Château Latour, 1er Cru Classé, Pauillac,

Spiced damson clear from the first moment, stroked satin in texture, loading up on cassis and bilberry fruits. The smoky, spicy side comes out after 15 to 20 minutes in the glass, along with smoked earth and turmeric. Huge amounts of crayon and pencil lead follow, this has less floral nuance than comparable vintages such as Latour 2016, which comes after full conversion to organic and biodynamic farming. What you get instead is utterly classic old school Latour from top to bottom, every inch powerful, muscular, stately. 2010 was a hydric stress year, with very little rain, in comparison to 2009 where the stress came from heat, and it is developing exactly as promised, which means slowly but surely, with the tannic architecture still brooding at 12 years old. At the very beginning of its drinking window, and on this showing just a nudge below the 2009 Latour, which I tasted in the same week. 36% of overall production.

The 2010 Latour can be summed up in two words: “The king.” It convincingly asserts its superiority over other 2010s, including First Growths, in terms of its aromatic complexity, precision, balance, intensity, complexity and persistence. Simply a faultless Latour that ranks among its greatest achievements. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the BI Wines & Spirits 10-Year On tasting.