Chateau Latour 1982

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "One of the three or four very greatest wines of the vintage, the 1982 Latour delivers aromas of dark berry fruit, rich cigar wrapper, loamy soil, walnuts and smoke. Full-bodied, broad and layered, it's deep, seamless and immensely concentrated, its fleshy core framed by sweet, powdery tannins, concluding with a long, expansive finish. A monument to the greatness of Bordeaux, it is one wine that's worthy of all the praise that has been lavished on it over the years."

WEINWISSER: "Sehr dunkle Farbe, aussen ganz zarter Reifeschimmer, innen jedoch immer noch dunkel mit schwarzen Reflexen. Momentan wieder etwas offener, im Bouquet deshalb erstaunlich viel blau- bis schwarzbeerige Töne, Schwarztee, Palisander, Trüffel, viel nussige und sogar buttrige Noten, herrlich fett in der Nase wie selten ein Latour. Im Gaumen dunkle Rösttöne, schwarze Schokolade, wieder Sommertrüffel und runde, erstaunlich schmeichelnde Töne, einer der ganz wenigen grossen Latour, welche sich schon nach zwanzig Jahren richtig geniessen lassen."

DECANTER: "A sublime wine, unbelievably youthful and vibrant still and one that holds attention from the first sip. Beautiful aromatic complexity on the nose; floral notes, patchouli, sandalwood, cotton candy, salted caramel and cherries. Feels like a thoroughbred that hasn't yet hit its stride. A beautifully lifted expression with mouthwatering acidity, tobacco and smoke, dark plum and berry fruit underpinned by beautiful yet tight tannins – articulated and nuanced, confident and powerful. This is structured and evocative with persistence and poise: should easily go strong for another 10-20 years. Winemaker at the time Jean-Noël Malbec. 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend."

FALSTAFF: "Kräftiges Karmingranat, dezente Ockerreflexe, breite Randaufhellung. Zart animalisch unterlegte schwarze Beerenfrucht, Cassis, Lakritze, tabakige Nuancen. Am Gaumen saftig und elegant, reife, immer noch präsente Tannine, zeigt Rückgrat, schokoladige Textur, sehr gute Länge, hat einen Trinkhöhepunkt erreicht, feine Minze im Nachhall, harmonisch und süß im mineralisch geprägten Abgang, verfügt über weiteres Reifepotenzial."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "A spell-binding example of the most, consistently stunning wine from the legendary 82 vintage. Everything here is on target, in-place and balanced. There is a wall of ripe, regal, powerful, black and red fruits with a stately air of refinement and aristocracy that coat and fill your palate, leaving with a seamless, 60-second, plus finish. Drink from 2023-2060."

JEB DUNNUCK: "The 1982 Chateau Latour is another powerful 1982 that’s drinking beautifully today and has a big, sweet nose of blackcurrants, saddle leather, cedar, and Asian spices that just comes jumping out of the glass. Deep, concentrated, and powerful, it takes 30 minutes in the glass to open up on the palate and still has ripe, polished tannins, thrilling length, and an impeccably balanced, layered personality. Again, it’s drinking fabulous well today, yet I suspect, given the wealth of fruit, it has another 2-3 decades of prime drinking ahead and will have a gradual decline."

JAMES SUCKLING: "This shows wonderful decadence with meaty, dark chocolate and ripe plums on the nose that follows through on the palate. It's full bodied, with super silky tannins that caress your palate. The fruit in the wine changes to a spicy, stony undertone. It seems to evolve all the time in the glass. This has a long life to it. But why wait? So delicious."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Absolutely stonking. Beautifully layered, complex, fully mature nose. On the palate there was more sweetness than one usually associates with Ch Latour – a vintage factor presumably – and then a light tarry character towards the end of the palate that resonates with top-quality Pauillac and Latour's usual mineral signature. Just gorgeous and complete, at the height of its powers."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Big and chewy. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a long, long currant, berry and cherry character. Underrated. Still more to come in this wine."