Chateau Latour 2003

robert_parker97

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Tasted at the Grand Cru Classe opening dinner at Haut-Brion. Another gargantuan wine, the Latour 2003 has a wonderful sense of control in this “slippery” growing season with layers of blackberry, cedar, terracotta and graphite, an underlying mineralite just beginning to show through. The palate is full-bodied although it does not have the arching structure of the Montrose ’03 tasted alongside. Blackberry, roasted herbs, sous-bois and cedar interlace, but what really defined this Latour is the freshness and tension on the finish. It some ways, it reminds me more of Lafite than Latour. Superb. Tasted June 2011.

robert_parker100

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Administrator Frederic Engerer says the 2003 is “the sexiest Latour ever made.” He also described it as “the 1990 without any brettanomyces.” I loved this wine from the barrel and was fortunate enough to be able to purchase a small quantity, enjoying every bottle I have had. A profound example of Chateau Latour, the full-bodied, opulent 2003 is already performing well at age eleven, which is somewhat atypical. The pH is a relatively high 3.8, which also indicates low acidity. The wine is very ripe, but not over-ripe, offers great freshness, and lots of creme de cassis and camphor as well as hints of blackberries and chocolate. Dense, thick and unctuously textured, this staggering Latour is undeniably the most sumptuous, opulent wine made here since the 1982 or 1961. Drink it over the next two decades.

robert_parker99

Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Very deep garnet in color, the 2003 Latour is vibrantly scented of red and black currants, blackberry preserves and Chinese dried plums with nuances of roses, cedar and yeast extract. The palate is beautifully balanced with the generous fruit harmoniously off-set by finely grained, firm tannins and refreshing acidity, finishing long and complex.

robert_parker100

Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown

2003 was one of the hottest, earliest Bordeaux vintages ever. Some vines suffered from lack of moisture, but old vines and clay subsoil at Enclos saw this vineyard through. The Merlot harvest occurred between September 8 and 13, and the Cabernet Sauvignon was picked between September 22 and 30. The 2003 Latour is a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot. Six percent of the press wine was added to the final blend. It has a medium to deep garnet-purple color, then wow—it explodes from the glass with bombastic black and blue fruits, followed up by meat, wood smoke, sandalwood and Indian spice accents with underlying floral wafts. The palate is full, rich, velvety, seductive and very long on the finish. There were only 10,800 cases made (rather than the normal 15,000-20,000).

robert_parker98

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

An opaque, garnet core with ruby rim. The nose is very intense with blackberry, cedar and pinecones, displaying none of the heat of the torrid summer. Brilliant delineation. The palate is full-bodied, dense, and muscular and just bulldozes its way onto the palate. Contradicting this there is finesse, focus and poise, yet the tannins dominate it at the moment. The mid-palate is incredibly structured with notes of blackberry, cedar, and a little black tea loitering in the background. Very long: a supreme Latour that will demand another two decades of cellaring to shed its layer upon later of puppy fat. For hedonist classicists. Tasted December 2006. Drinking 2010-2040

robert_parker98

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

This has a very sophisticated nose, beguiling purity with scents of blackberry, Alpine forests, a touch of raspberry sorbet and vanilla pod. Brilliant definition on the full-bodied palate, its richness and flamboyance belying the tannic structure underneath. A ‘heavy-weight’ wine, huge grip on the velvety finish. Outstanding. Drink 2015-2030+. Tasted January 2007.

robert_parker100

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

This is one hell of a wine not dissimilar to the 2000 (although Frederic Engerer believes that it is without precedent.) Whatever, this is one serious wine. A spell-binding nose of cassis, blackcurrant and cedar. Wonderful focus. The palate is incredibly rich and fruit with seamless tannins. No rough edges here. This wine just fills the mouth with glory until it is swallowed leaving a lingering tinge of cassis and sea-salt on the finish which goes on for as long as the Godfather Part II. Magnificent wine, perhaps the best of the vintage. Then at the Latour-Petrus face-off. A very clear deep garnet colour. The nose is very crisp, displaying none of the "hot" characteristics of the hot summer. Cedar, blackberry and touch of pine. Very appealing. Very smooth entry on the palate. Well-balanced and surprisingly fresh (but not racy acidity.) Much brighter than I expected with a very good length. Powerful with just a little "heat" coming in on the finish. Tasted November 2005.

robert_parker100

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

One of the three greatest young Bordeaux I have ever tasted Chateau Latour’s 2003 is one of the candidates for “wine of the vintage” (Latour’s 2002 is the wine of the vintage in my opinion). This great estate has produced a freakishly rich, concentrated Pauillac revealing no evidence of over-ripeness or too much weight. A blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, only 53% of the production made it into the 2003 Latour, which tips the scales at 13% alcohol. Manager Frederic Engerer told me that 6% press wine was added to the final blend. The Merlot harvest occurred between September 8 - 13, and the Cabernet Sauvignon between September 22 - 30. This remarkable effort boasts a black/purple color in addition to an extraordinary bouquet of creme de cassis, blackberries, and subtle sweet oak in the background. A massive, multilayered texture inundates the palate with a seamless wealth of glycerin, extract, and richness. Tasters must search especially hard to find the structure and tannin. In that sense, the 2003 is reminiscent of how the 1982 performed at the same age. Tasted next to the undeniably great 2000 Latour, the 2003 came across as almost twice as concentrated, with a fruit presence that had to be tasted to be believed. In fact, I do not believe I have ever tasted a Latour like this. I wonder how the 1961 would have tasted at a similar period? Extraordinarily pure, with a finish that lasted over 70 seconds, this is a tour de force as well as a modern day legend in the making. Sadly, Latour’s small production means that only 10,000 cases will be produced. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2040?

robert_parker100

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

There are only 10,800 cases (rather than the normal 15,000-20,000) of the 2003 Latour, a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot (13.3% finished alcohol). A prodigious effort, it boasts a saturated purple color as well as a gorgeous perfume of smoke, cedar, creme de cassis, flowers, crushed rocks, and blackberries. Massive and multi-layered, with huge richness and low acidity, it is about as unctuous as a young Latour can be. It could be compared to the 1982, but it may be even more pure, at least at this early stage, than that monumental wine. The level of intensity builds prodigiously in the mouth, and the finish lasts nearly a minute. Disarmingly accessible (although analytically the tannin level is high), I suspect it will ultimately shut down, but it was performing impeccably when I tasted it. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2040+. What can one say about proprietor Francois Pinault and his manager, Frederic Engerer? A strong argument can be made that in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004, Latour produced the wine of the vintage, although it has plenty of competition in the Northern Medoc in 2003. Moreover, the bargains are the estate’s least expensive cuvee, Pauillac, followed by Les Forts de Latour, Latour’s second wine which continues to increase in quality.

robert_parker97

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Tasted blind at Farr Vintner’s Left Bank tasting. Great clarity on the nose: blackberry, boysenberry, hot bricks, cedar and sandalwood. Very complex and nuanced. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, good acidity, cedar-infused black fruits mixed with a touch of dark plum and cassis. Filigree texture towards the finish that shows wonderful tension that is utterly seductive. Tasted October 2010.

robert_parker100

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Unusual because of its extraordinary opulence, voluptuous texture, and almost over-the-top thickness and richness, the 2003 Latour is somewhat reminiscent of the 1982. This amazingly profound wine (only 10,500 cases made of a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot) has an inky/purple color and a wonderfully sweet, almost exotic nose of black fruits intermixed with some scorched earth, fig, plum, and blackberry liqueur. It is a massive, multi-layered wine, with enormous quantities of glycerin and richness, low acidity, elevated alcohol (13%), and a huge, unctuous texture. It is unusual to find Latour so friendly and accessible with such huge levels of soft, sweet tannin, but the fact is that most of these tannins are concealed by massive layers of fruit and extract. This is truly a compelling Latour, if somewhat atypical. I remember how the 1982 tasted early on, and this wine is built somewhat along those lines, but potentially even richer. The finish just goes on and on, and although I didn’t clock it, the aftertaste lingers well past a minute. This wine will be surprisingly accessible young, but age effortlessly for three to four decades.

robert_parker97

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Tasted at Bordeaux Index's "10-Year On" tasting in London. The Chateau Latour 2003 has to be one of the best wines of the vintage. There is a sense of grandeur on the nose, one of those rare Latour vintages that is so sensual and extraordinarily pure. There are subtle graphite notes, cedar and brambly black fruit that are supremely well defined. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins, perfectly judged acidity and a beautifully composed, focused finish. It has lost its voluptuousness in recent years and is being "honed down" by the passing years into a wine that whilst not matching the 1959, is certainly inspired by it. Tasted March 2013.

robert_parker98

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Served blind at the chateau. This is such a fantastic Chateau Latour. There is a sense of completeness to the nose that soars from the glass, more flamboyant than usual, ravishing dark berried fruits, graphite, scorched earth, pine and cedar forest, wonderful definition and sense of joie-de-vivre herein. The palate is full-bodied with ripe, rounded tannins, still very youthful with precocious black fruit and a sensational spice and baked cherry tinged finish that lacquers the mouth like a very long French kiss…which is essentially what the Latour ’03 is. Brilliant. Tasted December 2009.

vinous97

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

The 2003 Latour remains a redoubtable First Growth and a testament to its terroir that manifested such a great wine in a challenging growing season. You could argue that it does not disguise the heat of that notorious summer as deftly as the 2003 Montrose since there is still a touch more volatility here than other vintages. But there are gorgeous notes of black cherry, black truffle, cedar and a touch of cooked meat. The palate is full-bodied with saturated tannin. The acidity is very finely tuned considering the season and there is plenty of glycerine towards the sumptuous finish. Maybe it is more a great 2003 than a great Latour, but there are few recent vintages that are so delicious. Tasted at the International Business & Wine Latour dinner at Ten Trinity.

vinous97

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

Red-ruby. Explosive aromas of plum liqueur, currant, minerals and lead pencil. Huge, lush, sweet and utterly seamless; this has the palate-caressing texture of liquid velvet. About as deep as this extreme vintage gets. Finishes with noble, compellingly sweet tannins and great length. This is amazing wine, and only its exotic character prevented me from giving it an even higher score. Interestingly, the IPT here is 65, compared to 67 for the 2005. But this voluminous and powerful wine will be more fun to drink than the 2005 for many years simply due to its sensual appeal, even if the 2005 should ultimately surpass it in verve, minerality and overall aromatic complexity. (Incidentally, Latour's third wine, simply called Pauillac, is extremely good in both 2005 and 2003-the former vintage showing terrific energy and loads of early personality, and the latter fat, round and exotic, with what Engerer described as a Napa nose.)

vinous98

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

Deep ruby-red. Knockout nose combines currant, raspberry, kirsch, graphite, minerals, cigar box, tar and musky prune. Huge, sweet and lush, with a truly three-dimensional texture. Like a mouthful of liquid minerals, but the fruit has near-confectionery sweetness. Finishes with exploding, inexorable length. The wine's extravagant mid-palate richness calls to mind a chocolate cake. A monument in the making. The pH is 3.8, the acidity is 3 grams per liter, and the alcohol is 13.3%.

vinous98

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

Good full ruby. Pure, precise aromas of currant, plum, flowers and red licorice. Suave, intensely flavored and sharply delineated in the middle palate. Wonderfully solid but also unusually pliant and round for an infant Latour. Even more impressive on the back half, where the wine expands and explodes, saturating the palate with classic salty, iodiney flavors and finishing with great grip. Not as obviously brilliant on the attack as the 2003 Montrose, but as strong on the back end as any wine of this vintage.