Château Latour - Pauillac 2001

Wine Advocate

95 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe6/30/2004

A brilliant offering, which should be drinkable much earlier than the blockbuster 2000, the 2001 Latour boasts an inky/ruby/purple color to the rim as well as a glorious bouquet of black currants, crushed stones, vanilla, and hints of truffles and oak. A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance primarily Merlot with a touch of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it reveals a sweetness on the palate that is atypical for such a young Latour. The beautiful integration of tannin, acidity, and wood is stunning. The wine flows across the palate with fabulous texture, purity, and presence. This luscious, full-bodied Latour was surprisingly open-knit on the three occasions I tasted it from bottle. However, do not mistake its aging ability as this 2001, despite its precociousness, will last 20-25 years. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2025.

Wine Spectator

95 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe3/31/2004

Extremely attractive aromas of blackberries and currants with just a hint of mineral and oak. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long, long finish. As it was from barrel; powerful and fast. Serious stuff. Best after 2010.

Wine Advocate

90-93 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/30/2003

Only 53% of the production made it into the 2001 Latour, which is nearly 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, the balance primarily Merlot with a touch of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. The wine is elegant and somewhat in the racy, noble 1999 style, but with seemingly more density as well as tannin. The first wine made in Latour's new state-of-the-art wine cellar, it exhibits sweet black fruit intermixed with minerals, an attractive, relatively evolved perfume for this blue blood Pauillac, and tremendous purity, texture, and depth. It is not a blockbuster by any means, so anyone expecting a wine the size of Latour's 2000 or 1996 will be disappointed. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2022.

Wine Advocate

92-94 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/30/2002

The saturated ruby/purple-colored 2001 Latour boasts sweet black currant fruit aromas, plenty of extract, density, and volume, and a tangy, vibrant fruit character. It does not possess the size of the 1996 or 2000, but it may turn out more aromatic and evolved than those two vintages. This is one of the finest efforts of the vintage. It is the first wine made in Latour's new state-of-the-art cellar. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2025. Latour's harvest occurred between October 1-10. Administrator Frederic Engerer sees similarities in the quality of the Cabernet Sauvignon fruit with that harvested in 1996. The grand vin's final blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, and 1% Cabernet Franc constitutes 53% of the total production.