Château Latour Pauillac 2014

99 POINTS

James Suckling

So much violets, licorice, pencil, flowers and currants define this on the nose before it moves to fresh mushrooms. It’s full-bodied yet compacted with tension and a compressed center palate. Incredible, fine-grained tannins and energy. The length is truly great. Should be even more beautiful in 2024. Give it time.

97 POINTS

William Kelley - Wine Advocate

The 2014 Latour is one of the very finest wines of a vintage that favored the northern Médoc. Mingling aromas of wild berries and cassis with hints of cigar wrapper, loamy soil, black truffles and classy new oak, it’s full-bodied, rich and concentrated, its broad attack segueing into a deep, tightly wound mid-palate that’s framed by powdery, chalky tannins and bright acids, concluding with a long, mouthwatering finish. This classically balanced, youthfully structured young wine looks set to enjoy prodigious longevity. It’s reminiscent of a modern-day version of a cooler vintage such as 1996, though of course these days maturity is more complete and selection even more rigorous than was the case two decades ago

97 POINTS

Roger Voss - Wine Enthusiast

The tannins in this fine vintage of Latour are still enormous, dominating the black currant fruit. It has spice, tannins, impressive fruit and a pure, cool character. To be released in the mid-2020s, the wine is likely to age for many years.

97 POINTS

James Molesworth - Wine Spectator

This shows terrific cut and drive from the start, with mouthwatering acidity and a chiseled graphite note leading the way, backed by a core of pure cassis and blackberry preserves. Licorice snap and sweet tobacco details flitter through the finish, where the graphite edge reemerges and sails on and on

96 POINTS

Jeb Dunnuck

The 2014 Château Latour is still a baby and relatively closed and backward, offering darker, meaty black fruits, tobacco, truffly earth, and graphite on the nose. It's much more dense and structured than I would have imagined from tasting on release and offers full-bodied richness, a beautiful mid-palate, fabulous overall balance, and no shortage of tannins on the finish. This vintage was terrific for the Médoc, particularly the northern Médoc, and this beauty warrants another 7-8 years of bottle age, after which I suspect it will have well over 3 decades of overall longevity. The blend is 89.9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9.2% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot that hit 12.8% alcohol.

96 POINTS

Jane Anson - New Bordeaux

The depth, power and just sheer confidence of Latour shines through. This is an extremely classic 2014 - everything in focus, with clarity, grip and poise, sculpted blackcurrant and blackberry fruits, touches of raspberry leaf and crushed rocks. Cabernet Sauvignon dominant, still strict and muscular in its tannins, with heft and width through the palate. As it opens graphite, violet and campfire smoke curls through the centre of the wine, along with slow and steady waves of saffron and sage spice. Easily one of the wines of the vintage, and one to take your time with, allowing the slow progression of flavours and textures to unroll at their own pace. It will benefit from another few years in bottle before really getting underway, and has decades ahead. Eric Boissenot consultant, Hélène Génin technical director. Harvest September 18 September to October 15

96 POINTS

Georgina Hindle - Decanter

Reddish purple rim. Expressive on the nose; cocoa powder, truffle, soft spices, blackcurrant pastilles, black cherries and mint - the best Cabernet aromatics. Great delicacy here, this is so poised and elegant, a touch of soft sweetness to the red and black fruits. Tannins fill the mouth but this is well handled, less plump and round, more direct and linear but with a beautiful fragrance, delicacy and texture that fills the mouth but gently. Still so much juice and freshness as well as softly cooling mint tones. The fresh, vibrant flavour makes you think you could drink it now but it's only the tannins that suggest it needs longer. Still, it's lovely, with such well placed fruit flavours that hits all sides of the mouth and lingers long after the finish.

96 POINTS

Antonio Galloni MW - Vinous

The 2014 Latour captures the personality of the year in its linear, lithe construction. It's a decidedly understated Latour that is more about finesse than brawn. Bright red cherry/plum fruit, spice, mint and sweet tobacco open over time, but at this level, wines are more about a feel, an expression of place and a vintage. The 2014 Latour embodies all the best this cool, late-ripening growing season had to offer. I loved the 2014 when it was first shown, about five years ago, and I love it today. It is a super-classic Pauillac.