Chateau Latour "Le Pauillac de Latour" 2019
(Pauillac, Bordeaux, France) - [JS 94] [VM 93] [JA 93] [JL 93] [WI 93] [JD 92]

About the Winery:
Chateau Latour is situated in the heart of the Médoc wine region, about 50 km north-west of Bordeaux, where the legend of the vineyards of Bordeaux began. The Château’s prime terroir, l’Enclos, overlooks the Gironde estuary which, over the centuries, has given the vineyard its geological complexity and, on a daily basis, ensures a mild climate.

About the Wine:
Pauillac de Latour, Chateau Latour's third wine, has been made every year since 1989, and was developed primarily for the restaurant market.

About 20% new barrels are used in the vinification of the Pauillac, the precise proportion varying depending on the characteristics of the vintage. The blend for Château Latour’s Pauillac 2018 is 55.8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38.8% Merlot, 5.4% Petit Verdot.

2019 is characterised by its harmony and balance. A cool wet spring followed by a warm and dry summer created the right conditions for a generous crop of exceptional quality. After a mild and wet autumn, January 2019 was wet (117 mm) and quite cold. The second half of February was much warmer, and this encouraged an early yet even bud break, registered on 21st March for the Merlot and on 28th March for the Cabernet-Sauvignon. Early June was cool and rainy. However, the weekend from 30th May to 2nd June was exceptionally fine and hot so the flowering went well. Hot and dry weather then set in from mid-June and continued throughout the summer. 27 mm of rain in just 4 days at the end of July gave the vines some respite and kick-started the colour-change, which as registered on 6th August. Thanks to these favourable conditions which lasted until mid-September, the berries ripened in the best possible manner and the grapes remained healthy right up to harvest.

Ratings & Reviews

94 Points - James Suckling:
"This has chocolate, cedar and walnuts as well as some currant aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied with some lovely fruit and juiciness. 55.8% cabernet sauvignon, 38.8% merlot and 5.4% petit verdot. Attractive now but another year or two will make it even better."

93 Points - Vinous:
"The 2019 Pauillac is a serious wine. Dark cherry, plum, gravel, incense, licorice and pomegranate are all dialed up in this wonderfully deep, fleshy Pauillac. Deep and resonant, with fine balance, the 2019 captures all the natural radiance of the year. This is really quite stellar and delicious. A recent bottle of the 2009 reminded me how pleasurable the Latour Pauillac can be. Drink 2029-2036."

93 Points - Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider:
Cigar box, cherry blossoms, and black with red, earthy currants are quick to find. Medium-bodied, with a plushness and polish to the tannins, and fresh red fruits that provide richness and length on the palate with ample bright, red fruits in the finish. The wine blends 55.8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38.8% Merlot and 5.4% Petit Verdot, 14.8% ABV. Drink from 2025-2040.

93 Points - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux:
Easily the best Pauillac de Latour in recent years, showing supple tannins at five years old, textured and rippling with juice, opening to show gourmet smoked plum and blueberry fruit. Has the graphite edge of the appellation, waves of cocoa bean, liqourice and smoked earth, and the balance of 2019. The structure is already welcoming, even if the fruit young, and if you like your wines on the primary side, you can get stuck in straight away and be very happy about it - this is a buy buy buy, and a good upgrade from my initial En Primeur score. 44hl/h yield, almost double that of 2018, which no doubt helps with the juicy character.

93 Points - The Wine Independent:
A blend of 55.8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38.8% Merlot, and 5.4% Petit Verdot, Le Pauillac de Chateau Latour 2019 is medium to deep garnet-purple in color. It comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant notes of black cherries, blackcurrant jelly, and menthol, plus suggestions of garrigue, candied violets, and dark chocolate. The full-bodied palate is plush and oh-so-juicy, with a lively line to balance, and a fantastically intense, yet well-poised, finish. Just starting to open-out and reveal its decadent core, this is the best Pauillac de Chateau Latour since the fabulous 2016, albeit even more concentrated and powerful—a fitting reflection of Latour, if you will. 2024-2039.

92 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
A rocking little Pauillac, the 2019 Le Pauillac De Château Latour has ripe, upfront aromatics of red and black currants, smoke tobacco, and spicy wood that carry to a medium-bodied, supple, layered, nicely balanced wine that has enough tannins to evolve for 20 years or more. 2024 - 2045

91 Points - Decanter Magazine:
Sweet scents on the nose, strawberry and red cherry with some dark chocolate. Supple and lively, smooth and sumptuous at first, then more straight and well defined with a mineral, salty and chalky texture on the palate that grips and coats the mouth. It's very pleasant with high acidity and an enjoyable crushed stone juiciness adding to the clearly ripe fruit. It's complex with bitter orange and dark chocolate alongside toasted herbal accents. It definitely has a serious edge to it and I would still decant if drinking soon but overall it's very characterful and nicely structured. 2024-2032. -GH

91 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:
The 2019 Le Pauillac de Château Latour is a strong effort, offering up inviting aromas of cassis and plums mingled with notions of cigar wrapper, vanilla pod and creamy oak. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with good concentration and powdery tannins, it will offer a broad drinking window. 2025-2045.