1989 Latour

The 1989 Latour shows similarly to the bottle earlier this year. To be honest, there is little difference between the aromatics on this and Les Forts de Latour, perhaps just some morels and yes, a touch of Brettanomyces . The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, the mixture of red and black fruit mixed with plenty of undergrowth. I appreciate the freshness and the piquant finish, although I would not rank this as a top-tier Latour; it could even be considered to be underperforming in the context of the vintage. Tasted from an ex-cellar bottle at the château .

The 1989 Latour conveys the warmth of the growing season with scents of warm gravel and wild herbs infusing the soft, perhaps slightly muffled black fruit. There is a touch of brettanomyces here although it is less conspicuous than the 1990 Latour. The palate has thickset, quite firm tannin that lend this Latour presence and power. What it lacks compared to recent vintages is refinement and detail. That said, it builds nicely towards the soft (for Latour), pencil lead and undergrowth driven finish. Not bad at all, although I suspect a far superior wine would be made under the present regime. Tasted at the International Business & Wine Latour dinner at Ten Trinity.