Tasting Notes
Neal Martin 92
The 1999 Latour has a dark garnet color with little aging on the rim. The nose is closed initially and demands coaxing, eventually revealing blackberry, cedar and light pencil-shaving aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with soft tannins, displaying some secondary notes of clove, white pepper and a distinct earthiness that comes through on the finish. [Post-script: this is one of the few vintages I identified correctly!] Tasted blind from double magnum at a 20-year retrospective at the chateau.
Anticipated maturity: 2022-2040
Stephen Tanzer 93
Full red-ruby. High-pitched aromas of red- and blackcurrant, minerals and leather. Wonderfully harmonious in the mouth, with compelling sweetness of fruit but also superb grip. A lush, rich wine that already displays impressive inner-mouth perfume. Finishes with broad, essentially gentle tannins. Doesn’t quite possess the grip or thrust of the ’01, but this is wine-of-the-vintage material.
Wine Advocate 94
The 1999 Latour doesn’t quite dominate the competition the way the 1994 does, but it, too, is a lovely wine, exhibiting notes of blackcurrants, cigar wrapper, rich soil tones and creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, deep and impressively concentrated, with velvety tannins, ripe acids and a long, expansive finish, it is showing beautifully today.
Anticipated maturity: 2015-2039
JancisRobinson.com 18
Medicinal and sinewy on the nose. Exciting and vibrant. Deep-flavoured. Long but the tannins are still very evident (though in this case there seems to be enough fruit to stand up to them). Ambitious – needs quite a bit of time yet.
Anticipated maturity: 2012-2028
