Latour 2014

The wine in this vintage

2014 in Bordeaux was rescued by an exceptionally warm, sunny September after a cool, uncertain summer; the long ripening particularly favoured Left Bank Cabernet Sauvignon, yielding classic, fresh and highly defined wines. The 2014 Château Latour is one of the most successful expressions, with 98 points from James Suckling and 19/20 from Jancis Robinson. The nose offers cassis, blackberry, graphite, violet, cedar and mineral notes; the palate is taut, deep and precise, with dense tannins and vibrant acidity. Still young, it calls for patience: its evolution will be long and rewarding.

The producer · Château Latour

Château Latour is one of the five Médoc First Growths, enshrined by the 1855 classification and for centuries a byword for greatness in Pauillac. Its name recalls the tower that once guarded the Gironde estuary, close to which lies the Enclos, the historic heart of the property: a vineyard on deep gravels that provide drainage and warmth, ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon. Since 1993 the estate has belonged to François Pinault and, under Frédéric Engerer's direction, has enjoyed an era of unprecedented investment and rigour, including conversion to organic farming. In 2012 Latour made a historic decision to leave the en primeur system: wines are released only when the estate judges them ready. The style is unmistakable: power, density and noble tannins, with remarkable consistency even in difficult years. The Grand Vin, alongside Les Forts de Latour and the Pauillac, is among the longest-lived reds in the world, able to evolve for half a century.

Critics' scores

• 98 James Suckling
• 98 Wine Spectator
• 97 Robert Parker
• 96 Decanter
• 19/20 Jancis Robinson

Technical details

Producer

Château Latour

Region

Bordeaux

Country

Francia

Type

Rosso

Vintage

2014

When to drink

Not yet at its peak

Critics' average

97.3/100

Sizes

75 cl, Magnum 150 cl, Case of 6 × 75 cl

eWibe code

0250114