critic reviews
Touch of reduction on opening aromatics, but love the rose petal and raspberry palate, fresh salinity and powerful character, with grilled sandalwood and slate, good stuff. 40% new oak, 33hl/ha yield.
The 2023 Latour-Martillac has quite a voluminous bouquet with blackberry, violet and black olive scents, becoming increasingly floral with aeration. Fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with finely sculpted tannins, beautifully balanced with a harmonious, silky-smooth finish. This is better than the white and should age gracefully in bottle.
Latour-Martillac 2023 has a deep garnet-purple color. It opens with cedar and spice box notes, before giving way to a core of blackcurrant jelly, wild strawberries, and iron ore, with a waft of garrigue. Medium-bodied, the palate delivers tight-knit black and red berry layers, with mineral accents and grainy tannins to support, finishing with a refreshing lift.
Composed of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 14% Petit Verdot and matured with 40% in new oak barrels, the 2023 Latour Martillac reveals aromas of dark wild berries, spices, pencil lead and mulberries, followed by a medium to full-bodied, concentrated and rich, layered and fleshy palate that segues into a firm, long and mineral finish. The increased proportion of Petit Verdot, a response to mildew affecting the Merlot grapes, imparts a more structured and firm character than seen in previous years.