1975 Château Latour
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Tasting notes
The 1975 Latour is a vintage that I have drunk several times, and, to be frank, I consider it a bit overrated by some fellow scribes. That's not to imply it is a bad wine, far from it. It's still giving pleasure, and this represents the best example I have encountered, even better than a magnum poured at the château. It comes across rather austere and earthy on the nose, cedar coming through with aeration and conveying more vigor than the aforementioned magnum a few years earlier. Fine tannins and salinity, just a hint of bay leaf and black olive compote, leafy and perhaps rather short on the finish. No, it's a very decent 1975 Left Bank, a vintage where many of its peers are drying out. But I would never rank it within the top echelon of Latour. Tasted at Woo Cheong Tea House dinner organized by Paulo Pong.
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
This double magnum had been accessed by a Coravin 10 days before this tasting and the cork fell into the wine so the bottle had to be re-stoppered. This may not have helped the wine… Wonderful combination of oyster-shells aroma and lovely rich, fully evolved, complex fruit that is recognisably Ch Latour. The tannins have disappeared. Long, layered. Really mature, even in the big bottle. My favourite wine of this tasting, though I'm sure it would have shown even better had the bottle been freshly opened. (JR)
1975 was a great vintage apart from rains in mid-September and into the harvest period. Brick colored, the 1975 Latour has a mature nose of fallen leaves, tobacco, figs and oolong tea with a savory/meaty core and wafts of dried fruitcake. The palate is medium-bodied, elegant, refreshing and softly textured with a long, mineral-laced finish.
The 1975 Latour was served from magnum at the reception held at the château for 1,500 guests at Vinexpo. However, I was not the only one rather disappointed by the aromatics that feel leafy and very austere, perhaps despite the large format and provenance, the 1975 is dried out, like many Left Bank wines born in this vintage. Likewise, the palate has a gritty, tarry entry with fine acidity, but the tannins feel a little hard and there is a hole where the fruit ought to be towards the finish. I have had better bottles of this in the past. Tasted at the Vinexpo reception party at Château Latour.
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.