Chateau Latour 2010

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "One of the perfect wines of the vintage, Frederic Engerer challenged me when I tasted the 2010 Latour at the estate, asking, “If you rate the 2009 one hundred, then how can this not be higher?” Well, the scoring system stops at 100, (and has for 34 years,) and will continue for as long as I continue to write about wine. Nevertheless, this blend of 90.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9.5% Merlot, and .5% Petit Verdot hit 14.4% natural alcohol and represents a tiny 36% of their entire production. The pH is about 3.6, which is normal compared to the 3.8 pH of the 2009, that wine being slightly lower in alcohol, hence the combination that makes it more flamboyant and accessible. The 2010 is a liquid skyscraper in the mouth, building layers upon layers of extravagant, if not over-the-top richness with its hints of subtle charcoal, truffle, blackberry, cassis, espresso and notes of toast and graphite. Full-bodied, with wonderfully sweet tannin, it is a mind-boggling, prodigious achievement that should hit its prime in about 15 years, and last for 50 to 100." Drink: 2028 - 2078.

JAMES SUCKLING: "The aromas of flowers such as roses, violets and lilacs jump from the glass then turn to dark berries such as blueberries and blackberries. It´s full-bodied, with velvety tannins and dense and intense with a chocolate, berry and currant character. This is juicy and rich with wood still showing a bit, but it´s all coming together wonderfully. Muscular yet toned. Another perfect wine like the 2010. Try in 2022."

DECANTER: "I get the same peony and violet aromatics here as I did in Forts de Latour. This is powerful, muscular, not even getting close to being ready. The tannins crowd in from the mid palate onwards, extremely physical in the way they make their presence felt. Behind them, if you give the wine enough time in the glass, it gives black pepper spice, pencil lead, slate and compressed earth, along with cassis, bilberry and all the tight compact dark-berried fruits you can think of. Don't even consider this for another five years at least. This is a monumental Latour and a flashing signpost for how good this vintage is in Pauillac."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Unbelievably pure, with distilled cassis and plum fruit that cuts a very precise path, while embers of anise, violet and black cherry confiture form a gorgeous backdrop. A bedrock of graphite structure should help this outlive other 2010s. Powerful, sleek and incredibly long. Not perfect, but very close. Best from 2020 through 2050."

WEINWISSER: 19 RENÈ GABRIEL´S BX TOTAL: "(90.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.5% Merlot 0.5% Petit Verdot 0.5% Cabernet Franc, 36% der Ernte wurden für den Grand Vin verwendet) Konzentriertes, mineralisches, schweres Bouquet, Lakritze, schwarze Beeren, dunkler Tabak, Feuerstein, Leder, Trüffel, Mahagoni. Samtener, dichter, vielschichtiger, kraftvoller Gaumen mit kräftiger, dichter Frucht, viel gutem Tannin, komprimierter, dunkler Aromatik, sehr langer, opulenter Abgang mit sehr guten Rückaromen. Kann mit der Reife die Maximalpunktzahl erreichen. 19/20 2020 - 2045"

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Very dark. Lots of energy. Intense and suave. Looking awfully good. Some rich fruit here in the most luxurious corset."