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Latour 1985

Pauillac, First Growth

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Tasting Notes

From Latour's English period. Very dark crimson still and marked by the easy sweetness of the year. Only with time in the glass did it lose a bit of focus and become a bit leathery with a hint of rusty nails, suggesting this wine is now at its peak. It reminded some of Grenache.

Score: 18

Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 1995-2020 31 March 2011

Contrasted against the other First Growths for the fourth or fifth time in my career, the Latour still brings up the rear but having said that, this is definitely the best bottle I have encountered. It has a little more vivacity on the nose that previously, with a touch of Provencal herbs and even a faint notes of peppermint. Certainly fresher than I was expecting and you might almost mistake it for Haut-Brion! The palate is medium-bodied, certainly not as complex as Mouton or Lafite with a foursquare, slightly curmudgeonly finish. Drink now-2016. Tasted December 2009.

Score: 90

Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2010-2016 01 May 2010

Tasted from magnum at the Claret Club -85 Dinner at -The Square-. Contrasted against the other First Growths for the fourth or fifth time in my career, the Latour still brings up the rear but having said that, this is definitely the best bottle I have encountered. It has a little more vivacity on the nose that previously, with a touch of Provencal herbs and even a faint notes of peppermint. Certainly fresher than I was expecting and you might almost mistake it for Haut-Brion! The palate is medium-bodied, certainly not as complex as Mouton or Lafite with a foursquare, slightly curmudgeonly finish. Drink now-2016. Tasted December 2009.

Score: 90

Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2010-2016 01 May 2010

Rich and ripe wine. Dark red color with an amber edge. Loads of meat, berry and tobacco character on the nose. Very rich. Full-bodied, with soft, velvety tannins and a long, ultraripe fruit finish. Still very fresh and young.--Latour vertical. Best from 2000 through 2015.

Score: 93

James Suckling, Wine Spectator Maturity: 2000-2015 31 August 2000

This wine was tasted from my personal collection, following the Latour tasting. The 1985 Latour is a soft, open-knit example, without much structure, delineation, and depth. The dark ruby color displays amber at the edge. The bouquet of tobacco, black fruits, herbs, earth, and new oak is pleasant, but neither intense nor persistent. The wine is medium-bodied, with sweet fruit on the attack, but it narrows out to reveal dry tannin and herbaceous notes. Anticipated maturity: now-2012.

Score: 88

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2000-2012 01 June 2000