied, firm and silky. Gorgeous fruit.
Composed of 54.6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38.9% Merlot, and 6.5% Petit Verdot, the 2016 Le Pauillac de Chateau Latour is deep garnet in color. It skips out of the glass with exuberant notions of chocolate-covered cherries, wild blueberries, and sassafras, leading to suggestions of tilled soil, fallen leaves, and charcoal. The medium-bodied palate is refreshing and still tightly wound, offering bright, crunchy black and red fruits with loads of savory sparks and an approachable, grainy texture, finishing with great persistence.
Dark, lustrous crimson. Very forward, come-hither and also energetic with the great advantage of this first growth's top-quality barrels – and attention to organic detail in the vineyard. That stony ripeness on the nose that characterises a good Pauillac with just a slight animal note. Pretty intense, sumptuous nose. Neat, dry palate that's distinctly lighter-bodied than its grander stablemates – just in case we thought we could get a Latour for a Pauillac price. But hugely appetising. With its sinewy (though not excessive) tannins, this is not a wine to sip without food. But based on my experience enjoying various early vintages of this wine, of which Hugh Johnson used to get a good supply when he was a director of Ch Latour, I wouldn't hesitate to keep it for another 10 years. The finish is really something. It just goes on and on! 13%
Drink 2021 – 2031
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Le Pauillac de Château Latour, a blend of 54.6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38.9% Merlot and 6.5% Petit Verdot, comes barreling out of the glass with exuberant notes of ripe black cherries, blackberry pie and blackcurrant pastilles, followed by hints of menthol, iodine, damp earth and tree bark, plus a faint medicinal waft. The medium-bodied palate is coated with juicy black fruits and loads of earthy/minty sparks, supported by soft tannins and a racy backbone, finishing long and lifted.
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Le Pauillac de Château Latour opens with gorgeous cassis, warm plums, exotic spice and licorice scents with wafts of tobacco. Medium-bodied, the fruit is still tightly wound with fantastic tension and firm, fine-grained tannins, finishing very long. 2020 - 2032
55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot. 26.5% of production. 10% press wine and an IPT of 77.
Deep crimson and very ripe and fresh. Real flesh and savoury and lovely texture. Sinewy. Rich and polished. Long. Dangerously good. Very pure. Great stuff! 2023 - 2032
