Latour 2018

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. Drink 2029-2090.

A solid and statuesque Latour with an extremely dense yet refined center palate of steely tannins and lots of blue fruit and an undertone of graphite. Some slate, too. It’s tight and very powerful. Reminds me of the texture of the 1959 (which I didn’t taste in barrel!) But the density here is so, so long. Steely.

Tasted blind at Southwold 2018.

Saturated purple colour. Highly refined yet powerful nose. Pristine blackcurrant fruit is layered with cedar and tobacco. Superb delineation of aromas that grow in the glass. The palate is muscular and full bodied but the most impressive element is the finesse. The tannins are persistent and chewy but ripe and highly refined. The fruit core sits perfectly in the middle of all this structure, piercing through with great drive and energy. There is great intensity and focus. This stunning wine has incredibly length, flourishing with promise of what is to come. Wait at least a decade before approaching, this will be a 50 year+ wine.

A hugely impressive wine, powerful and concentrated, this is going to make a lot of friends, particularly those who loved the style of Latour in vintages like 2010.

It has less fragrant nuances than in recent years but it’s full of liquorice, slate, cigar box, pencil lead, bergamot, black tea, black fruit jelly and fresh mint. No one can doubt that this is going to run and run but it will take its time to come around.

Low yields of 24hl/ha after one of the most careful sorting processes ever to ensure no berries were affected by mildew. The harvest took place between 17 September and 11 October. 37% of overall production went into the grand vin. 3.7pH. 81IPT.

Drinking Window 2029 - 2050

91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, pH 3.85. Only 7% press wine. 37% of production. Barrel sample.
The colour of elderberry juice, so dark. Rich and luscious on the nose. The tannins are even finer than on Les Forts but it is more aromatic on the palate than usual, more exotic and more obvious and immediate fruit flavours. Compact, dense, concentrated yet complex too. Riches on the palate that show more than usually at this stage. A rather exotic Latour. (JH) 14.3%
Drink 2028-2048

Deep, saturated purple in the glass. The nose is brooding and deep, with peppery black fruit, damson and toasty, spicy oak. The palate is initially glossy and supple, but the tannins build through the mid-palate to give a thick and mouthcoating richness of structure. There is tremendous depth of black fruit that starts compact but expands and drives the palate forward. This is ripe, redolent and exuberant, but the bright acidity and firm structure tame any excess and provide great delineation and precision. This is a true Vin de Garde, profound, deep and extremely long. A great Latour that is doubtless one of the wines of the vintage.

Possibly the wine of the vintage from the Médoc and a selection of just 37% of the total production, the 2018 Château Latour is a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Merlot that hit 14.3% natural alcohol (IPT is 81), which is up there for this estate. Offering extraordinary depth and richness as well as thrilling cassis fruit, notes of tobacco, cedar, and crushed rocks, it hits the palate with a wealth of raw material yet stays flawlessly balanced, ethereal, and long. Pure class and a legendary wine in the making, it should be approachable with 5-7 years of bottle age given this vintage's sexy style, yet keep for just about as long as you'd like to hold bottles.

(91 Cabernet Sauvignon, 9 Merlot) | 14.3% alc | This wine represents 37% of production | 81 IPT Another incredibly high Cabernet percentage at Latour and this time the power and muscle is very evident. There is little beauty here, just structure and brawn and there is a sour note on account of the ripeness of the skins which warns the taster away. Hints of exoticism can be seen but they are quickly ushered away – mere fripperies, not to be trifled with. The calibre of Cabernet here is awe-inspiring but it is equally mono-tonal in its delivery and so we must be exceptionally patient to allow these defences to start to give way. I anticipate that this wine will not start drinking this side of 2035, by which time I am sure it will have been made available for sale. I can sense that there is an awful lot of potential here, but I don’t think that it is quite as stellar as the 2010 or my perfect-scoring 2016.