Chateau Latour tasting back to 1937

Friday, September 23, 2016 - 07:30 PM

This Event has been read: 1697 times.

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Bad news isn't wine. It doesn't improve with age.

Colin Powell

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Whenever I get a great bottle of wine like the 1959 Chateau Latour I am more interested in drinking it rather than selling it.  I know we just hosted a Chateau Latour Tasting back to 1961 less than a year ago but this bottle of 1959 Latour has been just begging me to open it so I figured why not do another Chateau Latour vertical to start out our "Once in a Lifetime" fall series of tastings in 2016.

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, 2010 and 2014 has been a leading candidate for "Wine of the Vintage".   Join us as we taste 10 vintages of this famous first growth going back to the legendary 1937, vintage including incredibly rare vintages like 1955, 1959 and greatest vintage of all time the 1982.  This event is limited to 14 people and the fee for this dinner is $750 per person all-inclusive, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or email andy@winewatch.com

We will take a bottle of Chateau Latour as payment for your seat at this event!  Just let us know what vintage of Chateau Latour that you have in your cellar and we will send you back what the value is and you can use your Chateau Latour to pay for our Chateau Latour tasting!

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Chateau Latour tasting back to 1937
Friday, September 23, 2016
7:00 PM

 

1937 Château Latour Pauillac Grand Vin

A great old vintage but old and this wine has a mid shoulder fill but the color looks good.

 

1952 Château Latour Pauillac Grand Vin 

Another old dog but this wine is still very surprising an elegant bouquet of mint and dried fruit, ripe tannins, rich and well balanced without bring aggressive.  Very well balanced but for some this may be past its peak for others a taste of Latour history.

1955 Château Latour Pauillac Grand Vin 
List Price: $1900.00          Your Price: $1672.00
Quantity in Stock: 1

A spectacular Latour, from a vintage that has provided many superb surprises (especially in the Medoc and Graves), the deep garnet-colored 1955 reveals some amber at the edge. It remains tannic, but its extraordinary perfume of smoked meats, dried herbs, cedar, black fruits, underbrush, and leather is seductive. It is full-bodied, with a sweet, intense mid-palate, plenty of power, and decades of life remaining. This is an under-rated, stunning Latour that may even improve. RP

1959 Chateau Latour Pauillac (high shoulder)
Price: $2500.00    Your Price: $2125.00
Quantity in Stock: 5

(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
Wine Watch Tasting Notes:  Camphor and cigar box spice on the nose upon opening with some red currant and red plum fruit showing up in just a few moments.  This was an outstanding bottle of 1959 and I breathed a sigh of relief after tasting this wine.  The bottle was a near perfect example from an outstanding cellar and that is all you can guarantee with an old dog like this.  I kept my glass of 1959 around all evening and it continued to open up and although had a bit of a sour balsamic nuance to it for a bit at the end of the night it still had this soft silky texture and pretty red cherry fruit and still remarkably fresh with dried tobacco spice and although this was an outstanding example of this wine it was not the best example of the 1959 Latour that I have ever tasted, but with that said it had over half of the votes for wine of the night.  Finish 45+  Most Excellent +

1960 Château Latour Pauillac Grand Vin

 

1962 Château Latour Pauillac Grand Vin

Fruit starting to fade and although I did not pick this as the 1962 I thought it was an older wine by the nose and the fact that I did not pick it as the 1962 is a testament to this vintage it is excellent and this wine is still drinking nicely.  Gravelly mineral, light smoky notes to the finish this wine had a lovely silky smooth texture the tannins almost all resolved at this time.  Finish 40+ Most Excellent

1970 Château Latour Pauillac Grand Vin
List Price: $700.00             Sale Price: $595.00
Quantity in Stock: 11

A bit of brick showing on the rim of the glass indicating an older wine, I guessed this was the 1978 but both wines were impressive the 1978 being a little fresher.  A bit musty on the nose with hints of toffee, fresh earth and dried tobacco spice to the red currant berry fruit on the nose.  This wine still has a nice balance and good freshness on the finish nicely balanced and drinking at its peak.  Finish 40+ Excellent +

1975 Château Latour Pauillac Grand Vin
List Price: $450.00      Your Price: $396.00
Quantity in Stock: 1
(93 points) Fascinating aromas of plums, minerals and mint, with a hint of peat. Medium- to full-bodied, with firm tannins and a long finish. Plenty of life left in it. This was rather controversial at the NY tasting, but I loved it.--Latour vertical. Drink now through 2015. –JS Wine Spectator

 

1982 Château Latour Pauillac Grand Vin

The 1982 vintage Latour still shows  some youth with gorgeous fruit ripe black currant, cherry and plum with an array of spice and dried sausage meaty note with dark coco, spice and an array of fresh earth mineral like aromas coming out of the glass as it opened.  This wine took the longest to open and still has quite a bit of tannins, it was one of the longest lasting wines on the palate and although is turning the corner in terms of drinkability it will last an eternity.  Finish 50+  KILLER

1986 Château Latour Pauillac Grand Vin
(96 Points)  "Seems to be gaining in strength and depth. Incredibly rich, with meat, plum, cassis and tobacco flavors, harmonious, clean and long. Beginning to be approachable.--Latour vertical. Best after 2003. " Wine Spectator

 

Menu
Caviar Stuffed baby potatoes
Foie Gras Torchon on Brioche toast Squares with tangerine Sauternes Jelly
Salmon Tartar with mango and roasted red pepper aioli on black sesame Crisp
Selection of Cheese:  Beemster Gouda, Reggiano Parmesan
Duck Confit Spring Rolls with Plum BBQ Sauce
Beef Short rib with dark chocolate whipped buttermilk mash and fried beet crisps
Dark Chocolate covered Bacon and berries

 

This event is limited to 14 people and the fee for this dinner is $750 per person all-inclusive, for reservations call 954-523-9463.

We will take a bottle of Chateau Latour as payment for your seat at this event!  Just let us know what vintage of Chateau Latour that you have in your cellar,  we will send you back what the value is and you can use your Chateau Latour to pay for our Chateau Latour tasting!