Ripe and very powerful aromas of black licorice, currants and violets. Full-bodied, dense and flavorful with lots of very new, flashy wood. Sexy and gorgeous. Round and polished tannins. Superb wine for the vintage. Try after 2028.
A pure, sleek, seamless beauty, featuring a crystal-clear core of cassis, cherry and damson plum fruit racing along, glistening with lilac, iron and wet pebble notes. Shows terrific spine and clarity, with well-buried grip running throughout. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2025 through 2040.
It's fairly unusual in 2017 to find the bright blue-violet reflections around the rim of the wine that you find in years like 2010 and 2016, but it is here in abundance. Still extremely young, knitted, closed up, holding tight to its cassis and bilberry fruits at this point. This was the first year when they were in full organics, although not certified until 2019. It's a big-framed Latour and you can see that it is going to need a good long while before softening its Pauillac tannins; at least a decade on this showing. Lovely rich deep flavours here with great dollops of black spice. It feels majestic and full of Latour signature of menthol, liquorice, slate and earth. One of the best 2017s tasted. 18 months ageing, building up to 100% new oak.
TWI
98pts
The Wine Independent
A blend of 92.1% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7.8% Merlot, and 0.1% Petit Verdot, the 2017 Latour has a deep garnet-purple color. It sashays out with showy notes of warm cassis, mulberries, and Morello cherries, followed by emerging tertiary hints of unsmoked cigars, rose oil, cardamom, and star anise, with a waft of iron ore. The medium-bodied palate is elegantly styled and mineral-laced, featuring loads of exotic sparks and velvety tannins, finishing on a lingering anise note. Beautiful! While it's in a nice place right now, another 2 to 4 years in bottle should allow for even more of this gorgeous, emerging perfume. It will easily cellar for another 30 years beyond that.
The 2017 Latour is just starting to open aromatically. Medium in body, with tannins that have begun to soften, the 2017 is super-expressive and inviting today. It's a charming, relatively accessible young Latour that is all about finesse and understatement. Bright saline notes and lifted floral top notes convey class.
This wine's tannins are hugely rich and concentrated. They give what is also a fruity wine power, density and shape. Don't forget the fruits though, because they will be a powerhouse of richness as they mature. Drink this wine from 2024. (Cellar Selection)
A complex, layered, incredibly impressive Latour, the 2017 Château Latour is based on 92.1% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7.8 % Merlot, and a splash of Petite Verdot that spent 16 months in new barrels. It's medium to full-bodied, has a ripe, round, beautifully balanced mouthfeel, classic notes of sweet red and black fruits, tobacco, graphite, and crushed stone, ultra-fine tannins, and a gorgeous finish. It's actually much more accessible than I'd imagined a few years ago, and this beauty clearly offers incredible pleasure today, as well as some classic Latour character. It should continue showing well for another 30+ years if well stored.
The just-released 2017 Latour is surprisingly accessible by this estate's standards, offering up expressive aromas of crème de cassis, cigar wrapper, pencil shavings, burning embers and creamy new oak, followed by a medium to full-bodied, rich and layered palate that's fleshy and complete, with lively acids and a long, vanillin-inflected finish.