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1989 Chateau Latour Premier Cru Classe, Pauillac
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  • Base Neck, Lightly Scuffed Label

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Perhaps the apex of Left Bank Bordeaux, Latour is the longest-lived and most balanced of the First Growths. Predominantly Cabernet- and Merlot-based, there is a splash of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot which, though minuscule provide a signature to the scent and makeup of the Grand Vin. Latour also represents the maker of perhaps the finest "Second" wine in its "Forts de Latour".

Chateau Latour

One of the original First Growths in the 1855 classification, Chateau Latour has retained, if not built on to, the glory that elevated its stature above all but three others nearly two centuries ago. Located about 300m from the Gironde estuary, the microclimate has a direct impact on the wines, in that te river provides moderating influence, and helps to prevent not only from frost, but with an earlier ripening due to the consistency of climate, the wines are hardly ever subject to any sort of mildew or other malady. These days, it is mostly farmed biodynamically, and treated as one large ecosystem to itself. 

Latour is renowned for their selection process, declassifying any fruit not deemed perfect enough for the Grand Vin. This perfectionist approach has reaped benefits not only in top-scoring vintages like 1990, 2005 and so on, but to even greater success you could say in "lesser", or less ripe, vintages. In just about any year, compared to a Lafite or Mouton, Latour could even be called austere; much like a great Barolo, the juice inside each bottle seems to pack on weight with age, softening and showing its plush elegance. 

I find it humorous that, in old copies of his Bordeaux tome, Parker calls Latour "One of the most concentrated, rich, tannic and full-bodied wines in the world." Granted, he does counter this two lines further, stating that it "Can be a wine of extraordinary richness, yet it is never heavy." This serves to highlight one critic's wish of a wine, rather than what it actually is. If the five first growths were Burgundy villages, and Lafite were the Vosne-Romanee, Latour would be Chambolle-Musigny, specifically Le Musigny: clear in its intent with a taut core of pinkish-red fruits, silky, ethereal and tickling your imagination with what power it could develop, if only you had the patience to wait. 

Meet the Producer

Chateau Latour

Perhaps the apex of Left Bank Bordeaux, Latour is the longest-lived and most balanced of the First Growths. Predominantly Cabernet- and Merlot-based, there is a splash of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot which, though minuscule provide a signature to the scent and makeup of the Grand Vin. Latour also represents the maker of perhaps the finest "Second" wine in its "Forts de Latour".

One of the original First Growths in the 1855 classification, Chateau Latour has retained, if not built on to, the glory that elevated its stature above all but three others nearly two centuries ago. Located about 300m from the Gironde estuary, the microclimate has a direct impact on the wines, in that te river provides moderating influence, and helps to prevent not only from frost, but with an earlier ripening due to the consistency of climate, the wines are hardly ever subject to any sort of mildew or other malady. These days, it is mostly farmed biodynamically, and treated as one large ecosystem to itself. 

Latour is renowned for their selection process, declassifying any fruit not deemed perfect enough for the Grand Vin. This perfectionist approach has reaped benefits not only in top-scoring vintages like 1990, 2005 and so on, but to even greater success you could say in "lesser", or less ripe, vintages. In just about any year, compared to a Lafite or Mouton, Latour could even be called austere; much like a great Barolo, the juice inside each bottle seems to pack on weight with age, softening and showing its plush elegance. 

I find it humorous that, in old copies of his Bordeaux tome, Parker calls Latour "One of the most concentrated, rich, tannic and full-bodied wines in the world." Granted, he does counter this two lines further, stating that it "Can be a wine of extraordinary richness, yet it is never heavy." This serves to highlight one critic's wish of a wine, rather than what it actually is. If the five first growths were Burgundy villages, and Lafite were the Vosne-Romanee, Latour would be Chambolle-Musigny, specifically Le Musigny: clear in its intent with a taut core of pinkish-red fruits, silky, ethereal and tickling your imagination with what power it could develop, if only you had the patience to wait. 


The Wine Advocate

Wine Advocate

89

This wine was tasted at a vertical tasting held in Charlotte, North Carolina several days before the Christie tasting. The Latour staff spoke far more highly of the 1989 than my experience has shown. It possesses many characteristics that make great vintages of Bordeaux so alluring - softness, overripeness, and sweet fruit. The problem is that there are insufficient quantities of these components. An evolved dark ruby color reveals amber at the edge. The nose offers aromas of caramel, coffee, ripe black cherry and currant fruit, cedar, and spice box. Although medium-bodied, with low acidity, the wine lacks richness in the mid-palate, and is surprisingly abrupt in the finish. It is a very fine, delicious Latour, but it is hard to believe it will attain the weight and flavor dimensions its producers suggest. Anticipated maturity: now-2020.

Vinous

Vinous

93

The 1989 Latour has an archetypal nose for the estate with black fruit, gravel and graphite notes, touches of pencil box developing with aeration, determined to put distance between itself and the Mouton-Rothschild alongside. The palate is medium-bodied and cohesive with a gentle grip. It is smooth in texture and not a complex Latour, yet it exhibits satisfying depth and feels like it could improve with continued bottle age. That said, to repeat my assertion in my last note, this quality level would not be accepted under the current regime. Tasted at the 1989 Bordeaux dinner at 67 Pall Mall.

What the Critics are Saying

The Wine Advocate

Wine Advocate

89

This wine was tasted at a vertical tasting held in Charlotte, North Carolina several days before the Christie tasting. The Latour staff spoke far more highly of the 1989 than my experience has shown. It possesses many characteristics that make great vintages of Bordeaux so alluring - softness, overripeness, and sweet fruit. The problem is that there are insufficient quantities of these components. An evolved dark ruby color reveals amber at the edge. The nose offers aromas of caramel, coffee, ripe black cherry and currant fruit, cedar, and spice box. Although medium-bodied, with low acidity, the wine lacks richness in the mid-palate, and is surprisingly abrupt in the finish. It is a very fine, delicious Latour, but it is hard to believe it will attain the weight and flavor dimensions its producers suggest. Anticipated maturity: now-2020.

Vinous

Vinous

93

The 1989 Latour has an archetypal nose for the estate with black fruit, gravel and graphite notes, touches of pencil box developing with aeration, determined to put distance between itself and the Mouton-Rothschild alongside. The palate is medium-bodied and cohesive with a gentle grip. It is smooth in texture and not a complex Latour, yet it exhibits satisfying depth and feels like it could improve with continued bottle age. That said, to repeat my assertion in my last note, this quality level would not be accepted under the current regime. Tasted at the 1989 Bordeaux dinner at 67 Pall Mall.