Seeing a few offers for Chateau Latour 2014. Yes it’s expensive at 599/bottle.
Name and price aside, and that’s a big aside, I have loved Bordeaux from the 2014 vintage and curious if anyone has thoughts or has tried the Latour. The 2 notes in CellarTracker are from Jeff Leve.
Any thoughts? Anyone buying? Seems “cheap” compared to 2009, 2010, 2005, etc. and I assume the 2014 is priced lower that the eventual 2015 and 2016 releases.
I bit on a 6-pack. I figured it was a fair price given that it was a discount to where Lafite trades and slightly above Mouton. I wish they were still part of the EP program as the pricing for the other first growths were much cheaper during EP. Now it is more like buying and ex-cellar offering.
Thanks for starting a thread on this.
I’m tempted, but haven’t bit as of yet. I’d like to add some Latour to the cellar for silly nostalgic reasons, and this price level is more comfortable than the 09/10 levels…
I grabbed a couple. I really like the 2014 vintage and it seems other good vintages get up near $1k or more.
I’m tempted. I will probably give in to temptation.
Bwg has them for $589, though need to buy a 3 pack.
2016 Les Forts de Latour could also be a good buy. I don’t usually buy second wines, but I might for 2016. At $249, it’s a good year to try latour’s younger “reject” grapes.
Man, I don’t really have a frame of reference for high end BDX, but had a 2014 Paulliac de Latour (3rd wine) about a year ago and thought it was wonderful. A velvet hammer, somehow elegant with some Paulliac power to it. Cigar box, iron, and bright red fruits. Made me think if I ever get to try a first growth, Latour would be my #1 pick. Just picked up some '16 of the Paulliac to hold me over until that moment, though. I would be curious if anyone has experience with both wines and can say what the 3rd wine indicates about the 2nd and Grand Vin.
WDC has it for $600, not sure if you can have Rakuten cashback on it since it is pre-sale item.
I have not had the 2014 Latour, but at $599 I would say that is a solid buy in the current market. The 2014 vintage in general is really terrific I think- very generous and forward at release, but with a lot more stuffing than you might think given how friendly they are. I have many notes for the vintage- including Cheval and Haut-Brion at the top end of the range, and for the most part I am a big fan.
Given how long Latour takes to mature (a couple of years ago I had a 2000 that was showing nicely but still a good 20 years from maturity), I think vintages like 2008 and 2014 merit special attention if you are looking for vintages to drink and enjoy without waiting a very long time for them to come around.
Hiya,
As mentioned in another thread, you are most welcome to visit the TWI website and download our free-to-read article on just this release. Lisa has some insights and I’ve got some pictures. And we all know that the pictures are what really counts.
Cheers,
If you love the 2014 vintage, you’ll certainly love the Latour. It’s utterly classic: concentrated, property structured, vibrant, and with a moderate alcohol level (less than 13%). In my TWA note, I compare it with a modern-day version of the 1996, though it will be more approachable young than the 1996.
If money is no object, then I would go for it. But it’s still a 2014 which will never have the complexity of so many 2016s.
Did you actually taste it?
That’s like saying the 1962 Latour will never be as good as the 1961. True enough, but both are great wines worth drinking.
Were I younger than 56, I’d grab the Latour all day long. I went pretty deep on 2014, love this vintage. Just got in some Beychevelle. And I bet 2016 Latour comes out at $1000, guessing of course, making the 2014 look pretty dang cheap, no?
And 16 hours later I’ve given in. Two three-packs from a local source that has it for $550/per.
I think I’m gonna bite during Eisele’s Spring offering … will prob get the trifecta of Eisele, Latour, Clos de Tart.
Man… You guys are bad influence
En is the best form of abling.
It’s a crazy world where ex-chateau Latour with a head-start to maturity is selling for less than a bunch of mid-tier Burg 1ers.
It feels like this is going to be like an ultimate modern take on a sleek, classically-styled left bank cabernet. If it were a third the price I’d definitely be getting it. But it’s hard to justify $500+ wines no matter how good they are…there’s a sense in which such a wine can never be a “bargain” if you are concerned about money at all (i.e. not wealthy).