Château
Latour: 2023 Releases

BY NEAL MARTIN |&nbsp;MARCH 06, 2023Since
2012, Château Latour has released their three wines onto the market according
to when vintages are deemed ready instead of the orthodox spring following harvest.
I visited the estate in late January to assess the trio due to see the light of
day. where I tasted with technical director Hélène Genin.

The 2015
Latour was bottled in July 2017 and contains 13.04% alcohol. It is blessed
with a refined and focused bouquet: perfumed blackberry and raspberry scents,
iodine, pine and light pencil shaving aromas. It has dispensed with the subtle
fig-like/exotic notes noticeable three years ago, arguably a little more
conservative today. The palate is medium-bodied, with fine-grain tannins;
harmonious and poised, clean and precise, understated with an irresistible
silky texture. The 2015 does not possess a peacock’s tail like a top-tier Latour.
No, it prefers to remain cool, calm and collected for now. This sublime First
Growth will cruise for many years. 96/Drink 2025-2055.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1677872125360-latour+2023+late+releases.jpg">The 2017
Les Forts de Latour conveys airiness on the nose, reflecting the relatively
lightest vintage in recent years. Graphite and sous-bois infuse black
fruit, offering a slightly welcome herbaceous/undergrowth tincture. The palate
is very well-balanced and will appeal to those seeking a sleeker, lighter style
of Pauillac. Not lean by any account, but this Les Fort de Latour is
understated, with appealing black pepper and tobacco notes emerging on the
finish. Fine. 92/Drink 2023-2040. 

The 2018
Pauillac de Latour, bottled in June 2020, has a floral, almost Margaux-like
bouquet with a mixture of red and black fruit infused with crushed violet and a
nuanced pencil box note in the background. The palate is medium-bodied and
quite animated upon opening. The acidity is a little more heightened than I
expected. With modest weight, the 2018 is linear yet reassuringly elegant
towards the finish. Contemplating this Troisième Vin, maybe it is more
low-key than expected, but in a positive sense. It should drink well over the
next decade. 89/Drink 2023-2033.<div></div>© 2023, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or re-distributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright, but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.

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