2016 Chateau Latour

Unanimously awarded 100 points by every major critic, it stands proudly among the greatest Latour vintages ever made, alongside 1961, 1982 and 2010. Built for generations.

100 Points, Neal Martin, Vinous
The 2016 Latour is a vintage that I have tasted a couple of times post-bottling. On one occasion, it warranted a perfect score, but that was then moot since this vintage had not been released. Now that it is due to hit the shelves this coming March, does the wine still merit that three-digit accolade?

Without question, yes. Deep, lucid purple in color, it seems to shimmer in the glass. The bouquet plays with you, a bit of a femme fatale, distant for the first few minutes. Then, it magically coalesces and gains incredible intensity with blackberry, pencil lead, background hints of oyster shell and notes of Japanese wakame. The aromatics announce exactly which château you are doing business with.

The palate is medium-bodied with filigreed tannins, blessed with beguiling symmetry and ineffable poise. Residing firmly on the black side of the fruit spectrum, there is underlying mineralité. Veins of cassis run through the persistent finish. This is everything you could really wish for in a Latour. The 2016 can be uttered in the same breath as the 1900, 1924, 1959, 1961, 1982 and 2010. Magnificent.

100 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
The 2016 Latour is magnificent. Regal and nuanced, with tons of energy, the 2016 is immediately captivating. The bouquet announces an important wine, a feeling that builds through the wine’s mid-palate. There’s a real feeling of exuberance in 2016, and yet the wine remains quite classic in its structural composition.

Beams of supporting tannin extend the effortless, beautifully persistent finish. Unforgettable.

100 Points, James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com
I am dreaming as I smell this wine — perfectly ripe Cabernet Sauvignon with currants, tobacco and fresh mint. Orange blossoms too. This amazing nose is so complex. Medium- to full-bodied, this has perfectly integrated tannins that you don’t feel but know are there, elevating the wine to another level.

It’s very drinkable because of its stellar balance, yet the tannic tension gives it energy and seamless texture. A benchmark Latour that reminds me of the 1982 in many ways. Drink or hold.

100 Points, Georgina Hindle, Decanter
A monumental wine from Latour. This isn’t yet ready to drink but offers an impactful and promising palate full of muscle, tension and length. A complex nose filled with pencil lead, crayon, cola, mint, dried herbs, violets, and tobacco, layered with cocoa powder and espresso nuances.

On the palate, it is both generous and controlled, suave and slick, with an effortless texture that fills the mouth with bright red fruits and cool, stony elements. The wine expands beautifully, with a powdery, fleshy grip leading to a long, mineral-driven finish marked by wet stones, graphite and cola. Still compact and somewhat caged, the tannins remain firm and structured, almost austere in their tension. It carries a sense of power and poise, but still with supreme charm.

100 Points, Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
Impressively precise and muscular. No question that this needs longer in the bottle before really being ready to drink, but everything is in place for decades of pleasure. Smart timing of this release — a vintage that underlines without question just why Latour is so revered, and why there is a clear logic to holding it back at the estate for almost a decade, allowing the first part of its ageing cycle to take place under fully controlled conditions.

Very much a classic Pauillac, with confidence and character, waves of mint leaf, coffee bean, cola, crushed rocks, crayon and liquorice root, opening up to show fragrant nuances of rose petals and peony.