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Chateau Latour

1988 Chateau Latour Premier Cru Classe, Pauillac

France Cabernet Franc Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Petit Verdot Bordeaux Pauillac 750ML

Wine Advocate

91

Vinous

95
/
1988 Chateau Latour Premier Cru Classe, Pauillac
Chateau Latour

1988 Chateau Latour Premier Cru Classe, Pauillac

France Cabernet Franc Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Petit Verdot Bordeaux Pauillac 750ML

Wine Advocate

91

Vinous

95
/
0 In Stock
  • Base Neck or Better

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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

91

The best showing yet for a wine from this under-rated vintage, the dark garnet-colored 1988 Latour reveals slight amber at the edge. A bouquet of melted tar, plums, black currants, cedar, and underbrush is followed by a sweet entry, with medium to full body, excellent ripeness, and mature tannin. It is a classic, elegant Latour with more meaty, vegetable-like flavors than are found in a riper year, such as 1989 and 1990. The 1988 has just begun to enter its plateau of maturity, where it should remain for 25 years. Anticipated maturity: now-2025

Vinous

Vinous

95

The 1988 Latour has a slightly more powerful nose than the Lafite-Rothschild, with hints of black olive, sage and sous-bois infusing the black fruit. But it doesn't fully reach the complexity of the best vintages of Latour. The palate has a wonderful backbone and grip, with hints of cooked meat. It sedately shimmies into its secondary phase, easing off the gas towards the finish with more density than its peers. This is the best bottle of the 1988 that I have tasted. Excellent. Tasted at the 1988 Bordeaux dinner at Noble Rot Mayfair.

What the Critics are Saying

The Wine Advocate

Wine Advocate

91

The best showing yet for a wine from this under-rated vintage, the dark garnet-colored 1988 Latour reveals slight amber at the edge. A bouquet of melted tar, plums, black currants, cedar, and underbrush is followed by a sweet entry, with medium to full body, excellent ripeness, and mature tannin. It is a classic, elegant Latour with more meaty, vegetable-like flavors than are found in a riper year, such as 1989 and 1990. The 1988 has just begun to enter its plateau of maturity, where it should remain for 25 years. Anticipated maturity: now-2025

Vinous

Vinous

95

The 1988 Latour has a slightly more powerful nose than the Lafite-Rothschild, with hints of black olive, sage and sous-bois infusing the black fruit. But it doesn't fully reach the complexity of the best vintages of Latour. The palate has a wonderful backbone and grip, with hints of cooked meat. It sedately shimmies into its secondary phase, easing off the gas towards the finish with more density than its peers. This is the best bottle of the 1988 that I have tasted. Excellent. Tasted at the 1988 Bordeaux dinner at Noble Rot Mayfair.