Château Latour, 1er Cru Classé, Pauillac, 2012

Re-release of the 2012 vintage, the first one that came off the Place de Bordeaux, and it is moving into its drinking window at 14 years old, although as ever with Latour there is no rush to drink this, and the wine seems in a similar place to my last tasting in 2022. Plenty of Pauillac typicity in terms of blackcurrant and bilberry fruit shot through with mint leaf and cedar, given depth and character with fennel, liquorice, crayon, crushed rocks, graphite. Muscular tannins but with enough light in between to make this a relatively early-drinking Latour. Harvest September 24 to October 16.

DRINKING WINDOW 2025 - 2045

date of review 08/2025

The 2012 Latour is medium to deep garnet colored. It is a little sluggish to begin, delivering oaky notes over a core of creme de cassis, baked plums, and new leather, plus hints of cast-iron pan and cigar box. Medium-bodied, the palate has a solid structure of firm, grainy tannins with seamless freshness and taut, muscular fruit, finishing long and earthy.

DRINKING WINDOW 2022 - 2047

date of review 02/2023