Chateau Latour 1994

robert_parker93

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

This has always been a great ’94. Tasted at The Ledbury, it has a lovely, fragrant nose of cedar, leather, freshly rolled tobacco with just a hint of fresh coffee beans. Great precision. The palate is medium-bodied with find tannins, foursquare and “correct” yet very well balanced and focused with red-berried fruit and just hint of sour cherry and smoke on the finish. Good length. Not a Latour to sit back and admire from afar, but to get your nose into and enjoy. Drink now-2020. Tasted August 2008.

robert_parker94

Reviewed by: William Kelley

Drunk from magnum, the 1994 Latour is showing brilliantly, bursting with aromas of dark fruits, English walnuts, cigar wrapper, loamy soil and woodsmoke. Medium to full-bodied, deep and fleshy, it's layered and concentrated, with sweet tannins, succulent acids and a long, sapid finish. The wine of the vintage in Bordeaux, I just wish I owned a case.

robert_parker94

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

First tasted July 2001. A subtle meaty nose with a touch of wild mushroom. The palate had high acidity and is relatively advanced for Latour. Tasted again in December 2004. A similar hue to the Latour 1996 though the nose is much less intense. Cigar box, scorched earth and leather with a touch of mushroom. Very classic Latour, supple but conservative: a "correct" Pauillac that demands food. Moderate concentration. Savoury. Very foursquare on the finish. Nice balance and harmony. Definitely one of the best 1994`s. Could drink now or leave for 5 years.

robert_parker92

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

The Chateau Latour 1994 is one of the better wines of the vintage, although not as good as Margaux. It has a typical, austere nose of blackberry, tobacco, mint and cedar, that coffee bean element less tangible on this occasion. There palate is compact at first, but opens to reveal an austere First Growth with good weight considering the vintage, foursquare and correct towards the off-dry, cedar and tobacco finish that is missing a little length. Still, this is a very fine, if rather serious and conservative Latour. Drink now-2020. Tasted January 2012.

robert_parker94

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

This is an interesting as well as great vintage for Latour. As indicated in my barrel tasting report, Latour's 1994 possesses an atypically high percentage of Merlot (27%) in the final blend. Because of this, the wine appears to have a sweeter, more fleshy texture than is typical for a young Latour, but do not make the mistake of thinking this will be a commercially-styled, easy to drink wine. It exhibits an opaque dark ruby/purple color, and a backward, intense textbook nose of walnut and cassis scents complemented by smoky pain grille notes that build in the glass. This full-bodied, powerful, layered Latour reveals high tannin, but no bitterness or astringency. The superb purity, fabulous precision, and remarkable length should ensure 35-40 years of longevity. Readers will find more fat, flesh, and glycerin than usual for a young Latour (save for such great vintages as 1982 and 1990), but don't be deceived, this wine requires 8-10 years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2035. Last tasted 1/97

robert_parker95

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Under the inspiring leadership of its new owner, Francois Pinault, Latour appears to be returning to the old style, classic, blockbuster, massive wines that were meant to last 40-50 years. As I indicated last year, the 1994 Latour is the top first growth, as well as a leading candidate for the wine of the vintage. It includes an atypically high percentage of Merlot in the blend. My enthusiasm from last year was renewed when tasting it in March, 1995. It is a superbly rich, concentrated, full-bodied Latour with remarkable intensity. The opaque purple color is followed by a flattering, open nose (Latour's black walnut/mineral-like character is well-displayed) with tons of fruit that bury any evidence of new oak. The wine exhibits fabulous intensity, excellent richness, a sweet inner-core of fruit, and a powerful, tannic but brilliantly well-defined, long finish. Although extremely unevolved and backward, it is not revealing any of the harsh astringency and tough tannin exhibited by some 1994 Medocs. This wine will shock many tasters who have not given the 1994 vintage much consideration. It is immensely superior to what Latour produced in 1989, 1986, 1985, and 1983. Look for it to be close to full maturity in a decade and last for at least 30-35 years. All of the wines in this segment were tasted between March 19 and March 28 in Bordeaux. Most of the important wines from both the 1994 and 1995 vintages were tasted three separate times during my ten-day stay in Bordeaux.

robert_parker95

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Latour's 1994 is clearly the top first-growth among the Medocs, in addition to being an early candidate for the "wine of the vintage." Only 52% of the harvest was utilized, and the blend may shock those readers used to the high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon Latour routinely employs. The 1994 is composed of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, a whopping 27% Merlot (the highest quantity used this century), 4% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit-Verdot. The superb maturity of the Merlot, and the difficulties experienced with some of the cuvees of underripe Cabernet Sauvignon were the reasons behind the selection process. It was a daring but brilliant move. The 1994 Latour is an opaque purple-colored, remarkably powerful, rich, old style wine that, despite the high Merlot content, is one of the most backward and richest wines of the vintage. Latour appears to have everything together in this wine, which possesses gorgeously well-delineated, sweet, highly extracted, concentrated fruit, noticeably ripe tannin, and an explosively long, authoritative finish. It will unquestionably develop into one of the larger-scaled, more massive wines of the vintage, but 10-15 years of cellaring will be required as it is a 40-50 year wine. Administrator Christian Le Sommer and new proprietor, Francois Pinault, were both thrilled with what they achieved in 1994. Chills go up my spine at the thought of what the 1994 Latour would have tasted like had it not rained in September. Bravo!

vinous94

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

Very deep ruby-red. Pungent, inky, nutty aromas of blackcurrants and minerals; very sexy oak treatment gives the nose a wonderful sweetness. Big, minerally, and shapely, with lovely purity of dark berry flavor. Has clarity and grip, but not quite the richness of the '95. The tannins build in the glass, but are in harmony with the wine's middle palate material. Uncanny length for the vintage.