Latour 2004

Pauillac, First Growth

Units	Size	Case size	GBP Price:	Quantities	Buy
12	75cl Bottle	Case 12	£4,380 per Case	Case	[Add to shopping basket]

Tasting Notes
Served blind at the chateau. Tight at first on the nose, but unfurling gracefully with cedar and graphite to the fore, underlying sweet, almost exotic fruits waiting in the wings, then with further aeration bilberries and damson. The palate is very well defined, fine tannins, youthful and harmonious, smooth and filigree towards the deft, silky finish. Sublime. Tasted December 2009. Score: 95 Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 01 January 2011
A terrific effort from Administrator Frederic Engerer and owner Francois Pinault, the dark ruby/purple-tinged 2004 Latour exhibits a strong cassis character intermixed with notes of crushed rocks, earth, cedar, and forest floor. Racy, elegant, but powerful with medium to full body, and sweet tannin, it will benefit from 5-7 years of cellaring, and should keep for three decades. It is a very impressive offering. Also tasted: 2004 Pauillac Score: 95 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2012-2037 01 June 2007
The wine of the vintage, Latour’s 2004 boasts a dense purple color as well as a classic nose of ink, black currants, sweet cherries, crushed rocks, and minerals. Even though it is aged in 100% new French oak, there is not a hint of woodiness. It possesses a beautiful texture, moderately high tannin, fabulous concentration, and a long, full-bodied finish. A brilliant wine from a challenging vintage, it should be at its apogee between 2013-2035. Kudos to everyone at Latour! Score: 94 - 96 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2013-2035 01 June 2006
After a 2003 production of less than 10,000 cases, there are a whopping 15,000 cases of the 2004 Latour. The harvest began on September 23 (Merlot) and finished on October 19. About 51% of the production made it into the final blend (89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc). At this early stage, Latour appears to be the wine of the Medoc, and provides additional evidence of why Latour is pushing slightly ahead of most of its first-growth rivals. It boasts an inky/purple color in addition to a sweet perfume of crushed rocks, black currants, raspberries, and hints of wood as well as cold steel. It reveals the most density and depth of any of the Medoc first-growths. Manager Frederic Engerer believes the 2004 is closest in style to the 2002. By the standards of the vintage, which did not produce many big, powerful, deep, full-bodied wines, it is a large-scaled yet elegant wine with sweet tannin and plenty of depth. Score: 95 - 97 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2010-2030 30 April 2005
Bright ruby-red. Classic aromas of currant, plum, graphite and minerals. Suave and smooth in the mouth, with a compelling sweetness and lushness for the vintage. At once easygoing and wonderfully complex, conveying a powerful soil character. The finish is ripely tannic, sweet and very long. This is wonderfully expressive today but the young 2006 may have even longer aging potential. Along with Chateau Margaux, my candidate for wine of the vintage. Score: 94 Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar 01 May 2007
Captivating aromas of currant, black licorice and spices, with just a hint of sweet tobacco. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a long, long finish. Structured and racy. Best after 2011. 10,000 cases made. Score: 95 James Suckling, Wine Spectator Maturity: 2011+ 31 March 2007
[CS almost 90%, highest ever, M 10%; average yield 57 hl/ha; represents 51% of total production.] Healthy but not excessively deep crimson. Very dark, mineral, very Latour and classical. Iodine and other minerals. Great balance, Dense and fine, more polished than the old slightly more rustic style but with definite terroir expression. Great finesse and power all the way through. Although pretty tough and high in tannins with its IPT of 70, it also seems remarkably integrated rather than made up of entirely different elements. Lovely compaction. Quite a bit of acid. Lovely sweetness. Score: 19 Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2015-2040 19 August 2005

Tasting Notes

Served blind at the chateau. Tight at first on the nose, but unfurling gracefully with cedar and graphite to the fore, underlying sweet, almost exotic fruits waiting in the wings, then with further aeration bilberries and damson. The palate is very well defined, fine tannins, youthful and harmonious, smooth and filigree towards the deft, silky finish. Sublime. Tasted December 2009.

Score: 95

Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 01 January 2011

A terrific effort from Administrator Frederic Engerer and owner Francois Pinault, the dark ruby/purple-tinged 2004 Latour exhibits a strong cassis character intermixed with notes of crushed rocks, earth, cedar, and forest floor. Racy, elegant, but powerful with medium to full body, and sweet tannin, it will benefit from 5-7 years of cellaring, and should keep for three decades. It is a very impressive offering. Also tasted: 2004 Pauillac

Score: 95

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2012-2037 01 June 2007

The wine of the vintage, Latour’s 2004 boasts a dense purple color as well as a classic nose of ink, black currants, sweet cherries, crushed rocks, and minerals. Even though it is aged in 100% new French oak, there is not a hint of woodiness. It possesses a beautiful texture, moderately high tannin, fabulous concentration, and a long, full-bodied finish. A brilliant wine from a challenging vintage, it should be at its apogee between 2013-2035. Kudos to everyone at Latour!

Score: 94 - 96

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2013-2035 01 June 2006

After a 2003 production of less than 10,000 cases, there are a whopping 15,000 cases of the 2004 Latour. The harvest began on September 23 (Merlot) and finished on October 19. About 51% of the production made it into the final blend (89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc). At this early stage, Latour appears to be the wine of the Medoc, and provides additional evidence of why Latour is pushing slightly ahead of most of its first-growth rivals. It boasts an inky/purple color in addition to a sweet perfume of crushed rocks, black currants, raspberries, and hints of wood as well as cold steel. It reveals the most density and depth of any of the Medoc first-growths. Manager Frederic Engerer believes the 2004 is closest in style to the 2002. By the standards of the vintage, which did not produce many big, powerful, deep, full-bodied wines, it is a large-scaled yet elegant wine with sweet tannin and plenty of depth.

Score: 95 - 97

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2010-2030 30 April 2005

Bright ruby-red. Classic aromas of currant, plum, graphite and minerals. Suave and smooth in the mouth, with a compelling sweetness and lushness for the vintage. At once easygoing and wonderfully complex, conveying a powerful soil character. The finish is ripely tannic, sweet and very long. This is wonderfully expressive today but the young 2006 may have even longer aging potential. Along with Chateau Margaux, my candidate for wine of the vintage.

Score: 94

Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar 01 May 2007

Captivating aromas of currant, black licorice and spices, with just a hint of sweet tobacco. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a long, long finish. Structured and racy. Best after 2011. 10,000 cases made.

Score: 95

James Suckling, Wine Spectator Maturity: 2011+ 31 March 2007

[CS almost 90%, highest ever, M 10%; average yield 57 hl/ha; represents 51% of total production.] Healthy but not excessively deep crimson. Very dark, mineral, very Latour and classical. Iodine and other minerals. Great balance, Dense and fine, more polished than the old slightly more rustic style but with definite terroir expression. Great finesse and power all the way through. Although pretty tough and high in tannins with its IPT of 70, it also seems remarkably integrated rather than made up of entirely different elements. Lovely compaction. Quite a bit of acid. Lovely sweetness.

Score: 19

Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2015-2040 19 August 2005

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