Wine Advisor
Pauillac de Latour 2013
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Description
This wine has been made every year since 1989, and was developed primarily for the restaurant market. The Pauillac is made primarily from young vines, growing on the less prestigious terroirs in the vineyard, and from wines that do not meet the selection criteria for Forts de Latour (specific to each vintage). About 20% new barrels are used in the vinification of the Pauillac, the precise proportion varying depending on the characteristics of the vintage. The blend for Château Latour’s Pauillac typically consists of nearly 45% Merlot. This generous, fruity wine is an excellent introduction to the family of wines produced by Château Latour. It can be enjoyed after four to five years of ageing, and will continue to improve for several more years.
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Dark red cherries, plums, smoke and new leather flesh out in the 2013 Latour. This is a relatively easygoing Latour with good overall depth and fine balance if not the thrill of the very best years, something that would have been impossible. At the same time though, the Latour is one of the bigger wines of the vintage. Violets, rose petals and dark spices flesh out on the resonant finish. There is plenty to look forward to here. The blend is 95.3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4.3% Merlot and 0.4% Petit Verdot.
Reviewed by: Ian d'Agata
(95.3% cabernet sauvignon, 4.3% merlot and 0.4% petit verdot; 31.5% of the total production went into the grand vin; 12.7% alcohol): Deep ruby. Fresh aromas of blackcurrant complicated by loam, flint and violet are somewhat camouflaged by a strong oak element. Then smooth and balanced on the palate, with good density and a hint of iron to the fresh dark berry and graphite flavors. Finishes long, with polished tannins. One of the lighter-styled Latours I've tasted to date but a very successful wine for the year, as it has none of the rigid tannins of many other Bordeaux wines in 2013.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2013 Pauillac de Latour comprises of 45% Merlot, 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1% Cabernet Franc. It was born in a derided vintage, but as I remarked to Frédéric Engerer, serve this vintage on its own and there is nothing offensive about many of these wines. This troisième vin has a fresh bouquet with an almost Burgundy-like purity. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin that lends this an approachable rounded texture. There is plenty of black cherry and redcurrant fruit complemented by a touch of spice towards the finish.
Reviewed by: Vinous
The 2013 Latour is absolutely gorgeous. Of course, the 2013 is lighter in body than the norm here, but striking aromatics and silky tannins more than make up for that. A wine of total breed and class, the 2013 is a real pleasure to taste today. Naturally, the lighter structure of the year is impossible to escape. Even so, at eight years of age, the 2013 is just starting to show the first signs of aromatic nuance, and yet it remains a young wine. The spread of botrytis led to an early harvest, with the exception to some blocks on the western side of the enclos that were more resistant to conditions and were therefore picked later. This is a remarkable showing considering a little more than 2/3rds of the vineyards (for the Grand Vin) were farmed biodynamically back then. I can't wait to see how the 2013 ages. My opened bottle stayed fresh for a number of days. (AG)
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Medium garnet in color, the 2013 Le Pauillac de Château Latour—a blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 54% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc—offers up notions of baked cherries, warm mulberries and plum preserves with touches of spice cake and dusty soil. Medium-bodied, soft, juicy and with loads of red and black fruit preserves flavors, it finishes on a refreshing earthy note.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
A bright, fruity wine with light currant and hazelnut character.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
A firm and silky red with currant, plum and berry character. Medium body, fresh finish. Stone and dark fruit. Drink now.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Soft, velvety and easy with pleasant berry and coffee character. Medium body and a fresh finish. Drink now.
About the Producer
Château Latour is located in the heart of the Médoc wine region, about 50 km north-west of Bordeaux, where the legend of the vineyards of Bordeaux began. The château's prime terroir, l’Enclos, overlooks the Gironde estuary: it is the river and the ocean that, over the centuries, have given the vineyard its geological complexity and, on a daily basis, ensure a mild climate. Château Latour’s superb location, just 300 metres from the estuary, gives it its special character and tempers any extreme weather conditions, especially spells of severe cold or frost, as for example in 1991. There are two factors that have a benign influence: • The proximity of the Atlantic, bringing the generosity of an ocean climate; • The immediate proximity of a large mass of water in the form of the estuary, protecting against possible cold spells early in the growth cycle and also enabling earlier ripening of the grapes, which can be an important factor as the harvests approach.
