2018 Château Latour-Martillac Blanc, Cru Classé Pessac-Léognan

2018 Château Latour-Martillac Blanc, Cru Classé Pessac-Léognan

Quite a cool, elegant white. There’s weight of fruit but also a silky, cooling texture. A fine thread of citrus acidity holds the palate together, ending in a long, precise, layered finish.

Critic score
91.75/100 info

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Wine details

  • Region & country
    Pessac-Léognan, Graves, Bordeaux, France
  • Grape
    54% Sauvignon Blanc
    46% Semillon
  • Maturity
    Ready 2020 - 2028info
  • Colour
    White
  • Sweetness
    Dry
  • Style
    Still
  • Unit Volume
    Bottle (75cl.)
  • ABV
    15%

Tasting notes

The Latour Martillac 2018 Blanc has an expressive nose of fresh grapefruit, white peaches and lemon juice with hints of lime leaves and chalk dust. Medium-bodied, the palate delivers great intensity with loads of minerally sparks and a long, zesty finish.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (April 2019)
(91—93)/100

Ripe stone fruit flavours show the warmth of the summer but there's a lovely sense of restraint and freshness in this good quality wine. It has a touch of bitterness, which gives focus to the finish. Successful in both colours in 2018. 50hl/ha yield. 25% new oak. 3.13pH.

Jane Anson, Decanter (April 2019)
(92)/100

This is an intense, mineral and acidity-driven white, showing dried fruit, such as lemon and pineapple. Medium to full body. Bright finish.

James Suckling, jamessuckling.com (April 2019)
(93—94)/100

A powerful, structured white, the 2018 Latour-Martillac Blanc has a real feeling of density to it. Citrus, white flowers and mint all take shape in the glass, but it is the wine's textural resonance that stands out most. Some rough edges remain, but hopefully élevage will take care of them. More than anything else, it appears these old vines on clay handled the rigors of the growing season pretty well. The blend is 54% Sauvignon Blanc and 46% Sémillon.

Antonio Galloni, vinous.com (April 2019)
(88—91)/100
Château Latour-Martillac

Latour-Martillac is one of Pessac-Léognan’s best value wines and its prices have remained relatively stable compared to its counterparts. Although the wine was famously served at the coronation of King George VI, it has flown under the radar in recent times. Its striking art deco label was designed by Alfred Kressman in the 1930s and it remains under the Kressman’s ownership today. Its name is derived from the 12th century tower on the estate, all that is left of a small, fortified castle although the name Martillac was added to differentiate the property from the First Growth, Château Latour. It was awarded classed growth status in the Graves classification of 1959, and was one just six to be awarded for both its reds and whites.

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