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Tasting notes
What more needs to be said about the 1982 Latour? Tasted numerous times, this is the benchmark for the Left Bank. A heavenly nose of graphite-infused black fruit, so precise and focused, with an underlying seriousness that sets it apart from the other First Growths. The palate is utter class, regal and poised, with brilliant structure yet it is not oppressive. It just glides along with an almost crystalline, mineral-driven finish. Yes, perfection. Tasted single blind at the 1982 dinner at Cornus in London.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Neal Martin, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
Just a few months since I last tasted this wine, and once again it was the standout of the lineup (last time I wrote 'pretty much the easiest 100 points I will ever give'). Latour in 1982 was owned by the Pearson Group, headed up by Lord Cowdray, with Henri Martin and Jean-Paul Gardère as co-directors in Bordeaux. It would have been made in a far more traditional way than today, although the 1855 1st Growth properties were regularly using new oak barrels for ageing by this point. What you are seeing instead is the impact of the exceptional location and soils that underpin Latour - giving power that continues to surprise more than 40 years after harvest. It silences the table every time, with its gourmet layers of rich plum, blackberry and raspberry fruits, coupled with liqourice, fennel, cigar box and mint that signify great mature Pauillac. The tannins are fully integrated at this point, and yet they still manage to convey the hidden power that the estate is known for. A masterclass in fine wine. 100% new oak.
A spell-binding example of the most, consistently stunning wine from the legendary 82 vintage. Everything here is on target, in-place and balanced. There is a wall of ripe, regal, powerful, black and red fruits with a stately air of refinement and aristocracy that coat and fill your palate, leaving with a seamless, 60-second, plus finish.
Pretty much the easiest 100 points that I will ever give, as has been the case every single time I have tasted this wine. Now at 41 years old, and yet showing no signs of flagging, deeper in colour than the 1983 or 1985 First Growths that we tasted alongside, still rich ruby and full of life, with just a hint of softening brick around the outer edges. Packed with sun-ripened rich plum and baked raspberry fruit, sewn through with fennel, aniseed, smoked caramel, soot, cigar box, liquorice and melted tannins that stretch out in front of you and suggest there are still years in front. Somehow, even at 41 years old, it captures all that you love about a young wine and rolls it together with the complexity of an old wine. Insanely good stuff that lifts you off your feet. The Pearson Group were owners at the time, overseen by Lord Cowdray, with Henri Martin and Jean-Paul Gardère as co-directors.
About the producer
One of Bordeaux’s five First Growths, as classified in 1855, Ch. Latour is among the most famous addresses in Pauillac and the world. The estate is renowned for its long-ageing, powerful and structured wines.