2008 Château Latour Premier Grand Cru Classé
Region: Paulliac, Bordeaux
Country: France
Grapes: 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, .75% Cabernet Franc, and .25% Petit Verdot
Vintage: 2008
ABV: 13.5%
Vivino: 4.6
Drink By: 2042
Occasional Wine Note: This is one of the 4 1st growth red wines from Napolean III's Classification of 1855. The others are also very recognizable - Chateaus Lafite Rothschild, Haut-Brion, Margaux, with Chateau Mouton-Rothschild being added to the list in 1973. These Left Bank Bordeauxs are a lot more austere than the Napa Valley versions with which most Americans are so familiar. The focus is on all of the components of the wine, the terroir - the soils, vines, fruit, etc. This one is no different. You'll want to open this up for awhile before drinking, but when it is open, it's a gem. The dark fruits are there, but more subtle than aniticpated, realy balanced by the tobacco and chocolate and spice notes and flavors. This is a taught but elegant wine. It deserves a place of prominence in your cellar only to be brought out for those really really really special occasions.
Decanter
Critic Score: 98
This takes a heartbeat to kick in, and then the weight and impact of this wine slowly kicks in. Those Cabernets have lift and punch, and although it's not ethereal like the Ausone or even the Lafite, it has power, structure, impact and kick, and you know it's going the distance. It has really lovely menthol notes which play around on the finish, preceded by layers of cassis and liquorice. It's more accessible than many Latours at 10 years old - just give it another couple of years to fully get into its stride.
Jeb Dunnuck
Critic Score: 96
The brilliant 2008 Château Latour has the classic stature and regal style of the estate front and center. A blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc, it’s still purple-colored and brilliantly concentrated, offering medium to full-bodied aromas and flavors of blackcurrants, tobacco, lead pencil, and graphite. Dense, perfectly balanced, with ripe tannins, it’s a few years away from prime time (although it certainly offers pleasure) but will drink well for another 2-3 decades.