Magnum Château Latour - Pauillac 2007

Wine Advocate

92 / 100

par Neal Martin le 31/08/2016

When I was in Bordeaux last July visiting properties to taste their 1986 and 1996s for forthcoming reports, Frédéric Engerer mentioned that this year the First Growth would be late-releasing their 2007 Château Latour. He kindly invited me to taste a bottle, ensuring that The Wine Advocate readers have the most up to date review. While regarded as an off-vintage of that decade, in fact I have found that many 2007s have matured better than expected, and of course, Château Latour has a proclivity to excel in the more challenging growing seasons - as anyone who has tasted the 1991 or 2002 will attest. That is the case here. While it is not a Latour that troubles the greatest wines from the estate, itdoes deliver the essence of this aristocratic Pauillac. Frédéric mentioned this being a wine that could serve restaurants looking for a comparatively less expensive Latour, though at the time of writing, I do not know the release price to merchants.

Wine Advocate

92 / 100

par Neal Martin le 18/07/2016

The 2007 Latour is the most recent late-release from the First Growth estate that abandoned en primeur after the 2011 vintage. Incidentally, this was the first vintage that Frédéric Engerer made with cellar technical director, Hélène Génin. "It was not an easy wine when it was young," he remarked when pouring the wine. Nevertheless, as it approaches ten years of age, the 2007 is finally entering its drinking plateau. It has a deep, quite lucid, dark garnet color. The nose is fresh and well defined. What I appreciate here is the focus, since 2007 was never a vintage to bestow power or immense complexity. Here, you wallow in lovely aromas of blackberry, bilberry and briary with that hint of black olive that I noticed four years ago when I last tasted it. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. It feels attractively saline, fresh and crisp, though not angular. Again, it is the focus and detail that enhances this vibrant Château Latour and its keen line of acidity lends it the freshness to become just about drinkable. The length is moderate, rather than extraordinarily long, though its pencil lead finish takes you straight to Pauillac thereby enhancing typicité. This is a fine Latour from an underrated vintage. Tasted July 2016.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

92 / 100

par Stephen Tanzer le 30/08/2010

Good bright ruby-red. Rather backward nose hints at cassis, black cherry, shoe polish, graphite, minerals and spices. Sweet, broad and rich, but with enticing fresh minerality giving energy to the rather full-bodied middle palate. The wine's cassis fruit is complicated by an almost decadent floral element. Finishes perfumed and very long, with wonderfully lush, supple, fine-grained tannins.

Wine Advocate

92 / 100

par Robert Parker le 30/04/2010

The 2007 Latour (the first wine made in the newly renovated cellars) exhibits a dense ruby/purple color as well as a sweet, expansive bouquet of black fruits and spring flowers interwoven with a striking minerality. The wine’s dense, medium to full-bodied flavors are surprisingly evolved, with soft tannins, an ample, generous mouthfeel, and an endearing texture. Undoubtedly one of the longest lived wines of the vintage, the 2007 Latour should last for two decades or more. Drink 2010-2030(92+)

Wine Spectator

90 / 100

par James Suckling le 31/03/2010

Offers floral and berries, with currant and licorice. Full-bodied, with a sweet core of fruit. There’s silky tannins and a fresh, fruity finish. Reserved and balance. Best after 2012.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

91-93 / 100

par Stephen Tanzer le 30/06/2008

(91% cabernet and 9% merlot) Good full ruby-red. Fresh aromas of cassis, tobacco leaf, minerals, graphite and licorice. Sweet, dense and consistent from start to finish, with enticing flavors of dark berries and chocolate given good grip by firm but fine-grained, palate-saturating tannins. Very nicely balanced, supple wine with a rebound of flavor on the end. On the soft side by Latour standards but wonderfully suave.

Falstaff

91-93 / 100

le 30/06/2008

Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, jugendlische Reflexe, violetter Rand. in der Nase zart vegetal unterlegte Cassisfrucht, angenehmes Weichselkonfit, Orangenzesten. Am Gaumen Zwetschkenfrucht, zarte Mandarinenuancen, frische Struktur, die Tannine sind gut integriert, mittlere Komplexität, sehr mineralisch im Nachhall, gutes Potenzial, feine Kirschenfrucht, bereits gut entwickelt, ein sehr kompletter Wein mit gutem Potenzial.

Le Point

17-17,5 / 20

par Jacques Dupont le 15/05/2008

Fruits noirs, épices bdouces, bouche douce, souple, ronde, tendue, très en fruit, très bel équilibre, pas très impressionnant mais finesse et harmonie.

Wine Advocate

90-93 / 100

par Robert Parker le 05/05/2008

Wein Wisser

18 / 20

par René Gabriel le 02/05/2008

TAST

18,5-19 / 20

le 28/04/2008

Dégusté au château. Dans l’assemblage du grand vin, il y aura un peu moins de merlot que Mouton et Lafite, ce qui explique en partie sa différence au niveau des sensations tactiles : la minéralité propre à son terroir se présente de façon un peu plus nue et directe que chez ses pairs. Sa perfection de forme et de saveur sera donc plus “géométrique” que “musicale”, le vin plus “dessiné” que “peint”. Pur, dense, vinifié sans compromis, il demande encore de se nourrir sur ses lies fines et dans son bois neuf pour prendre toute sa dimension.

Wine Advocate

90-92 / 100

par Neal Martin le 18/04/2008

The Latour 2007 includes 15% pressed wine, the most since 1999. Limpid purple/garnet core with pink rim. An attractive nose, thematically following the Les Forts de Latour with a certain femininity with an attractive brightness. Excellent delineation. Builds nicely in the glass when I return to it after ten minutes developing a slight briny note, almost oyster shell quality. The palate is full-bodied, firm robust tannins, not the fruit intensity of previous vintages, again a rather stripped down Latour but still with excellent balance and very focused. Graphite, cedar and smoke towards the finish that is drier finish than usual. A difficult Latour to warm to. Another wine that I will seek to taste closer to bottling. Tasted April 2008.

Jancis Robinson

17.50 / 20

par Jancis Robinson le 16/04/2008

Highest percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon ever. Round and smooth and quite powerful. Very modern and easy – “Peynaud school of extraction”, according to Frédéric Engerer. Not flashy! But a bit like malted milk. Very soft as opposed to the usual Latour style. Very round. Represents 2007 but not especially Latour (cf Las Cases) . "We really tried to muscle it up as much as we could”, said Engerer (they included 16% press wine, much more than usual). But it’s not that fresh. Well made but extremely unusual – a bit like 2003 by Bollinger in that respect. Perhaps it should be called ‘2007 by Latour’, come to think of it? 17.5++

Decanter Magazine

17.50 / 20

le 04/04/2008

Very good deep red, rich and crunchy spicy fruit, lovely expression with great purity and good length, will certainly gain depth in bottle, but the fruit is upfront now and is described by Frederic Engerer as 'just a baby'. A surprisingly youthful Latour and perhaps one of the best expressions of this lightish, but charming vintage. Drink 2014-25.

Wine Spectator

89-92 / 100

par James Suckling le 31/03/2008

Very pretty and refined, with wonderful, silky tannin texture and ripeness. Full and harmonious, with lots of fruit at the end. A reserved and subtle wine. —J.S.