Chateau Latour 2013

JAMES SUCKLING: "Very enticing sweet tobacco, cedar, tar and blackcurrant on the nose with hints of black mushrooms and violets. It’s full-bodied with layers of ripe tannins that are still slightly chewy, but show poise and focus. Juicy finish with a berry, iodine and walnut aftertaste. Just a touch of austerity at the end. Savory. Clearly one of the top wines of this very difficult vintage, along with Margaux and Lafleur. Drinkable now, but better in 2024."

WEINWISSER: "95,3 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 4,3% Merlot. 12,36 Vol.-% Alkohol. Nur 24 % der Produktion ergaben Grand Vin. Sattes Purpur-Granat. Wie beim Pauillac de Latour und Les Forts de Latour ist die Nase reserviert, floral, eher kühl und mit einer klaren Cabernet-Sauvignon- Expression, schwarze Kirschen, dunkle Edelhölzer, etwas Tabak, hat Mühe, sich zu zeigen, weil es scheint, dass da im Moment nur wenig Aromendruck vorhanden ist. Im Gaumen eleganter Beginn, ziemlich deutlich hervortretende Muskeln in der Adstringenz, doch gerbiges Finale. Im Prinzip sucht man immer nach einem vergleichbaren Vorgänger und dies ist oft ein schwieriges Unterfangen. Aber hier scheint es eine 1:1-Kopie des 1988er Latour zu sein. Will heissen: langes Leben – aber viel Geduld verlangend."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Composed of 95.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4.4% Merlot and 0.4% Petit Verdot, the 2013 Latour offers an open-knit, fragrant nose of licorice, sandalwood, rose petals and cigar box over a core of Black Forest cake, stewed plums, mulberries and redcurrant jelly, plus a waft of cast-iron pan. The elegantly styled, medium-bodied palate (13% alcohol) fills the mouth with intense red and black berry preserves layers, framed by evolved, soft-textured tannins and well-knit freshness, finishing long and spicy. This vintage does not have the power and backbone of an outstanding vintage of Latour, but it is aging gracefully and, still possessing a lot of discernible fruit with plenty of tertiary pizazz, is absolutely delicious to drink right now. This sweet-spot stage is likely to continue for another 5-7 years, before the wine plateaus at a maturity peak and holds for a further 15+ years."

DECANTER: "First things first - there is an undeniable enjoyment in finding a vintage of Latour's grand vin that doesn't need to be put away for a few decades, and it is smart of the estate to release this wine now, at eight years old, because 2013 is unquestionably a year that lacks the intensity and structure to allow long ageing. I tasted it both on its own, just opened from bottle, and over lunch to see how it held up. Smoke, floral notes and spice are the three main lines that you are going to find, and each one has its appeal. Expect raspberry, blueberries, cassis bud and cherry pit - all markers of a cooler vintage - together with a seductively intense level of retro-olfaction that brings in waves of peony, smoked tea, tomato leaf and rosemary aromatics. The Latour tannins build slowly over the palate, although they are finer than you find in most vintages, and overall there is a successful emphasis on precision and finesse. 31% of the total production. At the time around half of the main L'Enclos vineyard was in organic and biodynamic farming, and this was the last year with Penelope Godefroy as winemaker, before she headed over to the newly bought (and now re-sold) Right Bank estates of Vray Croix de Gay and Le Prieuré. Around half the usual production, no more than 5,000 cases, because the final yield came in at 25hl/ha. In my view, one of the wines of the vintage."

FALSTAFF: "Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung, reife Herzkirschen, ein Hauch von Pflaumen, feine Kräuterwürze, mineralische Nuancen, blättriger Touch. Saftig, schwarze Beerenfrucht, präsente, fordernde Tannine, frisch strukturiert, reife Kirschen auch im Nachhall, straff und anhaltend, noch recht streng, viel Holz im Abgang, sicheres Reifepotenzial, dafür weniger Charme im Moment. Mit mehr als 95 % Cabernet-Anteil."

WINE SPECTATOR: "This delivers a very tightly focused beam of red currant, pomegranate and bitter plum fruit flavors that streak along thanks to finely beaded acidity, showing a hint of graphite through the finish and a beguiling black tea accent. Reveals a lovely sense of precision, maintaining cut through the sneakily long finish. Best from 2017 through 2025. 5,625 cases made."

JEB DUNNUCK: "The flagship 2013 Chateau Latour comes from a much more challenging vintage and is 95.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4.4% Merlot, and a 0.4% Petit Verdot. It shows its more Cabernet dominated blend with a more compact, tight, reserved style that opens up nicely with time in the glass. Revealing a healthy ruby/plum color, it has classic Latour notes of blackcurrants, freshly sharpened pencils, smoked tobacco, crushed stone, and licorice. It doesn't have the depth, richness, or expansiveness to be considered a great Latour but is medium-bodied, has a focused, elegant texture, ripe, silky tannins, and a narrow yet lengthy finish. Given the difficulties in the year, this is certainly a success as the purity of fruit is spot on, the tannins are sweet and polished, and it has plenty of classic Latour character. It should drink nicely over the coming 10-15 years and have a gradual decline."