Latour 2017

Pauillac, First Growth

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Tasting Notes
A seriously pretty Latour, not a phrase often associated with this most concentrated of wines, with real lyricism. Beautifully layered, with muscles that have a cushion of air underneath them. As during En Primeur, its sculpted character highlights the impact of biodynamic farming, but bottle ageing has seen it take on the customary concentrated layers of this Pauillac First Growth. The signature pencil lead, crayon, mint leaf and crushed rocks are here in abundance, along with cassis and bilberry fruit, kissed with rosebud and peony florality, and textured slate tannins that slow things down through the mid palate. A delicious wine, vibrant, balanced, decades ahead of it, even if the soft sculpting of the vintage means it will be ready to drink earlier than 2016 or 2018 on either side. First year in full organics, although not certified until 2019, and the first without Cabernet Franc in the blend. 100% new oak. No frost on the Grand Vin plots, in a year where many parts of Bordeaux were impacted, proof again of what a favoured site this is. Score: 98 Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2027-2045 14 March 2024
The 2017 Latour is just starting to open aromatically. Medium in body, with tannins that have begun to soften, the 2017 is super-expressive and inviting today. It’s a charming, relatively accessible young Latour that is all about finesse and understatement. Bright saline notes and lifted floral top notes convey class. Score: 96 Antonio Galloni, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2025-2047 19 February 2024
The 2017 Latour is a blend of 92.1% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7.8% Merlot and 0.1% Petit Verdot with 13.3% alcohol and an IPT of 66. Deep garnet-purple in color, it starts off a little broody before exploding from the glass with powerful scents of ripe blackcurrants, blackberry pie and preserved black cherries plus touches of cedar chest, fenugreek, cumin seed and charcoal with emerging wafts of violets, dark chocolate, star anise and fertile loam. Medium-bodied, this may be one of the most elegant, great Latours ever, revealing layer upon layer of fresh, crunchy black fruits with a vast array of exotic spice and floral nuances, framed by super ripe, super fine-grained tannins, finishing very long with mineral sparks coming through. This is so nuanced and perfumed that I imagine, in 50 years, this wine could be mistaken for a great red Burgundy. Score: 98 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2026-2075 16 March 2020
The 2017 Latour, which was bottled mid-June and mid-July, has a tightly wound bouquet with black fruit, pencil lead and a strong marine influence. This is utterly compelling. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, what you may call an "athletic" Latour. There is no "fat" hear, just pure black mineral-infused fruit with quintessential Pauillac notes of graphite and a touch of cedar on the persistent finish. Superb. Score: 97 Neal Martin, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2024-2060 01 February 2020
Black core with purple rim. Subdued but inviting nose, with an attractive dustiness to the restrained, pure black fruit. Tannins are so dry but so not drying, paper-fine finesse. Great refinement and purity with no attempt to seduce at the moment. Coming back to this after the 2006, it seems so fruity. Dark-red fruit and even a touch of violets. Really opened up in the last 20 minutes. So fragrant now. Deep and long. Excellent balance and refinement. Freshness does not come from the acidity, suggests technical director Hélène Génin (pH is 3.75). Incredibly long. Score: 18 Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2030-2050 27 April 2018
I suspect the wine of the vintage on the Left Bank, the 2017 Château Latour is similar in style to the 2008, with maybe a hint of the 2012 in there as well. Concentrated, backward, full-bodied and reserved (it is Latour after all), yet with serious potential, it has textbook lead pencil and graphite aromas and flavors, sweet tannin, and a long, structured style on the palate. Hitting 13.4% alcohol (with a pH of 3.72), it’s not in the same league as some of the great vintages from this estate, yet it’s still a profound wine that will keep for 25-30 years. The final blend is 92.1% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7.8% Merlot, and just a splash of Petit Verdot, which accounts for a miniscule 30% of the total production of the estate. Score: 95 - 97 Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com 23 April 2018
This is very dense and tight with a super center palate of dark fruit with blackberries and currants. Full-bodied, so precise and focused. Great length and depth. Superb. Classic great Bordeaux. Wow. Pure cabernet sauvignon. Score: 98 - 99 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 05 April 2018
The 2017 Château Latour Pauillac grand vin is pure and driven, with a youthfully taut edge to the long cassis, raspberry and violet core. It has lots of bay leaf, and iron, too, as it stays tightly focused through the finish, showing terrific length and cut. It reminds me a bit of the 2011 in style, with its slightly taut grip, though director Frédéric Engerer likens it to the 2012. Score: - James Molesworth, Wine Spectator 04 April 2018

Tasting Notes

A seriously pretty Latour, not a phrase often associated with this most concentrated of wines, with real lyricism. Beautifully layered, with muscles that have a cushion of air underneath them. As during En Primeur, its sculpted character highlights the impact of biodynamic farming, but bottle ageing has seen it take on the customary concentrated layers of this Pauillac First Growth. The signature pencil lead, crayon, mint leaf and crushed rocks are here in abundance, along with cassis and bilberry fruit, kissed with rosebud and peony florality, and textured slate tannins that slow things down through the mid palate. A delicious wine, vibrant, balanced, decades ahead of it, even if the soft sculpting of the vintage means it will be ready to drink earlier than 2016 or 2018 on either side. First year in full organics, although not certified until 2019, and the first without Cabernet Franc in the blend. 100% new oak. No frost on the Grand Vin plots, in a year where many parts of Bordeaux were impacted, proof again of what a favoured site this is.

Score: 98

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2027-2045 14 March 2024

The 2017 Latour is just starting to open aromatically. Medium in body, with tannins that have begun to soften, the 2017 is super-expressive and inviting today. It’s a charming, relatively accessible young Latour that is all about finesse and understatement. Bright saline notes and lifted floral top notes convey class.

Score: 96

Antonio Galloni, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2025-2047 19 February 2024

The 2017 Latour is a blend of 92.1% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7.8% Merlot and 0.1% Petit Verdot with 13.3% alcohol and an IPT of 66. Deep garnet-purple in color, it starts off a little broody before exploding from the glass with powerful scents of ripe blackcurrants, blackberry pie and preserved black cherries plus touches of cedar chest, fenugreek, cumin seed and charcoal with emerging wafts of violets, dark chocolate, star anise and fertile loam. Medium-bodied, this may be one of the most elegant, great Latours ever, revealing layer upon layer of fresh, crunchy black fruits with a vast array of exotic spice and floral nuances, framed by super ripe, super fine-grained tannins, finishing very long with mineral sparks coming through. This is so nuanced and perfumed that I imagine, in 50 years, this wine could be mistaken for a great red Burgundy.

Score: 98

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2026-2075 16 March 2020

The 2017 Latour, which was bottled mid-June and mid-July, has a tightly wound bouquet with black fruit, pencil lead and a strong marine influence. This is utterly compelling. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, what you may call an "athletic" Latour. There is no "fat" hear, just pure black mineral-infused fruit with quintessential Pauillac notes of graphite and a touch of cedar on the persistent finish. Superb.

Score: 97

Neal Martin, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2024-2060 01 February 2020

Black core with purple rim. Subdued but inviting nose, with an attractive dustiness to the restrained, pure black fruit. Tannins are so dry but so not drying, paper-fine finesse. Great refinement and purity with no attempt to seduce at the moment. Coming back to this after the 2006, it seems so fruity. Dark-red fruit and even a touch of violets. Really opened up in the last 20 minutes. So fragrant now. Deep and long. Excellent balance and refinement. Freshness does not come from the acidity, suggests technical director Hélène Génin (pH is 3.75). Incredibly long.

Score: 18

Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2030-2050 27 April 2018

I suspect the wine of the vintage on the Left Bank, the 2017 Château Latour is similar in style to the 2008, with maybe a hint of the 2012 in there as well. Concentrated, backward, full-bodied and reserved (it is Latour after all), yet with serious potential, it has textbook lead pencil and graphite aromas and flavors, sweet tannin, and a long, structured style on the palate. Hitting 13.4% alcohol (with a pH of 3.72), it’s not in the same league as some of the great vintages from this estate, yet it’s still a profound wine that will keep for 25-30 years. The final blend is 92.1% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7.8% Merlot, and just a splash of Petit Verdot, which accounts for a miniscule 30% of the total production of the estate.

Score: 95 - 97

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com 23 April 2018

This is very dense and tight with a super center palate of dark fruit with blackberries and currants. Full-bodied, so precise and focused. Great length and depth. Superb. Classic great Bordeaux. Wow. Pure cabernet sauvignon.

Score: 98 - 99

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 05 April 2018

The 2017 Château Latour Pauillac grand vin is pure and driven, with a youthfully taut edge to the long cassis, raspberry and violet core. It has lots of bay leaf, and iron, too, as it stays tightly focused through the finish, showing terrific length and cut. It reminds me a bit of the 2011 in style, with its slightly taut grip, though director Frédéric Engerer likens it to the 2012.

Score: -

James Molesworth, Wine Spectator 04 April 2018

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