At the beginning of the eighteenth century, Chateau Latour started to be highly recognized around the world, thanks to the re-conquest of the British market and the development of the wine business in Northern Europe. The aristocracy and other wealthy groups of consumers became very enthusiastic about a few great estates, of which Latour was one. And that was how Thomas Jefferson, ambassador of the United States in France, and future President, discovered this wine in 1787. At that time, a cask of Chateau Latour was already worth twenty times as much as one of ordinary Bordeaux wine.
The reputation of Chateau Latour was consolidated during the 19th century. It was confirmed in 1855, when the government of Napoléon III decided to classify the growths of the Médoc and the Graves for the International Exhibition in Paris: Chateau Latour was classified as a First Growth. The existing chateau was built during this "Golden Age", between 1862 and 1864.
Winemaker Notes
The 2004 vintage saw the return of a very classic wine with a powerful, fresh, lively style, and a solid, precise structure. Very concentrated fruit is supported by an imposing structure, and already showing great purity and a rare level of energy. The finish is long and very silky, supported by very well-integrated tannins.
Critical Acclaim
RP95 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A terrific effort from Administrator Frederic Engerer and owner Francois Pinault, the dark ruby/purple-tinged 2004 Latour exhibits a strong cassis character intermixed with notes of crushed rocks, earth, cedar, and forest floor. Racy, elegant, but powerful with medium to full body, and sweet tannin, it will benefit from 5-7 years of cellaring, and should keep for three decades. It is a very impressive offering.
W&S94 Wine & Spirits
The modern Latour has a vast architectural presence. The edges of ferrous power here are tamed on a supple texture, though the choice seems to have been to trade some freshness for that textural grace. The tannins have the potent austerity that grows out of Latour's deep hill of stones. Closed off for now, the fruit aspect of the wine will not likely show for more than a decade, and the wine will likely need 20 years to reach maturity.
JD94 Jeb Dunnuck
The 2004 Latour checks in as a blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and a splash of Cabernet Franc, all aged in new French oak. It shows the more elegant, silky style of the vintage, yet with plenty of Latour grandeur and depth in its ripe cassis, smoky mineral, graphite, and saddle leather aromas and flavours. It’s medium to full-bodied, impressively concentrated, and has serious length, as well as another two decades of longevity, although it’s certainly drinking beautifully today.
