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Among the longest-lived wines across the world are the vintages of Château Latour. Although wines such as Tokaji and fine port are deemed to age for at least one hundred years, it is uncommon to track down a red Bordeaux blend with the corresponding aging potential.
There’s no doubt that Château Latour is among the list of extraordinary wines. Take the 1961 vintage, for instance. It’s reckoned as one of the best in the history of the estate, and to this day, the 1961 vintage keeps on developing its complexity.
Unfortunately, not all Château Latour vintages are long-lived. While these wines are high-quality, there are several vintages with reliable aging value and potential. Below are some of the best Château Latour vintages for wine collectors. Take a read!
Château Latour
This French wine estate is among the greatest Bordeaux’s first-growths. It’s one of the oldest and popular wine estates across Bordeaux. Château Latour is situated in Pauillac, southwestern France, on a hillside with striking variations in elevation.
As a matter of fact, among the Bordeaux first growths, the terrain in Château Latour is the most diverse and uneven in soil composition. The variations in soil and terrain make wines of high-complexity because each area impacts fruit growth in various ways.
Of these areas, the most historically significant and finest is the Enclos terroir. Every grape used to make great wines are grown in this particular area since it produces excellent wines.
The varied and deep soil composition of this terroir makes it high-quality. The grapes here are concentrated in flavor and very ripe because, during the summer, the vines are water-stressed. Moreover, Château Latour plants almost all of its Cabernet Sauvignon in this parcel since this kind of grape thrives in dry, warm conditions.
Also, small amounts of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot are grown in this area, which is mixed into the Grand Vin. However, the terrior is not only responsible for the critical acclaim in Château Latour.
What’s more, Château Latour is ultra-careful regarding its winemaking practices. This wine estate leverages biodynamic farming since wine producers think that it will reflect the pure reflection of the terrior into the wine.
Additionally, the wine is vinified in steel to conserve the natural flavors of the wine. Later on, the wine is aged in French oak, adding subtle notes of vanilla and spice to the blend. All these elements produce a wine that’s brimming of character.
A layer-unfolding elegant perfume accompanies the powerful, dark fruit. Furthermore, Château Latour achieves to make wines like this every year. Poor vintages are hardly found from this producer. Even so, several vintages are better than the rest.
The Best Vintages
One of the most unchanging and unvarying wine labels available on the market today is Château Latour’s Grand Vin. In fact, on wine-searcher, the average critic score of the Grand Vin since 1998 is at least 92 points.
Also, the 2018 Château Latour vintage received lots of positive feedback for being high in quality and especially age-worthy. The following are some of the best Château Latour vintages over the years:
- Latour wine 2001
- Latour wine 2000
- Latour wine 2003
- Latour wine 2005
- Latour wine 2009
- Latour wine 2010
- Latour wine 2014
- Latour wine 2015
- Latour wine 2016
If you plan to invest in these young Château Latour vintages, remember that most of them will need more or less 15 to 20 years of age before they reach peak maturity. Interestingly, the most excellent Château Latour vintages could age for at least 100 years. With all these in mind, Château Latour vintages are undoubtedly an excellent wine to give to future generations.
What’s more, in recent years, the Grand Vin’s flavor has altered slightly. That said, if you prefer to drink older vintages, you might notice a difference.
The following are the best older Château Latour vintages:
- Latour wine 1996
- Latour wine 1995
- Latour wine 1990
- Latour wine 1982
- Latour wine 1975
- Latour wine 1970
- Latour wine 1966
- Latour wine 1964
- Latour wine 1962
- Latour wine 1961
- Latour wine 1959
- Latour wine 1949
- Latour wine 1948
- Latour wine 1945
The problem with these older vintages is that most of them are hard to find. Over time, the number of bottles decreases, and wine collectors might be left with poor quality bottles. Also, because counterfeit wine bottles are common, make sure to find a credible vendor to guarantee that you will not be scammed. Plus, search for signs of damage, such as leaking corks.
Takeaway
For serious Bordeaux wine collectors, investing in the best Château Latour vintages is very rewarding. While these wines are difficult and challenging to find and might need careful storage, it’s extremely worthwhile since Château Latour wines are among the multilayered and most delicious in the world.
