Retour Château Latour - Pauillac - Le Pauillac de Château Latour - Rouge - 2018
COUNTRY/REGION: Bordeaux
DESIGNATION: AOP Pauillac
CLASSIFICATION: 3rd Château Latour wine
COLOR: Red
VINTAGE: 2018
GRAPE VARIETY: 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% de Merlot et 12% de Petit Verdot
ALCOHOL: 14 vol.
CONTENT: 75 cl
The tasting
Color Dark, intense red.
Nose Aromas of ripe berries and cherries mixed with spicy notes.
Palate Fresh and generous with beautifully ripe fruit, this cuvée offers great concentration, a perfectly balanced structure and supple, velvety tannins.
The sommelier's advice
Temperature Serve between 14 and 16°C.
Food Spiced duck breast, herb-roasted lamb, Bordeaux-style porcini mushrooms, venison in sauce, beef and marrow bone, baked guinea fowl and seasonal black truffles.
Cellar ageing From now until 2033 and beyond for enthusiasts.
The estate and the wine
The estate and the wine A majestic estate in Pauillac, Château Latour holds a unique position among the Grands Crus Classés. Known for its unparalleled consistency, this Premier Grand Cru Classé remains at the pinnacle of its craft each year, continually pushing the boundaries of refinement and excellence. Unlike its peers, the château has stepped away from Bordeaux's En Primeur system, choosing instead to age its wines at the estate and only release them when they have reached optimal maturity.

Under the stewardship of owner François Pinault and managing director Frédéric Engerer, Château Latour not only maintains its commitment to excellence and biodynamic practices but also embodies a distinctive approach to winegrowing, ensuring that each vintage is offered at the perfect moment.
Wine Generous and concentrated, the 2018 Red Pauillac de Château Latour showcases ripe berry aromas, particularly cherry, all wrapped in a well-balanced structure with smooth, velvety tannins. This is a superb rendition of the grand vin, in a more accessible style, especially with this powerful vintage that offers more immediate pleasure than its elder counterpart. Its notes of spices and dark fruits, along with its freshness and mature character, are particularly appealing. Rated 93/100 by RVF.
Vinification Hand-harvested from plots in the south-western part of the Pauillac appellation on the "Saint Anne" terroir, with vines averaging 25 years of age and Enclos complants still too young to be included in the Grand Vin du Château blend, de-stemmed and crushed, then fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats for around 3 weeks, malolactic fermentation and aged in French oak barrels, around 20% of which are new.
The entire Château Latour vineyard has been undergoing conversion to organic farming by Ecocert since 2015, with organic certification issued by Ecocert as of the 2018 vintage. At the same time, biodynamic principles are applied to the majority of l'Enclos.
AWARDS
AWARDS Estate rated 4 stars in the Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France 2024 (RVF)
5-star rating in Guide Bettane + Desseauve 2024
Guide RVF 2024: 93/100