-
99
/ 100
James Suckling -
98
/ 100
The Wine Independent -
98
/ 100
Jane Anson -
98
/ 100
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW -
97
/ 100
Decanter
Red
Classification
Cabernet Blend
Variety
2017
Vintage
750ml (Bottle)
Bottle Size
France
Country
Bordeaux, Medoc
Region
13.7%
Alcohol %
15 Plus Years
Cellaring
Scores
99 / 100"Ripe and very powerful aromas of black licorice, currants and violets. Full-bodied, dense and flavorful with lots of very new, flashy wood. Sexy and gorgeous. Round and polished tannins. Superb wine for the vintage. Try after 2028."
- James Suckling
98 / 100
"A blend of 92.1% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7.8% Merlot, and 0.1% Petit Verdot, the 2017 Latour is deep garnet in color. It needs just a bit of convincing to get it to reveal gorgeous notes of warm cassis, black raspberries, and juicy black plums, plus wafts of violets, licorice, and cumin seed with a hint of cedar chest. The medium-bodied palate expands as the nuanced mineral, black fruit, and earthy layers unfurl, beautifully framed by ever-so-plush tannins and amazing tension, finishing long and perfumed. This is such a gorgeous Latour!"
- The Wine Independent
98 / 100
"In the line up, this is a year older than the Pauillac de Latour, but very clearly deeper and more intense in colour, reflecting the 24hl/h yield after a challenging growing season first with mildew and then with the heat of the summer. The rich texture is immediately apparent, and it needs time to open in the glass, as bottle ageing has tamed the exuberance of En Primeur and given way to a classically muscular expression of the estate character. Those Pauillac tannins are exerting their influence, cradling blackcurrant and damson fruits, cocoa bean, baking spice, graphite, espresso, turmeric and black pepper. A wine that reflects the intensity of the summer, with everything knitted down and austere, I suggest a few more years in bottle before opening to allow more joy to come through, and decant well before serving. 42% of the overall estate production in this wine, 60% new oak."
- Jane Anson
98 / 100
"The 2017 Latour is a blend of 92.1% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7.8% Merlot and 0.1% Petit Verdot with 13.3% alcohol and an IPT of 66. Deep garnet-purple in color, it starts off a little broody before exploding from the glass with powerful scents of ripe blackcurrants, blackberry pie and preserved black cherries plus touches of cedar chest, fenugreek, cumin seed and charcoal with emerging wafts of violets, dark chocolate, star anise and fertile loam. Medium-bodied, this may be one of the most elegant, great Latours ever, revealing layer upon layer of fresh, crunchy black fruits with a vast array of exotic spice and floral nuances, framed by super ripe, super fine-grained tannins, finishing very long with mineral sparks coming through. This is so nuanced and perfumed that I imagine, in 50 years, this wine could be mistaken for a great red Burgundy."
- Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW
97 / 100
"It's fairly unusual in 2017 to find the bright blue-violet reflections around the rim of the wine that you find in years like 2010 and 2016, but it is here in abundance. Still extremely young, knitted, closed up, holding tight to its cassis and bilberry fruits at this point. This was the first year when they were in full organics, although not certified until 2019. It's a big-framed Latour and you can see that it is going to need a good long while before softening its Pauillac tannins; at least a decade on this showing. Lovely rich deep flavours here with great dollops of black spice. It feels majestic and full of Latour signature of menthol, liquorice, slate and earth. One of the best 2017s tasted. 18 months ageing, building up to 100% new oak."
- Decanter
Tasting Notes
In great vintages, the power and energy of Château Latour's wines enables them to continue to develop for several decades with ease. The bouquet and impressions on tasting gradually evolve, becoming increasingly complex, ultimately reaching a peak, after which the tannins soften and then the wine slowly declines. Beyond the pleasure of drinking them, these wines can produce powerful feelings and unforgettable moments. Château Latour is also known for having the ability to produce fine wines even in difficult years. Château Latour 2017 has a magnificent aromatic spectrum of black cherry and blackcurrant combined with fresher notes of chalk, tobacco and olive. Precise, structured tannins on a dense, deep palate make this a powerful wine with energy and balance that convey refinement and freshness.
Tasting Profile
- Light
- Full
- Low Tannin
- Tannic
- Sweet
- Dry
- Low Acidity
- High Acidity