Chateau Latour 2001

robert_parker96

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Very deep garnet in colour. The bouquet is a little tighter than a couple of years ago, a little broody even, with blackberry, black olive and a touch of blueberry and despite coaxing it stays in its shell, ordering you to come back later (like in five years time.) The palate is lithe and feminine, certainly more expressive than the bouquet, full-bodied, brilliant defined with notes of cedar, graphite, blackberry and graphite. Conversely to the nose, the finish is more open, with firm tannins, great structure and a sense of razor-sharp focus. This is an enticing proposition, but it needs another few years cellaring. Drink 2013-2030+ Tasted June 2009.

robert_parker96

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

A lovely, well-defined nose of cedar, blackberry leaf, black olives and blueberry. Great definition and complexity. High-toned when returning to the glass after five minutes. The palate is full-bodied, well-defined with blackberry, liquorice with a faint hint of tinned prune. Very tannic and focused towards the more reserved, conservative finish with cedar and graphite. Long length. Very classy. Tasted October 2007.

robert_parker95

Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Deep garnet colored, the nose is open and expressive even at this youthful stage, giving notes of black berry and black cherry compote, potpourri and anise with hints of sandalwood and cloves. The palate is drinking beautifully now (though with loads more to give), offering a high level of ripe, velvety tannins, enlivening acid and just enough fruit concentration, finishing long.

robert_parker93

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Only 53% of the production made it into the 2001 Latour, which is nearly 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, the balance primarily Merlot with a touch of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. The wine is elegant and somewhat in the racy, noble 1999 style, but with seemingly more density as well as tannin. The first wine made in Latour's new state-of-the-art wine cellar, it exhibits sweet black fruit intermixed with minerals, an attractive, relatively evolved perfume for this blue blood Pauillac, and tremendous purity, texture, and depth. It is not a blockbuster by any means, so anyone expecting a wine the size of Latour's 2000 or 1996 will be disappointed. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2022.

robert_parker95

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Tasted blind at Bordeaux Index’s 10-Year On horizontal. The nose is a little taciturn at the beginning but it opens up beautifully to reveal crushed strawberry, redcurrant, boysenberry and dried orange peel. Great definition and focus. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly chalky tannins on the entry, more masculine than the nose suggests, but it has delightful earthy accents with wonderful tension and vitality on the finish that has not even started to show what it can do. Superb...this may merit an even higher appraisal. Tasted March 2011.

robert_parker96

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Tasted blind at the chateau, the 2001 continues to be an exceptional wine, one of the finest in the vintage. It has a wonderful, graphite-tinged nose that unfurls beautifully with blackberry and touch of dried orange peel with more noticeable cigar box aromas than I have noticed before. The palate displays superb definition with fine but rigid tannins and crisp acidity. It is not a powerful Latour, but one that is very refined and controlled. In another ten years, it will be ranked against the 2000 and who knows, it may even match it. Outstanding. Tasted June 2011.

robert_parker98

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

First tasted in July 2002 when I felt that it was akin to the 1995 with a little more definition. Bit an excellent wine. Then in April 2003, the nose developing in a floral, Margaux-like fashion, almost exotic. Surprisingly forward and expressive even at this early stage. This will not be a long-term Latour? At the IMW tasting, blind in November 2005. This is simply a cut above the rest. A fabulous, audacious nose, of burly black fruits, pencil-lead with a hint of cooked meats. The palate is dense, full-bodied with great grip and persistency and a lush, floral finish. A huge structure that dwarfs the others, certainly the most seriously 2001 First Growth. Fine acidity - a stupendous wine that could only be one chateau.

robert_parker94

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

The saturated ruby/purple-colored 2001 Latour boasts sweet black currant fruit aromas, plenty of extract, density, and volume, and a tangy, vibrant fruit character. It does not possess the size of the 1996 or 2000, but it may turn out more aromatic and evolved than those two vintages. This is one of the finest efforts of the vintage. It is the first wine made in Latour's new state-of-the-art cellar. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2025. Latour's harvest occurred between October 1-10. Administrator Frederic Engerer sees similarities in the quality of the Cabernet Sauvignon fruit with that harvested in 1996. The grand vin's final blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, and 1% Cabernet Franc constitutes 53% of the total production.

robert_parker95

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Served blind at the chateau. Showing a little maturity on the rim, this nose is introverted and masculine: black fruits, black olive, charcoal, fresh tobacco and something a little estuarine. This bouquet ain’t coming out to play. The palate has a soft, understated entry, racy acidity, dense by lithe, hints of burnt toast interlacing the black fruits, building and building towards the focused vibrant finish, belying the structure within. Unsurprising to find that this is the ’01 once its identity was revealed. This is a serious ‘01, not for the faint-hearted, but will reward long-term ageing. Tasted December 2009.

robert_parker95

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

A brilliant offering, which should be drinkable much earlier than the blockbuster 2000, the 2001 Latour boasts an inky/ruby/purple color to the rim as well as a glorious bouquet of black currants, crushed stones, vanilla, and hints of truffles and oak. A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance primarily Merlot with a touch of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it reveals a sweetness on the palate that is atypical for such a young Latour. The beautiful integration of tannin, acidity, and wood is stunning. The wine flows across the palate with fabulous texture, purity, and presence. This luscious, full-bodied Latour was surprisingly open-knit on the three occasions I tasted it from bottle. However, do not mistake its aging ability as this 2001, despite its precociousness, will last 20-25 years. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2025.

vinous97

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

The 2001 Latour is magnificent. A huge, structured wine, the 2001 Latour boasts notable depth to match its vertical, towering structure and pure power. At nearly fifteen years of age, the 2001 remains deep, virile and imposing. With air, the 2001 is a approachable now, but ideally it needs at least a few more years in bottle. This is a superb showing by any measure. Frédéric Engerer adds that 2001 was the last vintage that was lightly filtered prior to bottling.

vinous96

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

The 2001 Latour has an exquisite bouquet of blackberry, hints of sloe, cedar and mint, all very complex and beautifully defined. A slight pitted black olive aroma surfaces with time. The palate is medium-bodied with precise tannins and white and black pepper mixed with clove and tobacco. Pauillac through and through; Latour through and through. This is actually one of the best bottles of the 2001 that I have tasted, and it will battle it out with the 2002 for supremacy.

vinous92

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

Deep red-ruby. Enticing aromas of roasted plum, currant, graphite and smoky oak. Precise, spicy and juicy; more herbal than the 2002 or 2003 but also very intensely flavored and not at all hard. This very long, pure Latour seems to be shutting down today.

vinous93

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

Good red-ruby. Reticent, medicinal aromas of cassis and licorice, with hints of exotic spices. Rich, sweet, full and very spicy, with mineral and bitter chocolate notes. Probably the least concentrated of Latour's last three vintages, but a very sexy wine, with a compelling creamy aspect in the middle palate. This will probably always keep its smiley side is the way Engerer described it.

vinous95

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

Full medium ruby. Brooding aromas of slightly raw black fruits, violet and menthol. Dense but penetrating; suave and vibrant. A very firm, youthfully backward wine showing terrific verve. Long and gripping on the aftertaste. Should last for 40 years or more.