Chateau Latour 2014

JAMES SUCKLING: "So much violets, licorice, pencil, flowers and currants define this on the nose before it moves to fresh mushrooms. It’s full-bodied yet compacted with tension and a compressed center palate. Incredible, fine-grained tannins and energy. The length is truly great. Should be even more beautiful in 2024. Give it time."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2014 Latour is one of the very finest wines of a vintage that favored the northern Médoc. Mingling aromas of wild berries and cassis with hints of cigar wrapper, loamy soil, black truffles and classy new oak, it’s full-bodied, rich and concentrated, its broad attack segueing into a deep, tightly wound mid-palate that’s framed by powdery, chalky tannins and bright acids, concluding with a long, mouthwatering finish. This classically balanced, youthfully structured young wine looks set to enjoy prodigious longevity. It’s reminiscent of a modern-day version of a cooler vintage such as 1996, though of course these days maturity is more complete and selection even more rigorous than was the case two decades ago."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Tasted blind. Big and bold and spicy with intensity. So much on the end! Massive density. Dry tannins but luscious fruit too. Really pure and so Pauillac!"

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Showing much better in bottle than it did in barrel, the wine offers a wealth of fruit, which is best described as being regal in character. Yet, as you would expect, most of this stunner is still held in reserve. Freshness, elegance and balance are in charge here. The wine is not about power, it's about elegance, grace and harmony. Nothing is overdone here. It's a great Latour! By the time this is released to consumers, in about 2024 or 2025, it should have added a lot of additional nuances and complexities."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "The tannins in this fine vintage of Latour are still enormous, dominating the black currant fruit. It has spice, tannins, impressive fruit and a pure, cool character. To be released in the mid-2020s, the wine is likely to age for many years. Enjoy from 2027."

WINE SPECTATOR: "This shows terrific cut and drive from the start, with mouthwatering acidity and a chiseled graphite note leading the way, backed by a core of pure cassis and blackberry preserves. Licorice snap and sweet tobacco details flitter through the finish, where the graphite edge reemerges and sails on and on. Best from 2022 through 2040. 7,632 cases made."

JEB DUNNUCK: "Deeper, richer, more concentrated, and stately than the Les Forts De Latour, the 2014 Château Latour is the wine of the vintage from the Médoc. Possessing a flawless, full-bodied, sexy and surprisingly open style on the palate, it’s relatively closed aromatically and only reluctantly gives up notes of cassis, chocolate, and lead pencil shavings. With incredible tannin quality, a layered, concentrated mid-palate, perfect balance and a great finish, it’s a classic Latour, as well as one of the few 2014s that demands cellaring. Hide bottles for 5-7 years and I suspect it will continue drinking nicely over the following three decades."

WEINWISSER: "89.9 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 9,2 % Merlot, 0,6 % Cabernet Franc, 0,3 % Petit Verdot. Ein Drittel der Produktion ergab Grand Vin. Tiefes Purpur, satt in der Mitte, Granatschimmer am Rand. Blaubeeriges Bouquet, Tabak, florale Noten und ganz weit hinten einen minzigen Schimmer zeigend. Im zweiten Ansatz spürt man sogar eine feine Eukalyptusnuance. Im Gaumen fest, fleischig, die Muskeln zeigen eine deutliche Adstringenz auf, trotzdem bleibt er in seiner Grundaromatik im eher kühlen Cabernetbereich. Das Finale hat einen gewissen Druck, war aber auch schon viel länger. Dies logischerweise bei den grossen Jahrgängen. Das hier ist leider ganz sicher nicht ein ganz grosser Latour. Eher maximal ein Grosser. Hoffentlich irgendwann! Mich hat er enttäuscht, denn nach 85 Jahrgängen Latour-Erfahrung, wovon 25 Mal lückenlos als Primeur verkostet, hätte ich da – von den Jahrgangsvorgaben her – doch viel mehr erwartet. Gleichzeitig konnte ich den heissen, gigantischen Latour 2003 verkosten. Das war ein megagrosses Handicap für den coolen 2014er. Denn die gefühlte Punktedifferenz zwischen den beiden Jahrgängen war für mich mehr als die zwei Zwanzigstel, mit welchen ich den jüngsten Schützling taxiere. Wobei diese Primeurverkostung ja ohnehin ein Witz war. Denn der Latour 2014 kommt gar nicht auf den Subskriptionsmarkt. Er wird erst in ein paar Jahren angeboten."