WE
100pts
Wine Enthusiast
A great wine, the summation of a great vintage in Bordeaux. The core of richness, the dense, bone-dry tannins, the black currants, red berries and black plum skins are the elements, but it's the way they have been integrated that makes this such an impressive wine. There is great elegance as well, a fabulous counterpoint to such power. Cellar for at least 15 years, but this will keep forever. (Cellar Selection)
TWI
100pts
The Wine Independent
The 2005 Latour is made from 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-brick in color, it gallops out of the glass with incredibly youthful, powerful creme de cassis, blackberry pie, and plum preserves scents, followed by wafts of violets, licorice, eucalyptus, and fertile loam. Medium to full-bodied, super-concentrated, and energetic in the mouth, it has a rock-solid structure of firm, beautifully ripe tannins and so many layers, finishing on a long, lingering anise note. While it is beautifully open and expressive at the moment, it remains incredibly primary and therefore could be a disappointment for those seeking a more evolved, tertiary experience. I would give it another 5-7 years in bottle, at least, knowing this will likely cellar to 2070 and beyond.
Dark ruby black in color. Brilliant, intense aromas of mineral, blackberry and currant, with hints of Indian spices and cigar box, lead to a full-bodied palate, with ultrafine tannins and a beautiful balance of blackberry, raspberry and mineral. There's subtlety, yet also great depth. Lasts for minutes on the palate. This is a Latour with fabulous tone and vigor. Best after 2018.
Very open and beautiful now with currants, light chocolate and spices. Incense as well. Full-bodied, tight and reserved with a fantastic center palate of fruit and firm tannins. Closed and hiding behind the structure and depth. Needs time to open still but already a joy to taste (drink!).
The 2005 Château Latour is about as classic Latour as it gets and has the vintages (and Chateau’s) dense, powerful, massively concentrated style. Darker currants, scorched earth, leather, bloody meats, and green tobacco all define this incredible Pauillac and it’s full-bodied, has a massive mid-palate, both ample tannins and acidity, and a great finish. Based on 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot and Petit Verdot, it clearly offers pleasure today but I’d nevertheless give bottles another 4-6 years if possible. It’s will probably see it’s 100th birthday in fine form. It’s unquestionably in the same league as the 1982, 1990, and 2009.
2005 was a very dry, warm and sunny vintage, causing vine stress in some areas of Bordeaux. Harvested from September 26 to October 6, the tannin/IPT levels were very high this year. The 2005 Latour is blended of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, with the rest Merlot and Petit Verdot. It is the biggest surprise of this tasting—until now, the wine was relatively closed and broody, but today the wine is just starting to reveal its personality—and what a stunner! Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it opens with provocative floral scents of roses and violets over a core of fresh blackcurrants, chocolate-covered cherries and black raspberries with hints of fertile loam, unsmoked cigars and black tea. Medium to full-bodied, firm, grainy and packed with muscular fruit, it has an epically long, savory finish sparked by floral notes. 12,000 cases were made.
The 2005 Latour is a huge wine predestined for long-term aging. Noticeably deep in color, it has a showstopping bouquet with intense black fruit, graphite and touches of dried blood and tobacco as it considers moving into its secondary phase. But that's going to be slow coming...it's in no hurry. The palate is medium-bodied and unapologetically classic in style. I notice this bottle is a little grainy in texture, the salinity perhaps heightened as it enters adulthood. The finish has a tangible sense of tension, but it remains backward and swarthy. Immense. Tasted at Woo Cheong Tea House dinner organized by Paulo Pong.