Château Latour, 1er Cru Classé, Pauillac, 2009

Name: Château Latour, 1er Cru Classé, Pauillac
Brand: Château Latour
Price: 5182.33 GBP

Available Vintages

all 2005 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2017

justerini & brooks tasting note

Wow. Our wine of the vintage, Latour 2009 is a real tour de force, an exceptional wine, which must rank as one of the greats from this estate and one of the greatest wines ever produced. An extraordinarily complex nose; kaleidoscopically beautiful and impressive. A veritable smorgasbord of aromas such as cut violets, crushed minerals, liquorice, tar and cherry blossom. It possesses extraordinary depth and power. Pure, silky, multidimensional fruit delights the palate. This has astonishing length and complexity. Restrained, supreme, velvety textured, a wonderful balancing act of power and finesse. What is so remarkable about this wine is not the extraordinary array of aromas and flavours, or the impeccable balance, or the outrageous concentration, but the structure. The tannins are honed from granite, that it to say, they are solid, built for an eternity, yet rounded and smooth. A wonderfully complex, mineral Latour that exudes class and breed; exceptional. An enormous 91.3% of the blend is Cabernet Sauvignon with just 8.7% Merlot. This is like Wagner in a bottle.

critic reviews

100/100Jane Anson,Inside Bordeaux

Unmistakable Latour in an exceptional vintage, so you should expect a muscular, sculpted and confident wine that is bursting with Pauillac character, showcasing the brilliance of this clay-gravel location overlooking the Gironde Estuary. Still just emerging from its primary stage but just about ready to drink if you give it long enough in a carafe - although it will be even better with another decade. Think blackberry, bilberry, cassis, charcoal, slate, sage, incense, cigar box, grilled cumin and a ton of black chocolate shavings. 100% new oak for ageing, Penelope Godefroy vineyard director, Frederic Engerer director. Tasted a few times this year, and here I am adding to the two notes that are already on this site, one at 100 points, and one at 98 points.

DRINKING WINDOW 2024 - 2055

date of review 10/2024

100/100Lisa Perrotti-Brown,The Wine Independent

A blend of 91.3% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8.7% Merlot, the opaque garnet-black colored 2009 Latour prances from the glass with showy notes of black cherry preserves, blueberry pie, and black currant jelly, leading to an undercurrent of camphor, clove oil, and cinnamon toast. The medium to full-bodied palate is decadently stacked with black and blue fruit layers, framed by super-plush tannins and jaw-dropping tension, culminating in a fragrant finish that just goes on and on. It’s flat-out delicious right now but promises to reward the patient.

DRINKING WINDOW 2024 - 2060

date of review 03/2024

98/100Neal Martin,Vinous

The 2009 Latour has an open and generous bouquet: a mixture of red and black fruit and touches of graphite and loam. This vintage displays a light marine/brine influence. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a fine bead of acidity, a firm grip and superb balance. This is very focused, with impressive salinity on the finish that lingers nicely. This is an extraordinarily beautiful Latour. Tasted blind from double magnum at a 20-year retrospective at the château.

DRINKING WINDOW 2023 - 2060

date of review 02/2024

100/100Lisa Perrotti-Brown,Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Deep garnet colored, the 2009 Latour is unashamedly youthful with bold blackcurrants, black cherries and warm plums notes plus nuances of cedar chest, aniseed, beef drippings, truffles and tapenade with a waft of tilled black soil. Full, concentrated and powerful in the mouth, it has a rock-solid frame of super ripe, grainy tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing very long and wonderfully minerally. Just a babythis needs time!

DRINKING WINDOW 2022 - 2080

date of review 03/2019