Chateau Latour 1995

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Reviewed by: Neal Martin

This is more open-knit on the nose compared to the 1996. Red fruits rather than black, touches of thyme and bacon fat, then smoke and embers. The palate is fleshy on the entry with grainy tannins, moderate weight though without the backbone and ambition of the following vintage. What is lacks in power, in makes up with elegance, very fine tannins towards the finish, but rather overawed by thte ’96. Drink now-2020. Tasted June 2009.

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Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Deep garnet-brick in color, the nose is well developed, displaying dried berry, leather, vanilla pod and anise notes with a faint whiff of potpourri. The palate is wonderfully fleshy and opulent with velvety, approachable tannins and a long finish.

robert_parker93

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Tasted several times, firstly blind for Wine Magazine in September 2000: when it was a "Lovely generous Latour though I expected some more stuffing." Then at the CECWINE 1995 blind tasting. A dense, masculine note with notes of graphite and farmyard amongst the black fruits. The palate is concentrated with firm structured tannins. Good acidity. Well integrated oak. It lacks a little weight mid-palate and grip on the finish. Much more feminine than expected. Drink from 2005. A very good, rather than great wine. Then in December 2004. Deep, limpid ruby colour. The nose here develops that farmyard (brett?) not with a meaty/savory character. Fleshy with a touch of mushroom and decaying leaves. Very tannic on the palate with good acidity. Backward. Corpulent mid-palate perfectly with well-integrated tannins. Very good grip though it lacks weight and there is a little astringency on the finish. Feminine. Drink from 2008. Then in September 2005 at the Farr horizontal. A very dense nose with damp earthy, cooked meat and a touch of morello cherry. The palate is full-bodied, corpulent for Latour with smooth tannins but good acidity. A generous wine but the finish tails off a little. Not the best of the Firsts this year.

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Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

I have been blown away by this wine on recent occasions, and all of my hopes for it being a prodigious example of Latour after bottling have proven to be correct. The wine is a more unctuously-textured, sweeter, more accessible Latour than the 1996. Wow! What a fabulous, profound wine this has turned out to be. It is unquestionably one of the great wines of the vintage, and will probably need 10-12 years of cellaring before it can be approached. The wine reveals an opaque purple color, and a knock-out nose of chocolate, walnuts, minerals, spice, and blackberry and cassis fruit. Exceptionally full-bodied, with exhilarating levels of glycerin, richness, and personality, this wine, despite its low acidity, possesses extremely high levels of tannin to go along with its equally gargantuan proportions of fruit. It is a fabulous Latour that should age effortlessly for 40-50 years.

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Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Readers may remember that last year I thought the brawny, backward Latour would be one of the great successes of the 1995 vintage. The wine has developed magnificently in cask. It is not an exaggeration to say that the 1995 Latour, along with such right bank classics as Petrus, Clinet, Angelus, and Valandraud, and Mouton-Rothschild in the northern Medoc, is one of the most concentrated, viscous, and powerful wines of the vintage. The opaque black/purple color, unctuous texture, and enormous weight and richness are admirable. The wine is just beginning to offer up complex aromas of black currant, minerals, and spices, but overall, the aromatics remain tightly-knit. In the mouth, the 1995 Latour exhibits awesome concentration, a massive, powerful impact on the palate, with everything in balance. This exquisite, rich, low acid, highly tannic, broad-shouldered, massive Latour will require 10-15 years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2035. Last tasted 1/97

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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. The 1995 Latour was made from a traditional blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Yields were modest (47 hectoliters per hectare), and the grapes were harvested between September 13 and September 28. Only 59% of the harvest was utilized for this wine. It is unquestionably the monster wine of the vintage. That is not said in a pejorative context, but rather in an admiring one. It is an extremely powerful and concentrated, full-bodied, backward wine, but it does not exhibit any harshness or toughness. Like many 1995s, the acidity is low. The wine is an explosive fruit ball that offers massive intensity, without yet having begun to reveal its full personality. The finish lasts for nearly a minute. This looks to be a great Latour that should turn out to be superior to the impressive 1994. It is still extremely raw and backward. It will be a must purchase for Latour fans who plan on living another 25-30 years. Wow! 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.

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Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

A beauty, the opaque dense purple-colored 1995 exhibits jammy cassis, vanillin, and minerals in its fragrant but still youthful aromatics. Medium to full-bodied, with exceptional purity, superb concentration, and a long, intense, ripe, 40-second finish, this is a magnificent example of Latour. As the wine sat in the glass, scents of roasted espresso and toasty new oak emerged. This classic will require considerable cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2050.

vinous94

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

Deep ruby-red color. More expressive aromas of crystallized dark berries, dark chocolate and animal fur. Lush and sweet; thick but delineated. Wonderfully concentrated. This, too, seems rather withdrawn today, but the strength of material is clear to see. Finishes with firm tannins and explosive fruit that goes on and on.

vinous96

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

Very dark, saturated ruby color. Pungent chocolatey nose hiding the new oak. Very intensely flavored fruit has an urgency rare for the vintage, and overshadows the tongue-coating tannins today. Exotic hints of licorice and orange peel on the powerful aftertaste conveys a powerful sense of terroir. A powerfully extracted yet round wine that gives no impression of heaviness.