Château Latour 2021
Review of the Estate
Established in the 1670s, the vineyards of Château Latour are some of the oldest in the Mèdoc, pre-dating the existing Château (which was built between 1862 and 1864) by almost 200 years.
The grandiose Tower of St Lambert depicted on the wine's label is instantly recognisable. Built as a fortress during the Hundred Years' War in the late 1300s, it was burned to the ground in the 1450s and replaced by a pigeon tower, built from the stones of the former Château, between 1620 and 1630.
It was not until the early 18th century that Chateau Latour came to prominence as a producer of first class wines. This success can largely be attributed to the demands of a budding wine market in Northern Europe and the Marquis de Sègur's concurrent investment in Chateau Latour's vineyard and winery. Ownership remained in the de Sègur family for almost 300 years until 1963 when three quarters of the shares in Château Latour were sold to a British company, the Pearson group.
The intensive modernisation and attention to detail that followed this change in ownership has continued with the management of Francois Pinault, the current owner of Chateau Latour, who acquired the estate in 1993. Together Pinault and Frèdèric Engerer, his estate manager, are renowned for producing exemplary yet consistent wines, which are especially fine, even in weaker vintages. This notable finesse, as any discerning consumer will attest, is an exceptional and rare occurrence.
Vineyard
Surface area: 247 acres
Grape Varieties: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot
Average age of vines: 45 years
Density of plantation: 7,500 vines per hectare
Average yields: 48 hectoliters per hectare
Average cases produced: 17,500 per year
Plateau of maturity: 10-50 years
Château Latour 2021 Reviews / Tasting Notes
William Kelley - The Wine Advocate
Point Score: 95-97
A serious, uncompromising wine that will surely number among the stars of the vintage, the 2021 Latour unwinds in the glass with aromas of dark berries, wild plums, pencil shavings, loamy soil and violets. Full-bodied, layered and concentrated, it's deep and tightly wound, with a tensile, structured profile thanks to lively acids and a chassis of rich, powdery tannin. Long and penetrating, this is a prodigious young Latour that looks to be the most introverted as well as potentially the longest-lived of the first growths.
The Wine Cellar Insider
Point Score: 96-98
Tobacco leaf, cedar, spice box, roses, and red currants are what you initially notice. On the palate, the fruits are clean, pure, fresh, bright, and energetic. There is a softness to the tannins, with a vibrancy in the fruits that carry from the mid-palate, through to the lengthy, bullet of creme de cassis in the finish. For Chateau Latour, this will be able to be enjoyed relatively early in life. The wine was made from a blend of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Merlot, 13.1% ABV. The harvest took place September 28, October 8. The Grand Vin was produced from 39.2% of the harvest. Drink from 2028-2060.