2014 Château Latour, 1er Cru Pauillac

“The 2014 Latour captures the personality of the year in its linear, lithe construction. It's a decidedly understated Latour that is more about finesse than brawn. Bright red cherry/plum fruit, spice, mint and sweet tobacco open over time, but at this level, wines are more about a feel, an expression of place and a vintage. The 2014 Latour embodies all the best this cool, late-ripening growing season had to offer. I loved the 2014 when it was first shown, about five years ago, and I love it today. It is a super-classic Pauillac.” 96 points, Antonio Galloni, January 2022

The 2014 Latour has a backward and austere bouquet that does not respond to coaxing from the glass. This is so broody and sultry, only reluctantly eking out pencil shaving and sous-bois aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannin, finely judged acidity, quite dense and “solid” at the moment and yet there is elegance and stylishness to spare here. It just needs to manifest more charm and personality à la Mouton-Rothschild, but do not under-estimate this Latour whenever it is released. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

The 2014 Latour, which was bottled in July 2016, but of course will not be released for several years depending upon subsequent vintages, has a very pure, tightly-wound bouquet with blackberry fruit infused with black olive and graphite, just as it was out of barrel during en primeur. After several minutes, it is joined by subtle hints of pressed violets. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. This is very classic in style, exhibiting superb freshness and harmony, the texture perhaps a little silkier than I recollect from barrel. It fans out with a very attractive marine influence that it shares with its neighbor Léoville Las-Cases, whilst the persistence is very impressive and reinforces its First Growth pedigree. This should be a quintessential Latour once released: aristocratic and noble.

“So much violets, licorice, pencil, flowers and currants define this on the nose before it moves to fresh mushrooms. It’s full-bodied yet compacted with tension and a compressed center palate. Incredible, fine-grained tannins and energy. The length is truly great. Should be even more beautiful in 2024. Give it time.” 99 points, James Suckling, January 2017