Survive Us All: Latour 1858-2018
BY NEAL MARTIN |
Apologies for the Delay In Service
One-thousand, four hundred and sixty-seven days passed between the day I tasted many of these wines and the day I began embroidering them with words. What caused the delay? Not forgetfulness, lassitude, laziness or the flimsy excuse once mumbled upon failing to hand in my long-overdue geography homework…
“Sorry, Sir,” I pleaded. “The dog ate my exercise book.”
The teacher looked me up and down disdainfully and simply uttered: “Detention, Martin.”
Let me explain this unforgivable delay in service.
On 16 December 2019, I disembarked my flight from London to Hong Kong, which had been delayed even longer than the aforementioned homework. Shuffling down the aisle, a text advised me to dump my bags at the hotel, hail a taxi and go directly to that evening’s soirée since corks were already flying. Sixty minutes later, I entered the private room at Arbor restaurant, and before even bidding hello, I was handed a glass.
“That’s the 1858 Latour.”
A First Growth vertical that spans 160 years and took over three years to complete? This epic tasting of Château Latour is virtually unique in scope. But instead of simply glorifying ancient vintages, this article painstakingly examines the backdrop to the wines, winemaking practices, those involved in their creation, critics’ reception, market prices and the ups and the downs of this storied estate.
