Latour 2005

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. Drink 2015-2065.

Excellent depth of colour. Very intense and spicy. Intriguing – this is a wine that drags you in to the glass! Full, ample, wonderful grand spread across the palate. Such magnificence – rides over the palate. All lovely fine tannins and subtlety. No obvious alcohol – dense but not tricksy. Yet there is the squareness and rigour of Latour. Just 13.35 per cent alcohol. Deliberate choice not to go for monstrous alcohol. Very intense and extremely fine. Intense and funnily enough it reminds me a bit of Ausone. The focus of it… The density of it…. Smoky character – a bit of woodsmoke. Very dry tannins but not drying on the finish. Cool, restrained, less aromatic than the Margaux. But very solid. This wine may still be motoring along after the Margaux. Very mineral. Structured like 2004 but with more flesh. Drink 2018-40

Incredible aromas of currants and exotic fruit. Hints of chocolate and cigar box. Very complex already. Full-bodied, concentrated and velvety. Chewy and powerful. Pure fruit. This is superpowerful. It’s like a tidal wave of fruit and perfect tannins on your palate. This is a Latour 2000 II. On it’s way to 100 points.