Wine Spectator:  Rated as Classic - a great wine.  "This is one of my favorite wines ever. Full-bodied, with layers of silky fruit and masses of currant, mineral and berry character. Amazing. It's a wine with perfect structure, perfect strength. It's 1961 Latour in modern clothes. Best after 2008."  James Suckling, Feb, 2005

Stephen Tanzer:  Rated as Extraordinary.   "Medium-deep red. Great vibrant nose of redcurrant, licorice, minerals and tobacco, along with a minty austerity. Thick and large-scaled, like an essence of Pauillac. Really explodes in the middle palate. Incredible unfolding peacock tail of a finish. A monumental, powerfully structured wine with great long-term aging potential. Drink 2008 through 2040."   Jul 2002

Winery:  "The 1990 is an exceptional year.  A monumental Latour, still young and closed today (May 2000), dark color, with layers of complex aromas of roasted fruits, liquorice, chocolate, caramel, dark cherry...The mouth has an incredible volume, full and fat, almost perfectly balanced with an endless finish.  The moment for optimal drinking is from 2005 and till 2030 and more.

A particularly warm winter brought along a very early start of growth, observed at Latour on 1 March for the Merlot. A variable spring with cold periods at the end of March somewhat slowed this advance. May was hot and sunny and the mid-flowering, noted on 25 May (about two weeks earlier than normal). It was however very spread out. The beginning of July saw a rigorous eclaircissage (thinning) allowed the vineyard to resist very well and the ripening accelerated in the first days of September. The 1990 harvest at Latour was a very long one, from 10 September to 2 October, because of the difference in ripeness between the plots. The summer heat was intense and the terrible drought blocked the progress toward maturation. But the power of the underground clay layers in the Enclos.  Rain on 22-23 September helped the Cabernet Sauvignon to achieve full maturity."

Wired For Wine:  An old Medocain proverb states "only the vines that overlook the water are capable of producing wines of great quality."  Château Latour's old vines are 300 meters from the Gironde River,  fulfilling the destiny predicted by the proverb, and making this Latour Premier Grand Cru Classé Pauillac the uniquely timeless and classic treasure it is.  A wine of this caliber doesn't come around often. 

Roast lamb, meat and game will pair famously with the flawless structure and strength, and the never-ending finish of this stupendous Pauillac.  Our choice would be the best cut of tenderloin we could find, for a memorable Chateaubriand, served with a cepes mushroom dish.  Roast venison or pheasant would hold a close second, the venison with a decadent velours sauce. As you savor the last few drops of your final glass, we recommend an aged cheddar.  The aging process guarantees a low moisture level which allows lovely flavor concentration and a creaminess which balances everything beautifully. Decant for 2 hours while you prepare to have your breath taken away winelovers...

Size:  750ml
Varietal:  75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc
Alcohol:  12.5%
Ageing:  18 months new barrels
Current fill level:  Excellent
Region:  Grand Enclos, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France
Note:  Following wine-trade traditions, bottles older than 10 years are purchased "as is" at buyer's risk as indicated in our Return Policy.