2005 Château Latour, Pauillac, Bordeaux

Expectations are high when you open a top flight estate in one of Bordeaux’s most revered vintages, and the 2005 Latour, while still being stubborn, is poised to deliver the goods. So many layers to get through, and it moves in distinct stages, from sweet-salty dark chocolate and soy sauce through to earthy cassis and blackberries, finishing up with a delicate burst of rosebuds and violet flowers, and a saline, slate and mint kick on the finish. The flavours remain hidden at first and need coaxing - there is definitely no rush to open, and it may still be going through something of a dumb phase, but I have been lucky enough to taste this wine a few times this year, and this week’s example was one of the best, really beginning to grow into its potential, and showing plenty of old school Latour power. There are fireworks but you have to wait for them, and ideally I would still give it another few years. 100% new oak. This wine has been released En Primeur, then again in March 2017, and this is the third and final release. Harvest between September 26 and October 6. Decanted three hours before tasting, and it needs another few hours to fully open.Drink 2021 - 2045jane_anson_mw, Decanter.com (Sept 2021)

The 2005 Latour was mind-blowingly profound in two recent tastings for this report. Deep and sensual to the core, the 2005 is utterly captivating. All the elements are so seamlessly put together. Graphite, crème de cassis, licorice, dark spice and lavender infuse the 2005 with so much energy. More than anything else, though, the 2005 is a Latour of texture and resonance. Even after several hours, the 2005 is fresh and full of energy. Wines like this are just life affirming. That's about all I can really say. Tasted two times.Drink 2022 - 2055antonio_galloni, Vinous.com.com (Apr 2021)

Along with Margaux, another standout 2005. Still closed on the nose, this is a precise, concentrated Latour which has the structure to age effortlessly for a further two (or more) decades. Intense lead-pencil character on the nose with a plush, rich, intense palate of vibrant, dark, concentrated fruit. Extremely glossy tannins and beautifully integrated oak, finishing with a fine, lingering graphite note. A thoroughbred, drinking beautifully already but will age extremely well.Drink 2025 - 2045andy_howard_mw, JancisRobinson.com (Jun 2021)

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!).james_suckling, jamessuckling_com (Aug 2021)

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 tastinguntil now, the wine was relatively closed and broody, but today the wine is just starting to reveal its personalityand 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.Lisa Perrotti-Brown - 28/02/2019

The 2005 Latour (87% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot and Petit Verdot) is a spectacular effort from Château Latour. It has an inky plum/purple color and a gorgeous nose of graphite, crème de cassis, and floral notes with some forest floor in the background. It is full-bodied, super-concentrated, and for my taste, probably one of the two or three most intense, rich, and complex wines of the entire Médoc. The wine has great texture, purity and a finish of close to 40 or 45 seconds. The tannins are surprisingly sweet, even in this large-scaled, masculine wine. Drink it over the next 50+ years. robert_parker - Wine Advocate, 29th June 2015

The Latour was magnificent but is now, unfortunately, in something of a dumb phase. The aromas showed a balanced mix of red and black fruit with appropriate accents from the maturation in new casks and the trademark earthy undercurrent accented with tar and leather notes. The extract has a substantial feel, and yet the tannins remain silky. One has the sense that, like all Latour, it will age exceedingly well, but it is far from showing its full potential. The blend is 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Merlot, and picking began on 26 September.Drink 2021 - 2040Charles Curtis MW, Decanter.com (Jun 2021)