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Chateau Latour

2002 Chateau Latour Premier Cru Classe, Pauillac

France Cabernet Franc Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Petit Verdot Bordeaux Pauillac Premier Cru Classe 750ML

Wine Advocate

96

Vinous

94
/
2002 Chateau Latour Premier Cru Classe, Pauillac
Chateau Latour

2002 Chateau Latour Premier Cru Classe, Pauillac

France Cabernet Franc Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Petit Verdot Bordeaux Pauillac Premier Cru Classe 750ML

Wine Advocate

96

Vinous

94
/
0 In Stock
  • Lightly Scuffed Label, Perfect Color

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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

96

The wine of the vintage? There are only 10,000 cases of this extraordinarily rich, dense 2002 that is as powerful as the 2003 (even the alcohol levels are nearly the same, 12.85%) . It is dark ruby/purple to the rim, with notes of English walnuts, crushed rocks, black currants, and forest floor, dense, full-bodied, and opulent, yet classic with spectacular aromatics, marvelous purity, and a full-bodied finish that lasts just over 50+ seconds. Huge richness and the sweetness of the tannin are somewhat deceptive as this wine seems set for a long life. Administrator Frederic Engerer seems to be more pleased with what Latour achieved in 2002 than in any other recent vintage. Hats off to him for an extraordinary accomplishment in a vintage that wouldn’t have been expected to produce the raw materials to achieve something at this level of quality. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2045.

Vinous

Vinous

94

The 2002 Latour is more backward on the nose, quite floral with rose petal scents infusing the red and black fruit, a marine element that emerges with time in the glass. I could not find any of the Christmas cake aromas that I observed on previous bottles. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, grippy in the mouth with a dense and sapid finish. Given the vintage, this is a magnificent wine, probably the finest on the Left Bank, though clearly from large formats such as this it requires more time. Tasted blind from double magnum at 20-year retrospective at the château.

What the Critics are Saying

The Wine Advocate

Wine Advocate

96

The wine of the vintage? There are only 10,000 cases of this extraordinarily rich, dense 2002 that is as powerful as the 2003 (even the alcohol levels are nearly the same, 12.85%) . It is dark ruby/purple to the rim, with notes of English walnuts, crushed rocks, black currants, and forest floor, dense, full-bodied, and opulent, yet classic with spectacular aromatics, marvelous purity, and a full-bodied finish that lasts just over 50+ seconds. Huge richness and the sweetness of the tannin are somewhat deceptive as this wine seems set for a long life. Administrator Frederic Engerer seems to be more pleased with what Latour achieved in 2002 than in any other recent vintage. Hats off to him for an extraordinary accomplishment in a vintage that wouldn’t have been expected to produce the raw materials to achieve something at this level of quality. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2045.

Vinous

Vinous

94

The 2002 Latour is more backward on the nose, quite floral with rose petal scents infusing the red and black fruit, a marine element that emerges with time in the glass. I could not find any of the Christmas cake aromas that I observed on previous bottles. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, grippy in the mouth with a dense and sapid finish. Given the vintage, this is a magnificent wine, probably the finest on the Left Bank, though clearly from large formats such as this it requires more time. Tasted blind from double magnum at 20-year retrospective at the château.