Chateau Latour Vertical in Atlanta 1955 to 2002

WINE TALK
1

This past Sunday several of us got together at the home of Mr. Mark Taylor to taste several vintages of Chateau Latour from Pauillac. Mark has been a long time collector of Chateau Latour. With the able assistance of Mr. Yves Durand, a vertical tasting of very good to excellent vintages of Chateau Latour from 1955 to 2002 was organized.


The format of single blind tasting was chosen.


Here are my tasting notes and our group rankings. I must thank a very generous Mark Taylor for the opportunity to taste here. A rare opportunity. Thanks Mark.




Flight One



Wine One- A medium concentrated wine. Sweet dark fruit on the nose with tobacco and some element of Asiatic spices. The palate is resolved with soft tannin being noted on the finish. Dark fruit and elements of tobacco spice continue for some time on the finish. Spectacular stuff.



Wine Two- Much darker and denser here. Very dark fruit on the nose with elements of very ripe fruits like prunes. Some coffee and spice notes. There is incredible density here and an element of elevated alcohol on the finish. Good length.



Wine Three- Medium concentration here. Very dark fruit with tobacco spice on the nose. This is Chateau Latour to me. Less intensity than the next two wines. The fruit dries just a little on the finish. Some tannin still is present. Very good length here. Nice.



Wine Four- A perfect Chateau Latour nose. Red-black fruit with Asian spice. Complex. Focused. The palate is resolved and shows lots of fruit and spice. The finish is really nice. Profound.



Wine Five- Flat out perfect Chateau Latour nose. It envelops your sinuses. Red-black fruit that is focused and coated with spice. Wow! The palate is resolved and so complex. Layer upon layer of red-black focused fruit with spices of tobacco and Asian influence. Incredible. The finish here goes on forever. To me this is as good as Chateau Latour gets and that is pretty good. Profound. Perfect Chateau Latour.


1.1971
2.1966
3.1975
4.1970
5.1955

I will take a case of that 1955!
Group Favorite: 1955 Second Favorite: 1970 Third Favorite: 1971




Flight Two



Wine One - Restrained nose. Some element of darker fruit and cassis here. The palate is big in the mouth and explodes with complexity. Asiatic spice and some element of tobacco spice. Lots of dark fruit. An incredibly long finish. Amazing stuff.



Wine Two- Very ripe fruit on the nose. Red-black fruit. Almost syrup-like on the palate. Still quite firm on the finish. Not sure what this will become with time.



Wine Three- The nose is very youthful red-black fruit and spice. This to me is Chateau Latour. Very tense on the palate. Youthful and tannic. Dark fruit and clipped finish due to tannin.



Wine Four- Restrained nose again. Here the fruit is red-black and elegant. Focused. Gorgeous lively palate. The fruit dances here. Red-black with spice. Great intensity on the finish.



Wine Five- Perfect Chateau Latour nose. Red-black fruit, tobacco spice and some element of Asian spice. Intense. The palate is medium concentrated but explodes with complexity and length. Wow! Fabulous. Profound. Wonderful stuff.

1.1994
2.1986
3.1995
4.1988
5.1982

I will take a case of the 1982!
Group Favorite: 1982 Second Favorite: 1986 Third Favorite: 1994



Flight Three



Wine One- Reticent nose. Primary Cabernet based wine at this point. The palate is gorgeous. Great density and intensity of fruit. Some element of spice but it is difficult to sort it out due to the fruit. Great length. Profound stuff.



Wine Two- Again primary Cabernet based wine. Medium concentrated and with time fleshes out incredible intensity and complexity. This is still fruit dominated but special stuff. Less density than wine one but more complexity. Profound.



Wine Three- Very dense fruit. Primary Cabernet. Tannic and closed. Difficult to assess.



Wine Four- Here is the only nose that smells like Chateau Latour. Red-black fruit and spices. Focused. The palate is quite linear at this point but shows great detail and fruit. Nice length that is snipped by tannin at this point. Great stuff.

1.2002
2.2000
3.2001
4.1998

I will take a case of the 2002! (and the 2000 too if it wasn’t so expensive)
Group Favorite: 2002 Second Favorite: 2000 Third Favorite: 1998


It is rare that this kind of opportunity comes along. To be able to taste these wines with many of my friends makes it incredibly special.


Thanks again to a very generous Mark for this once in a lifetime tasting.


Now, if I just had that case of 1955.

2

Wow Don, you could almost convince me to move to Atlanta…to bad it’s in Georgia. [oops.gif]

I was born in 1955 so on my 50th birthday I drank the 55 Latour, 55 Haut Brion and 55 Smith Woodhouse and while I thought the Latour showed well for a wine that old, the Haut Brion blew it away. Now miles may vary and bottles are not the same but I remembered thinking perhaps the Latour was overrated…I glad you proved me wrong.

3

Steve,
That 55 Latour was really something else.
You should think about a trip to Georgia at least.
No banjo players in ATL.
( i.e. “Boy, you have a purty mouth” guys.)

4

Don, thanks for posting these notes. Never had the '55 but I agree the '82 is unbelievable. I guess biggest surprise is seeing how good 2002 is.

5

I’m a little worried about this…

However if you have a Berserkerfest down there I’m a defiant.