2016 Pauillac de Latour

Composed of 54.6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38.9% Merlot, and 6.5% Petit Verdot, the 2016 Le Pauillac de Chateau Latour is deep garnet in color. It skips out of the glass with exuberant notions of chocolate-covered cherries, wild blueberries, and sassafras, leading to suggestions of tilled soil, fallen leaves, and charcoal. The medium-bodied palate is refreshing and still tightly wound, offering bright, crunchy black and red fruits with loads of savory sparks and an approachable, grainy texture, finishing with great persistence.

Full bottle 1,230 g. Grapes picked over a long interval of 22 September to 19 October. 54.6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38.9% Merlot, 6.5% Petit Verdot. Dark, lustrous crimson. Very forward, come-hither and also energetic with the great advantage of this first growth's top-quality barrels – and attention to organic detail in the vineyard. That stony ripeness on the nose that characterises a good Pauillac with just a slight animal note. Pretty intense, sumptuous nose. Neat, dry palate that's distinctly lighter-bodied than its grander stablemates – just in case we thought we could get a Latour for a Pauillac price. But hugely appetising. With its sinewy (though not excessive) tannins, this is not a wine to sip without food. But based on my experience enjoying various early vintages of this wine, of which Hugh Johnson used to get a good supply when he was a director of Ch Latour, I wouldn't hesitate to keep it for another 10 years. The finish is really something. It just goes on and on! (JR)