Chateau Latour Vertical Tasting at Cafe Maxx and Vintage Bordeaux offering
Gimme that wine (Gimme that wine)
I just can't get well without Muskatel
Gimme That wine by Blood, Sweat & Tears
Whenever I get a great bottle of wine like the 1959 Chateau Latour I am more interested in drinking it than selling it. So when I picked up this bottle of 1959 Chateau Latour I immediately put this tasting on the calendar. Throughout the 1980's, 1990's and into the 21st century Château Latour has repeated with a succession of brilliantly executed wines; in vintages such as 1982, 1983, 1986, 1990, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2010, Latour has been a leading candidate for "Wine of the Vintage". Join us as we taste 8 vintages of this famous first growth going back to the legendary 1959 vintage. Chef Oliver Saucy will be sending out a few small courses to accompany the tasting and we will be ordering off the menu for dinner. This event is limited to 16 people and the fee for this dinner is $895 per person all-inclusive, for reservations call 954-523-9463.
Tasting Line-up:
1959 Chateau Latour Pauillac
(96 Points) Dark garnet with an amber edge, the 1959 Latour reveals a touch of volatile acidity in the nose, along with aromas of melted caramel, tobacco, and jammy red and black fruits. As the wine sat in the glass, notes of minerals, coffee, spice, and underbrush emerged. There is still copious tannin in the finish (I am not sure it will ever be fully resolved), but this sumptuous, complex, fragrant, super-rich Latour cuts a broad swath across the palate. Fully mature, it is best consumed over the next decade. Wine Advocate # 129, Jun 2000
1966 Chateau Latour Pauillac
(96 Points) The wine of the vintage, the 1966 Latour is a classic, old style Bordeaux that has required decades to become drinkable. A dark, opaque garnet color is followed by a fabulous nose of cedar, sweet leather, black fruits, prunes, and roasted walnuts, refreshing underlying acidity, sweet but noticeable tannin, and a spicy finish. This powerful, vigorous, immensely impressive, concentrated Latour has reached its plateau of maturity, where it will remain for another 10-20 years.
1970 Chateau Latour Pauillac
(91 Points) Elegant and gorgeous to drink now. Peaked. Ruby red color with an amber edge. Lovely aromas of plum, berry and mint. Full-bodied, with currant, dried herb character. Medium finish.--Latour vertical. Drink now. –JS Wine Spectator Issue: Aug 31, 2000
1982 Chateau Latour, Pauillac
Price $4200 Sale $3696
Quantity in Stock: 1
(100 Points) As I indicated in the review of the 1982 Bordeaux, this is an unusual Latour in the fact that it has always been precocious. It has been jammy, forward, and delicious no matter when the cork was pulled, in total contrast to its two first-growth siblings, Mouton Rothschild and Lafite-Rothschild. The dense, opaque garnet-colored 1982 Latour reveals slight amber at the edge. Sweet, smoky, roasted aromas in the nose combine with jammy levels of black currant, cherry, and prune-like fruit. It possesses extraordinary concentration and unctuosity, with a thick, fat texture oozing notes of cedar wood, tobacco, coffee, and over-ripe fruit. Low acidity as well as high alcohol (for Bordeaux) give the wine even more glycerin and textural chewiness. The finish lasts forever. The only Latour that remotely resembles the 1982 is the 1961, which has a similar texture and succulence. Anticipated maturity: now-2040 The Wine Advocate Issue 129, June 2000.
1996 Chateau Latour Pauillac
Price: $1200.00 Sale $850.00
Quantity in Stock: 2
(99 Points) A spectacular Latour, the 1996 may be the modern day clone of the 1966, only riper. This vintage, which is so variable in Pomerol, St.-Emilion, and Graves, was fabulous for the late-harvested Cabernet Sauvignon of the northern Medoc because of splendid weather in late September and early October. An opaque purple color is followed by phenomenally sweet, pure aromas of cassis infused with subtle minerals. This massive offering possesses unreal levels of extract, full body, intensely ripe, but abundant tannin, and a finish that lasts for nearly a minute. Classic and dense, it displays the potential for 50-75 years of longevity. Although still an infant, it would be educational to taste a bottle. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2050. Wine Advocate #129, Jun 2000
2000 Chateau Latour Pauillac
Price: $1500.00 Sale $1150
Quantity in Stock: 11
(98 Points) There are only 14,000 cases (only 48% of the crop made it into the grand vin) of the 2000, which flirts with perfection. Truly great stuff, it reveals perfect equilibrium, great finesse, yet colossal size, with a thickness and density that rival the brilliant 1996. This saturated black ruby/purple colored wine seems almost discreet on first inspection, but with aeration, notes of vanilla, exceptionally pure, mineral infused creme de cassis, and earth emerge. Full-bodied and tannic, it should come close to representing perfection. Latours 2000 is hard to compare with previous vintages. It obviously does not have the opulence of the 1990 and 1982, yet there is an extraordinary purity, delineation, seamlessness, and freshness to this wine that sets it apart from previous vintages. In any event, it is prodigious, with at least five decades of evolution ahead of it. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2050. The Wine Advocate, Issue 146, April 2003
2001 Chateau Latour Pauillac
(95 Points) boasts an inky/ruby/purple color to the rim as well as a glorious bouquet of black currants, crushed stones, vanilla, and hints of truffles and oak. A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance primarily Merlot with a touch of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it reveals a sweetness on the palate that is atypical for such a young Latour. The beautiful integration of tannin, acidity, and wood is stunning. The wine flows across the palate with fabulous texture, purity, and presence. This luscious, full-bodied Latour was surprisingly open-knit on the three occasions I tasted it from bottle. However, do not mistake its aging ability as this 2001, despite its precociousness, will last 20-25 years. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2025. The Wine Advocate (06/04)
2006 Chateau Latour Pauillac
Price: $855.00 Sale $752.25
Quantity in Stock: 3
(95 Points) The 2006 Latour performed even better from bottle than from barrel. Only 38% of the production (10,000 cases) made it into the grand vin, a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest primarily Merlot and a small amount of Cabernet Franc. From barrel, I thought it was a modern day version of the 1996 or 1986, and certainly the 1996 comparison still holds. I thought it was somewhat austere from barrel, but that is no longer an issue. This is a beautifully rich Chateau Latour boasting a dense ruby/purple color, a sweet, smoky, charcoal, cassis, graphite, and forest floor-scented nose, full body, an attractive freshness, and sweet, noble tannins. This layered Latour is one of the vintage's top dozen or so wines. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2030.
A bit about Chateau Latour:
Since the 14th century vines have been planted at Latour. Towards the end of the 17th century the estate came into the hands of the Segur family, the owners of Calon-Segur and Lafite. The property was divided during the French Revolution and remained so until 1841 when the family regained control. The estate remained in family hands for 120 years until 1963; then two English groups purchased 76% of the stock. The famous tower on the label - La Tour -stands alone at the edge of the vineyard. The tower is all that is left of a fortress built during the middle ages and used to protect the local citizens of Pauillac against pirates. The chateau on the property is a modest building and belies the majesty of its wines.
There are several factors which contribute to the greatness of Latour; one is the soil. Of course, every vineyard owner will tell you how important his particular plot of soil is; but the importance of Latour's rests in its unique composition. 50% of it is gravel pebbles the size of eggs!! The average age of vines at Latour is 33 years, and the vines are allowed to live to maximum age before being uprooted. It is just this combination of stress placed by the gravelly soils and the old age of the vines which produce very low yield and high quality. Cabernet Sauvignon accounts for about 75% of the vineyard. In 1966 the chateau began to make a "second" wine, the Les Forts de Latour. Les Forts is made from the property's young vines and from vines in what is considered the less desirable portion of the vineyard. In price and quality it is now considered the equivalent of a second growth. The wine has all the earmarks of a Latour but with less concentration.
The Latour vineyard covers around 78 hectares of the Pauillac appellation, of which 47 hectares surround the château, these being referred to as L'Enclos. This, the source of the grand vin, extends from the commune boundary with St Julien, where the vines meet its closest neighbor to the south Léoville Las-Cases separated by the Ruisseau de Juillac, which drains into the Gironde. There have been plots added over the 19th century under the control of the Ségur family, which include Comtesse de Lalande and Petit-Batailley, but rarely are they used for the grand vin. The soil is technically Gunzian gravel, a surface layer just 60 - 100cm deep, beneath which is a subsoil of clay and marl up to 5m, past that is the limestone bedrock of Bordeaux. Cabernet Sauvignon accounts for 80% of the vines, the remainder Merlot (18%), which is planted wherever clay is prominent, then Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot together make up 2%. The typical blend at Château Latour is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, the balance Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. These percentages vary naturally according to the vintage conditions. There are approximately 18,000 cases of the grand vin produced each year. The next cuvée in the line-up is Les Forts de Latour, made for the first time in 1966, and typically 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot. There are approximately 11,000 cases produced each year. But perhaps the best value and defiinatly the hardest to find of the wines made at Latour is the simple Pauillac de Latour. This stunningly good wine is based on fruit from younger vines outside L'Enclos. Introduced with the 1973 vintage, this cuvée was only made a few times after that in 1974 and 1987. This wine became a permanent member of the line-up in 1990.
Masculine in a word best describes Latour. The wines are full-bodied, firm, virile, and tannic. Two years after the vintage the other great Pauillacs like Lafite and Mouton will usually show better than Latour, for Latour is rarely accessible at an early age. However, as time passes, Latour will eventually outlast them and can be counted on to be alive and sound when the others are but a memory. Any knowledgeable claret buyer knows that Latour is always the best bet at rare wine auctions. Pre-1900 vintages of Latour have held up remarkably well. Probably the most comprehensive report on all the vintages of Chateau Latour was published in The Underground WineLetter in February of 1984. It was a summary of tasting notes over different occasions including the legendary vertical tasting of 86 vintages conducted in San Francisco in 1981. Vintages as far back as 1865 and 1870 were in impeccable condition; the 1870 received a perfect (20) score with the comment that it was possibly "the greatest red wine ever." Over the years Chateau Latour has also been regarded by connoisseurs as being the most consistent property in Bordeaux. According to David Peppercorn in his epic work, Bordeaux: "One of Latour's outstanding characteristics has always been that it is magnificent in poor and moderate years." Perhaps other chateaux of the Medoc occasionally rise above Latour in the great years, but none of them have come close in the lesser ones.
The modern day era of Chateau Latour began in 1993 French billionaire François Pinault brought Latour into his ring of luxury business portfolio which was later augmented by Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Christie's auction house and Chateau Grillet. Although the old vintages are stunning I can't think how good these new wines of Chateau Latour will be in 20-30 years from now. Since Frederic Engerer has taken control of this estate in the late 1990’s Chateau Latour has been the single most consistent wine made in Bordeaux.
Other Vintages of Chateau Latour available:
2008 Chateau Latour Pauillac
Price: $950.00 Sale $750
Quantity in Stock: 6
(95+ Points) An extraordinary wine, the classic 2008 Latour (13.5% natural alcohol) is composed of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc (40% of the production made it into the grand vin). Its dense purple color is followed by hints of espresso roast, cassis, burning embers, truffles and graphite. Rich with full-bodied power, beautiful purity and graciousness allied to a voluminous, savory, broad mouthfeel, this beauty will be drinkable in 4-5 years and will keep for three decades. Wine Advocate #194, May 2011
2004 Chateau Latour Pauillac
Price: $895.00 Sale $787.60
Quantity in Stock: 1
(95 Points) A terrific effort from Administrator Frederic Engerer and owner Francois Pinault, the dark ruby/purple-tinged 2004 Latour exhibits a strong cassis character intermixed with notes of crushed rocks, earth, cedar, and forest floor. Racy, elegant, but powerful with medium to full body, and sweet tannin, it will benefit from 5-7 years of cellaring, and should keep for three decades. It is a very impressive offering. Wine Advocate # 171, Jun 2007
1996 Chateau Latour Pauillac Magnum
Price: $2750.00 Sale $2000.00
Quantity in Stock: 1
(99 Points) A spectacular Latour, the 1996 may be the modern day clone of the 1966, only riper. This vintage, which is so variable in Pomerol, St.-Emilion, and Graves, was fabulous for the late-harvested Cabernet Sauvignon of the northern Medoc because of splendid weather in late September and early October. An opaque purple color is followed by phenomenally sweet, pure aromas of cassis infused with subtle minerals. This massive offering possesses unreal levels of extract, full body, intensely ripe, but abundant tannin, and a finish that lasts for nearly a minute. Classic and dense, it displays the potential for 50-75 years of longevity. Although still an infant, it would be educational to taste a bottle. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2050. Wine Advocate #129 Jun 2000
1995 Chateau Latour Pauillac
Price: $750 Sale $500
Quantity in Stock: 1
(96 Points) A beauty, the opaque dense purple-colored 1995 exhibits jammy cassis, vanillin, and minerals in its fragrant but still youthful aromatics. Medium to full-bodied, with exceptional purity, superb concentration, and a long, intense, ripe, 40-second finish, this is a magnificent example of Latour. As the wine sat in the glass, scents of roasted espresso and toasty new oak emerged. This classic will require considerable cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2050.
1982 Chateau Latour Pauillac 3 Liter
Price: $15,000.00 Sale $13,200.00
Quantity in Stock: 1
(100 Points) Always somewhat atypical (which I suspect will be the case with the more modern day 2003), the 1982 Latour has been the most opulent, flamboyant, and precocious of the northern Medocs, especially the St.-Juliens, Pauillacs, and St.-Estephes. It hasn’t changed much over the last 10-15 years, revealing sweet tannins as well as extraordinarily decadent, even extravagant levels of fruit, glycerin, and body. It is an amazing wine, and on several occasions, I have actually picked it as a right bank Pomerol because of the lushness and succulence of the cedary, blackberry, black currant fruit. This vintage has always tasted great, even in its youth, and revealed a precociousness that one does not associate with this Chateau. However, the 1982 is still evolving at a glacial pace. The concentration remains remarkable, and the wine is a full-bodied, exuberant, rich, classic Pauillac in its aromatic and flavor profiles. It’s just juiced up (similar to an athlete on steroids) and is all the better for it. This remarkable effort will last as long as the 1982 Mouton, but it has always been more approachable and decadently fruity. Drink it now, in 20 years, and in 50 years! Don’t miss it if you are a wine lover. Release price: ($350.00/case) Wine Advocate # 183, Jun 2009
Older Vintage Bordeaux Available:
ALL of these wines are in the store and available for immediate delivery. Just in case you did not see our e-mail yesterday regarding the 2009 vintage wines, the prices on these wines are better in most cases on these older wines!! Why buy new when you can buy older vintage wines for less money??
2004 Chateau Abelyce Saint Emilion
Price: $28.75 Sale $25.30
Quantity in Stock: 16
The wine has an intense color and a powerful, highly aromatic bouquet of dark berries, cherries and cocoa-flavored wood. Full-bodied and pleasant, with a lovely structure and well-extracted tannins, persistent but not too sharp. A very harmonious wine for laying down.
The 2004 vintage was awarded a gold medal at the 2007 International Wine Challenge and a star in the 2008 Hachette Guide.
2005 Chateau Angelus St. Emilion
Price: $357.50 Sale $214.60
Quantity in Stock: 7
(98 Points) This 7,000 case blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc will rival or perhaps eclipse vintages such as 2000, 1998, 1990, and 1989. Its dense purple color is followed by an extraordinary perfume of charcoal, espresso roast, blackberries, blueberries, and a hint of wood. In spite of its thick texture, terrific acidity, high tannins, and enormous intensity as well as richness, it is surprisingly approachable, but given how slowly the 1989 and 1990 have aged, I would recommend cellaring it for 8-10 years. It should keep for three decades. A brilliant wine! Wine Advocate # 176, April 2008
2005 Chateau Les Asteries St. Emilion
Price: $177.00 Sale $156
Quantity in Stock: 10
(95 Points) Part of the garagiste efforts from Jonathan Malthus, Les Asteries is a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc. The dense ruby/purple-tinged 2005 reveals spicy, oaky aromas intermixed with scents of chocolate, blackberries, espresso roast, and graphite. This thick, juicy, modern-styled St.-Emilion offers impressive concentration, purity, and depth in its flamboyant personality. Very impressive! Anticipated maturity: 2013-2025 Wine Advocate # 176, April 2008
1999 Chateau Belair St. Emilion
Price: $75.50 Sale $66.22
Quantity in Stock: 11
Pretty floral notes compliment the aromas of fresh earth, coffee and ripe black plum fruit. Concentrated plum and cassis berry fruit on the tongue with soft round tannins, a very drinkable wine with all the right pieces in place, notes of coffee and earth on the finish. Excellent
1998 Chateau Belair St. Emilion
Price: $74.25 Sale $65.34
Quantity in Stock: 12
2001 Chateau Belair St Emilion
Price: $73.50 Sale $64.68
Quantity in Stock: 9
2001 Chateau Bellevue Mondote St Emilion
Price: $201.00 Sale $177
Quantity in Stock: 10
1945 Chateau Beychevelle St. Julien
Price: $800.00 Sale $704
Quantity in Stock: 1
2005 Chateau Boyd Cantenac Margaux
Price: $55.50 Sale $48.84
Quantity in Stock: 9
(92 Points) This chateau, which is often under the radar (production is only 5,500-6,000 cases), has fashioned a terrific, inky/blue/purple-hued 2005 with a beautiful bouquet of spring flowers, creme de cassis, pain grille, and blueberries. Powerful and concentrated with full-bodied richness, stunning purity, and a tannic, 40+-second finish, this beauty requires patience. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2030+. Wine Advocate # 176, April 2008
2004 Branaire Ducru St. Julien
Price: $66.00 Sale $58.08
Quantity in Stock: 14
Always a distinctive, fragrant St.-Julien offering a complex concoction of raspberries, cassis, violets, and minerals, the 2004 Branaire's vibrant aromatics are accompanied by a dense ruby/purple color, medium body, plenty of fruit, sweet, well-integrated tannin, and a gracious, flavorful yet concentrated style. Enjoy this layered, classic effort between 2008-2020. The Wine Advocate Issue #158 Stephen Tanzer (89-92)
2006 Chateau Branaire Ducru St. Julien
Price: $75.00 Sale $66
Quantity in Stock: 5
(90+ Points) By no means comparable to their sensational 2005 or 2003, but still an outstanding wine, this singular St.-Julien always possesses notes of spring flowers, boysenberries, black currants, and graphite. The complex aromatics are followed by a medium-bodied, classic Bordeaux displaying a deep ruby/purple color as well as moderately high tannin. It needs 3-5 years of bottle age, and should last for two decades or more. Wine Advocate # 181, Feb 2009
2000 Chateau Calon Segur St Estephe
Price: $115.00 Sale $101.20
Quantity in Stock: 10
(91 Points) Back when my bottle reports came out in 2003, I urged extreme patience for this wine, which is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc. I projected a maturity curve of 2012-2040, but based on this tasting, I would say the wine needs another 5-6 years, so call it 2016-2040+. One of the most unyielding wines in my tastings of the 2000s, the wine still has a very healthy, deep, dark ruby color, and earthy hints of herbs, licorice, and black currants. Medium to full-bodied, the hard, elevated tannins give this wine a certain austerity, but its outstanding weight, richness, and that very classic style argue for further discipline. Forget this for another 3-4 years and drink it over the following three decades. Wine Advocate # 189 Jun 2010
2005 Chateau Calon Segur St Estephe
Price: $110.25 Sale $97.02
Quantity in Stock: 3
(92 Points) A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot, the totally closed 2005 Calon Segur is one of those traditionally made, backstrapping, uncompromising Bordeaux that will last 30-40 or more years. Its dense ruby color with purple nuances is followed by a nose that reluctantly offers up scents of damp earth, wood smoke, black cherries, cassis, and an exotic Asian spice character. The wine is formidably endowed and broodingly tannic, with noticeable acidity and a structured, nearly impenetrable mouthfeel. Nevertheless, it is easy to sense the weight, extract, and richness in this pure, deep wine. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2050.Wine Advocate # 176, Apr 2008
2006 Chateau Calon Segur St. Estephe
Price: $79.00 Sale $69.52
Quantity in Stock: 9
(91 Points) A blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2006 Calon Segur is an elegant, classic effort that represents about 60% of their total production. Deep ruby, with forest floor, cassis, black cherry, and soil undertones in both the aromas and flavors, this is a medium to full-bodied wine. A success for the vintage, it exhibits fine density, moderately high but sweet tannins, and alluring texture, and fine purity. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2035.Wine Advocate # 181 Feb 2009
2005 Chateau Cambon la Pelouse Haut Medoc
Price: $27.00 Sale $23.76
Quantity in Stock: 9
(89 Points) A big-time sleeper of the vintage, this huge property, sandwiched between Cantemerle and Giscours, has released a blend of 50% Merlot and the rest primarily Cabernet Sauvignon with dollops of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. There are 17,500 cases of the 2005, undoubtedly the finest wine ever made at this estate. It possesses a dark ruby/purple hue as well as an exotic, flamboyant, fruity bouquet of black cherries, wood smoke, tobacco, and spice. Lush, round, and opulent, it is ideal for drinking over the next 5-6 years. Wine Advocate # 178, Aug 2008
2005 Chateau Des Carabins Margaux
Price: $29.75 Sale $26.18
Quantity in Stock: 74
Light earth sweet tobacco and cherry pie like fruit on the nose light barnyard notes. A good amount of cherry berry fruti on the tongue with layers of spice and good balanced acidity an excellent value! Finish 40+ Very Good +
2005 Chateau Certan Marzelle Pomerol
Price: $90.00 Sale $79.20
Quantity in Stock: 5
(89 Points) Offers blackberry, milk chocolate and sweet tobacco. Medium- to full-bodied, with medium tannins and a berry, cedar and chocolate aftertaste. Should mature quickly. Best after 2011. 1,830 cases made. –JS Wines Spectator Issue: Web Only - 2008
2000 Chateau Cheval Blanc St. Emilion
Price: $1500.00 Sale $1320
Quantity in Stock: 4
(100 Points) This closed, backward blend of 53% Merlot and 47% Cabernet Franc boasts a saturated purple color along with a reticent but striking bouquet of blackberries, blueberries, truffles, and mocha. In spite of its tightness, aeration reveals scents of licorice, menthol, and saddle leather. Opulent and full-bodied, with low acidity, sweet tannin, and a 60-second finish, it is unquestionably as profound as the 1990 and 1982. I still believe the 2000 has the potential to be the most compelling Cheval Blanc since the mythical 1947 and 1949, but patience is required. It should merit a three digit score in 7-10 years, but it is closed at present. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2030+. Note: The score for this wine was 98 in The Wine Advocate but it is changed to 100 per Mr. Parker as of August, 2006.
2005 Chateau Clos L'Eglise Cotes de Castillon
Price: $33.75 Sale $29.70
Quantity in Stock: 25
(89 Points) One of the least expensive wines produced by Gerard Perse, the 2005 Clos l’Eglise (70% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc) exhibits notes of sweet cranberries, jammy black cherries and strawberries, crushed rocks, and flowers. With a dense purple color, medium body, loads of fruit, and a soft, round mouthfeel and finish, it can be enjoyed over the next 5-6 years. Wine Advocate # 178, Aug 2008
2001 Chateau Cos D'Estournel St Estephe
Price: $135.00 Sale $119
Quantity in Stock: 3
“A beautiful effort, the 2001 Cos d'Estournel (65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot) exhibits a poised, noble bouquet of black currants, cedar, spice box, and licorice. A hint of truffles emerges as it sits in the glass. Medium-bodied with sweet fruit (mostly black) and nicely integrated wood, it builds incrementally in the mouth, ending with a 50-second finish. Drink this stylish, restrained yet substantial claret over the next 15+ years." (93 Points) The Wine Advocate (06/04)
2004 Chateau Cos D'Estournel St. Estephe
Price: $120.00 Sale $105.60
Quantity in Stock: 5
Wine Watch Review:
This is one of the candidates for wine of the vintage once again. Cos has been on its game since vintage 2000 and has been given the scores to back this allegation up. Typical Cos nose of with an underlying array of spiced curry, gravelly minerality, light smoke, freshly ground coffee combines with focused blackberry, black currant berry fruit on the palate. A big and chunky wine with layers and layers of flavor on the finish, fresh and well focused underlying acidity and a long complex ending. Finish 50+ Most Excellent Stephen Tanzer (91-93), Robert Parker Jr. (92-94)
2005 Cos D'Estournel St. Estephe
Price: $328.25 Sale $288.86
Quantity in Stock: 21
(98 Points) While I am not convinced the 2005 Cos d’Estournel will eclipse the compelling 2003 Cos, it is unquestionably another superb classic from proprietor Michel Reybier and his brilliant winemaker, Jean-Guillaume Prats. Made from an unusually high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon (78%) and the balance mostly Merlot with a tiny dollop of Cabernet Franc, this superb effort requires plenty of time in the bottle. It boasts an inky/purple color as well as a glorious perfume of licorice, Asian spices, creme de cassis, blackberries, and toasty oak. This full-bodied St.-Estephe is exceptionally powerful, pure, and dense with a layered mid-palate that builds like a skyscraper. While there are massive tannins, they are remarkably velvety and well-integrated in this big, backstrapping effort that should enjoy an unusually long life. Forget it for 8-10 years, and drink it between 2017-2040. Wine Advocate # 176, April 2008
2003 Domaine De Chevalier, Pessac-Leognan
Price: $81.00 Sale $71.28
Quantity in Stock: 86
Beautiful nose with lovely spice and tobacco and fresh coffee and gravelly minerally notes red currant and red cherry berry fruit. Beautiful balanced red berry fruit with cigar box spice and lovely smooth silky tannins drinking very nice right now but has legs to last another 10+ years in your cellar. Finish 45+ Excellent +
2005 Chateau Du Tertre Margaux
Price: $50.75 Sale $44.66
Quantity in Stock: 9
A terrific, fruit-forward Margaux offering wonderful smoky, melted licorice, chocolate, espresso, creme de cassis, and wild mountain berry notes, the 2005 Du Tertre possesses a dense purple color, medium to full body, superb purity, a sweet, expansive texture, and surprisingly silky, but lofty tannins. This brilliant wine should be at its best between 2008-2020. Wine Advocate #164 (Apr 2006
2006 Chateau Fombrauge St Emilion
Price: $26.25 Sale $23.10
Quantity in Stock: 12
(88 Points)One of the two stars of Bernard Magrez’s St.-Emilion empire (the other being the luxury cuvee of Magrez-Fombrauge), the 2006 Fombrauge is a soft, round, spicy effort displaying plenty of oak, earth, and ripe red currant and black cherry fruit. This pretty, alluring, charming effort is best drunk over the next 7-8 years. It is a blend of 77% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon. Wine Advocate # 181 Feb 2009
1943 Chateau Gruaud Larose St. Julien
Price: $2600 Sale $2000
Quantity in Stock: 1
1945 Chateau Gruaud Larose St. Julien
Price: $3300 Sale $2500
Quantity in Stock: 2
(96 Points) The 1945 is a remarkably young, backward, massive Gruaud-Larose, similar in style to the 1961, 1975, 1982, and 1986. Still opaque, garnet/black-colored, with a tight but promising nose of licorice, black fruits, and herbs, this full-bodied, meaty, chewy wine exhibits huge reserves of fruit, as well as a spicy, powerful, tannic finish. While it can be drunk now (I would suggest decanting of at least an hour), it is another immortal 1945 that will last for another 20-30 years. Wine Advocate #95
Oct 1994
1949 Chateau Gruaud Larose St. Julien
Price: $1500 Sale $1000
Quantity in Stock: 3
1967 Chateau Gruaud Larose St. Julien
Price: $225 Sale $150
Quantity in Stock: 2
1970 Chateau Gruaud Larose St. Julien
Price: $175 Sale $120
Quantity in Stock: 2
1971 Chateau Gruaud Larose St. Julien
Price: $135 Sale $90
Quantity in Stock: 2
1978 Chateau Gruaud Larose St. Julien
Price: $225 Sale $150
Quantity in Stock: 2
1984 Chateau Gruaud Larose St. Julien
Price: $135 Sale $90
Quantity in Stock: 4
1985 Chateau Gruaud Larose St. Julien
Price: $185 Sale $125
Quantity in Stock: 2
1986 Chateau Gruaud Larose St. Julien
Price: $200 Sale $160
Quantity in Stock: 4
1987 Chateau Gruaud Larose St. Julien
Price: $135 Sale $90
Quantity in Stock: 1
1988 Chateau Gruaud Larose St. Julien
Price: $165 Sale $115
Quantity in Stock: 5
1989 Chateau Gruaud Larose St. Julien
Price: $170 Sale $120
Quantity in Stock: 5
2004 Chateau Gruaud Larose St. Julien
Price: $70 Sale $59
Quantity in Stock: 12
2005 Chateau Haut Beausejour St Estephe
Price: $27.75 Sale $24.42
Quantity in Stock: 7
1978 Chateau Haut Brion Pessac Leognan
Price: $425.00 Sale Price: $350.00
Quantity in Stock: 1
1982 Chateau Haut Brion Pessac Leognan 3 Liter
Price: $10000.00 Sale $8800
Quantity in Stock: 1
(95 Points) I know Jean Delmas, whom I respect as one of the world’s greatest wine producers, has always thought the 1982 Haut Brion was similar to the 1959, but I have yet to see that. It seems to me the 1989 is closer to the 1959, another perfect wine and one of the all-time great Haut Brions. While the 1982 is a beauty, it has never hit the highest notes this vintage or terroir can achieve. Complex aromatics of scorched earth, smoked herbs, and sweet red and black currants are followed by a full-bodied, silky-textured wine, but I have never felt this offering has possessed the concentration, texture, or multidimensional personality found in such vintages as 1989, 1990, and more recent years. Nevertheless, this is essentially splitting hairs as the 1982 remains a superb Haut Brion. Seemingly less evolved than the 1990, it is capable of another 20-30 years of longevity. Perhaps there is something in reserve that will reveal itself in the next decade. Drink now-2035. Release price: ($400.00/case) Wine Advocate # 183, Jun 2009
1990 Chateau Haut Brion Blanc Pessac Leognan
Price: $450.00 Sale $396
Quantity in Stock: 1
(90 Points) Intense, almost harsh with zingy flavors. Showing more wood than the 1989, and less elegance, but it's powerful and sharply focused.--Haut-Brion vertical. 800 cases made. –HS Wine Spectator Issue: Apr 30, 1997
1990 Chateau Haut Brion Pessac Leognan
Price: $975.00 Sale $858
Quantity in Stock: 1
(96 Points) Haut-Brion has been the most consistent first-growth over the last decade, producing top-notch wines, even in such tough years as 1987, 1993, and 1994. I have had a tendency to forget just how exceptional the 1990 Haut-Brion is because of the huge shadow cast by the 1989. However, in this blind tasting, the 1990 proved itself to be a great wine. Its price has not risen nearly as much as one might expect given its quality. The 1990 is a decadently ripe wine with much more evolution to its fragrant cassis, mineral, smoked-herb, hot rocks, tobacco, sweet, toasty nose. Fat, rich, and medium to full-bodied, this superbly-concentrated, forward, awesomely-endowed wine requires 4-6 years of cellaring; it is capable of lasting for 20-25+ years. It is an unheralded, underrated 1990 that deserves more attention. Wine Advocate # 109, February 1997
1994 Chateau Haut Brion Blanc Pessac Leognan
Price: $495.00 Sale $435
Quantity in Stock: 3
(95 Points) This spectacular dry white Graves is a likely candidate to rival the 1989 produced at Haut-Brion. The harvest began at the end of August. The wine possesses the texture of a great Burgundy grand cru given its thick unctuosity. The superb nose of honeyed fruits and smoky oak is far more developed and ostentatious than its sister, the more subtle and backward Laville-Haut-Brion. It is awesomely rich, with a chewy texture and great purity and definition. This is a ravishingly intense, full-bodied, dry white wine that should age well for 30+ years. Last tasted 7/97 Bordeaux Book, 3rd Edition # B1, Jan 1998
1997 Chateau Haut Brion Pessac Leognan
Price: $425.00 Sale Price: $350.00
Quantity in Stock: 1
1998 Chateau Haut Brion Blanc Pessac Leognan
Price: $675.00 Sale $594
Quantity in Stock: 2
(96 Points) The 1998 Haut-Brion-Blanc (96-100) is a sensationally powerful wine with the texture of a grand cru Burgundy and the complexity afforded by the Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon blend. Wine Advocate # 134, Apr 2001
1999 Chateau Haut Brion Pessac Leognan
Price: $475.00 Sale $418
Quantity in Stock: 1
(96 Points) This wine has been brilliant on every occasion I have tasted it. More accessible and forward than the 1996, it possesses a saturated ruby/purple color, as well as a beautiful, knock-out set of aromatics, consisting of black fruits, vanillin, spice, and wood-fire smoke. Multidimensional and rich, with layers of ripe fruit, and beautifully integrated tannin and acidity, this medium to full-bodied wine is a graceful, seamless, exceptional Haut-Brion that should drink surprisingly well young. Anticipated maturity: 2000-2030. Wine Advocate # 115 Feb 1998
2000 Chateau Haut Brion Pessac Leognan
Price: $950.00 Sale $700
Quantity in Stock: 1
(98 Points) It will always be tempting to compare the 2000 Haut-Brion with the perfect 2000 La Mission Haut-Brion. However, it is not as fat, unctuous, flamboyant, or voluminous as La Mission. Yet, like a great diplomat, it is a wine of intensity, authority, and measured restraint. A supremely elegant offering, its dense ruby/purple color, and burgeoning perfume of scorched earth, liquid minerals, plums, black currants, cherries, lead pencil, and subtle spicy oak are followed by a delicate yet powerfully flavorful, multi-layered, highly nuanced, and extraordinarily pure and seamless wine. There have been so many recent classics from Haut-Brion, it is premature to suggest the 2000 is better than the 1998, 1995, 1990, or 1989, but it is certainly a prodigious wine of dazzling persistence, length, and complexity. A blend of 51% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 7% Cabernet Franc, it should prove to be uncommonly long-lived, even by the standards of Haut-Brion. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2040. Wine Advocate # 146, Apr 2003
2004 Chateau Haut Brion Blanc Pessac Leognan
Price: $400.00 Sale $352
Quantity in Stock: 1
2003 Chateau Hosanna Pomerol
Price: $201.00 Sale $177
Quantity in Stock: 3
2005 Chateau Hosanna Pomerol
Price: $197.25 Sale $173.58
Quantity in Stock: 3
(94-96) As I have written so many times before, this is a wine of extraordinary nobility and complexity whose aromatics frequently resemble those of its near-by neighbor, the famed St.-Emilion, Cheval Blanc. A 1,200-case blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, its fruit comes from the finest parcels of what used to be known as the Certan Giraud vineyard (the remaining parcels go into Certan Marzelle). The dense plum/purple-tinged 2005 Hosanna offers up sweet aromas of mocha, black raspberries, cherries, cassis, smoke, and flowers. Luscious, opulent, and medium to full-bodied with exceptional class and potential, it should be at its peak between 2012-2025+. Wine Advocate # 170, April 2007
2005 Lafon Rochet St. Estephe
Price: $66.50 Sale $58.52
Quantity in Stock: 3
(90-93) A dark ruby/purple color and a bouquet of plums, black raspberries, licorice, roasted herbs, and incense are followed by a medium to full-bodied, rich, structured, backward wine that requires 6-10 years of bottle age. It should drink well for two decades. For some reason, Lafon Rochet remains under-priced for the quality of wines it is producing. Wine Advocate # 170, April 2007
2005 Chateau Laforge St. Emilion
Price: $68.25 Sale $60
Quantity in Stock: 4
(95 Points) Tasting far superior than it did from cask, the bottled 2005 Laforge is fabulous. Moreover, there are 2,500 cases of this offering from the brilliant Englishman, Jonathan Malthus, who has proven he can turn quite a qualitative trick in both Bordeaux and Australia’s Barossa Valley. This dense purple-hued St.-Emilion offers up a glorious nose of graphite, blueberry and blackberry liqueur, licorice, and a whiff of acacia flowers. Full-bodied, thick, and juicy, this blend of 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc possesses terrific purity, an extravagantly rich mouthfeel, and wonderful precision. The result is a provocative, compelling wine that should be drinkable between 2013-2028. Wine Advocate # 176, April 2008
2000 Chateau La Fleur Morange St Emilion
Price: $110.00 Sale $96.80
Quantity in Stock: 5
(93 Points) This is a property I first started watching very carefully with this vintage, and I have loved just about everything that has been produced. Dense ruby/purple, the wine is a modern style of St.-Emilion, with superb ripeness, lots of color, and rich, heady black fruits intermixed with some toasty oak, licorice, and spice. Its expansive, multi-dimensional mouthfeel is opulent, sumptuous, and just beginning to hit full maturity. Drink it over the next 20 years. Wine Advocate # 189, Jun 2010
1989 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion Pessac
Price: $1300.00 Sale $925
Quantity in Stock: 1
(100 Points) This is a profound bottle of La Mission-Haut-Brion with a deep ruby/purple color and a gorgeous nose of espresso, tar, tobacco, mineral, and blackberry, blueberry, and black currant fruit. The extraordinary smorgasbord of aromatics is matched by a full-bodied, viscous, opulent style of wine with sweet, jammy fruit yet enough tannin and acidity to provide uplift and definition. Still somewhat of an adolescent in terms of its development, and far less evolved than its gorgeous sibling, the 1990, this is a prodigious, multi-dimensional wine that is a modern-day legend. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2025. Last tasted, 1/03. Bordeaux Book, 4th Edition Jan 2003
1990 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion Pessac
Price: $750.00 Sale $660
Quantity in Stock: 2
(94 Points) Surprisingly, the 1990 La Mission-Haut-Brion performed nearly as well as the 1989. Three of the tasters in the group of seven who participated in this blind tasting rated it higher than the 1989. I make this point because I think the 1990 is improving in the bottle, similar to the evolution of the 1990 Haut-Brion. The 1990 La Mission performed well-above my original score of 92. The wine is ostentatious, with a sweet, spicy, cedary, fruitcake, roasted black fruit-scented nose, admirable richness, a juicy, succulent, voluptuous texture, gobs of fruit and glycerin, low acidity, and a full-bodied, layered finish. This splendidly chewy, intense La Mission-Haut-Brion will come close to matching the quality of the legendary 1989. It will continue to drink well for another two decades. Wine Advocate # 109, Feb 1997
2005 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion Pessac
Price: $750.00 Sale $550
Quantity in Stock: 3
(97 Points) There are slightly more than 5,000 cases of the 2005 La Mission-Haut-Brion, a blend of 69% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and a touch of Cabernet Franc. While there is little difference between La Mission and Haut-Brion’s terroirs (their vineyards are only separated by a two-lane road), La Mission possesses more fat, texture, and intensity. An enormously endowed wine with huge tannin and structure, the 2005 offers a quintessential Graves bouquet of burning embers, charcoal, blackberries, truffles, black currants, and a meaty character. Reminiscent of the 1989, with more structure as well as a longer window of drinkability, the 2005 may be a modern day, improved version of a vintage such as 1955, which was well-endowed, very tannic, and took a long time to come around. While fabulously full-bodied and unctuous, the 2005 will not provide much charm in its youth. It needs 8-10 years of cellaring, and should age effortlessly for 30-40 years.
The rivalry between the two great Pessac-Leognan estates of Haut-Brion and La Mission-Haut-Brion continues despite the fact that since 1983, both wines have been made by the same winemaking team. Jean-Bernard Delmas has moved fifty miles north to Montrose, but his son, Jean-Philippe, has produced both wines following the 2003 vintage. La Mission is obviously made in a different style than Haut-Brion. It will never have as much nuance and nobility aromatically. It does possess more muscle, concentration, and opulence than Haut-Brion, but both offer prodigious styles of wine. Wine Advocate #176 Apr 2008
2005 Chateau Lafleur Pomerol
Price: $2250.00 Sale $1980
Quantity in Stock: 6
(100 Points)Exhibits a complex nose of crushed blackberry, dried flowers and dark chocolate. Full-bodied, with a rich, powerful palate. Tannic and muscular, with great length. Superracy. Builds and goes and goes. So fine and beautiful. Mythic. Best after 2017. –JS Wine Spectator Issue: Mar 31, 2008
1967 Chateau Lafite Rothschild Pauillac
Price: $550 Sale $400
Quantity in Stock: 5
1989 Chateau Lafite Rothschild Pauillac
Price: $1100 Sale $850
Quantity in Stock: 1
(90 Points) As I suspected, the 1989 and 1990 vintages of Lafite-Rothschild have gone dormant. Both wines were among the more closed, backward examples in my blind tasting. The 1989 Lafite is also outstanding, but closed, with the tannin more elevated, and the wine so stubbornly reticent as to make evaluation almost impossible. Lafite's 1989 was far more easy to taste and understand several years ago. It appears to have gone completely to sleep. This medium ruby-colored, medium-bodied wine reveals new oak in the nose, and a spicy finish. It is a quintessentially elegant, restrained, understated style of Lafite. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2025. Wine Advocate #109, Feb 1997
1996 Chateau Lafite Rothschild Pauillac
Price: $2195.00 Sale $1932
Quantity in Stock: 1
(100 Points) Tasted three times since bottling, the 1996 Lafite-Rothschild is unquestionably this renowned estate's greatest wine. As I indicated last year, only 38% of the crop was deemed grand enough to be put into the final blend, which is atypically high in Cabernet Sauvignon (83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 7% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot). This massive wine may be the biggest, largest-scaled Lafite I have ever tasted. It will require many years to come around, so I suspect all of us past the age of fifty might want to give serious consideration as to whether we should be laying away multiple cases of this wine. It is also the first Lafite-Rothschild to be put into a new engraved bottle (designed to prevent fraudulent imitations). The wine exhibits a thick-looking, ruby/purple color, and a knock-out nose of lead pencil, minerals, flowers, and black currant scents. Extremely powerful and full-bodied, with remarkable complexity for such a young wine, this huge Lafite is oozing with extract and richness, yet has managed to preserve its quintessentially elegant personality. This wine is even richer than it was prior to bottling. It should unquestionably last for 40-50 years. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2050. The wine of the vintage? Wine Advocate # 122, April 1999
1998 Chateau Lafite Rothschild Pauillac
Price: $1650.00 Sale $1452
Quantity in Stock: 1
(98 Points) A blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot, this wine represents only 34% of Lafite's total harvest. In a less than perfect Medoc vintage, it has been spectacular since birth, putting on more weight and flesh over the last year. This opaque purple-colored 1998 is close to perfection. The spectacular nose of lead pencil, smoky, mineral, and black currant fruit soars majestically from the glass. The wine is elegant yet profoundly rich, revealing the essence of Lafite's character. The tannin is sweet, and the wine is spectacularly layered yet never heavy. The finish is sweet, super-rich, yet impeccably balanced and long (50+ seconds). Anticipated maturity: 2007-2035. Wine Advocate # 134, Apr 2001
2000 Chateau Lafite Rothschild Pauillac
Price: $3000.00 Sale $2300
Quantity in Stock: 4
(100 Points) Well, well, well - Lafite Rothschild does it again. Ever since manager Charles Chevalier was transferred from his beloved Sauternes property of Rieussec (also owned by the Rothschilds) to Lafite in 1994, there has been a succession of profound wines to emerge from this noble estate. The 2000 Lafite Rothschild, a blend of 93.3% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6.7% Merlot (only 36% of the crop made the grade) has an opaque ruby/purple color, followed by an extraordinary aromatic expression of liquid minerals/stones interwoven with the tell-tale graphite notes, mulberry, black currants, caramel, and tobacco. In the mouth, it is remarkably light on its feet, but somehow seems to pack intense flavors into layer upon layer of fruit and richness that cascade over the palate. A compelling wine, with extraordinary precision, great intensity, and a seamlessness in spite of what are obviously elevated levels of tannin, this wine was provocatively open and beautiful when tasted in January and February, but I am sure it will soon close down. The finish lasted a whopping 72 seconds! This is utterly fascinating stuff. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2050. Wine Advocate # 146, Apr 2003
2003 Chateau Lafite Rothschild Pauillac
Price: $2200.00 Sale $1375
Quantity in Stock: 6
(100 Points) A modern day version of the 1959 Lafite, the 2003 Lafite Rothschild was bottled in mid-May, 2005 after achieving 12.9% natural alcohol – hardly an astonishing figure given the vintage’s weather conditions. A combination of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, it represents a ripe version of the essence of Lafite-Rothschild. Dense purple-colored, with classic notes of graphite intertwined with melted licorice, creme de cassis, smoke, and flowers, it reveals extraordinary richness, opulence, power, purity, intensity, and viscosity. Whether this wine will close down or not is questionable as it is somewhat atypical given its sweetness and softness. Analytically, there are extremely high tannins, which I suspect will assert themselves in the future. Production in 2003 was less than half of normal. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2050.
2005 Chateau Lafite Rothschild Paulllac
Price: $2000.00 Sale $1300
Quantity in Stock: 4
(94-98) Made in an ethereal style, the 2005 Lafite is composed of nearly 89% Caberne
