Wine Advisor
Pauillac de Latour 2020
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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: Neal Martin
The 2020 Pauillac de Latour is similar to the bottle tasted blind at the Southwold tasting the previous January. Scents of black fruit and graphite emerge on the nose, still with that touch of melted road tar. The palate is medium-bodied with blackberry and blueberry fruit, perhaps leaning more toward the former with a tad of strictness on the finish. If there is a better Troisième Vin than this, I've yet to taste it.
Reviewed by: William Kelley
The estate's second wine, produced from young vines, less optimally located parcels and any declassified lots, is the 2020 Le Pauillac de Château Latour, an attractive effort redolent of sweet berries, cassis, licorice and petals. Medium to full-bodied, with lively acids, sweet tannins and a penetrating finish, it combines immediate charm with aging potential.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Very fruity with crushed raspberries, flowers, slate, graphite and light white pepper. Cumin and spice with air. It’s medium-bodied with light and delicate tannins and a fresh finish. Delicious already but will age nicely. Drink or hold.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
This is quite chunky and fruity, with plums, berries, ash and hot stones on the nose and palate. It's full and flavorful. A juicy and intense red. Drink and enjoy.
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.
