Latour 2008 (1.5L)

98 DE / 96 WA / 96 VM / 96 JD / 96 WE / 95 JS / 18.5 JR

This takes a heartbeat to kick in, and then the weight and impact of this wine slowly kicks in. Those Cabernets have lift and punch, and although it's not ethereal like the Ausone or even the Lafite, it has power, structure, impact and kick, and you know it's going the distance. It has really lovely menthol notes which play around on the finish, preceded by layers of cassis and liquorice. It's more accessible than many Latours at 10 years old - just give it another couple of years to fully get into its stride. - Decanter

Very deep garnet-purple colored, the 2008 Latour has a youthfully subdued nose revealing notes of red plums and mulberries with underlying suggestions of damp earth, iron ore, pencil lead and dried Provencal herbs. The palate is superbly structured with firm, tight-knit grainy tannins and crisp acid supporting the muscular fruit, finishing long and savory. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate

The 2008 Latour has a more bold and concentrated bouquet compared to the Lafite-Rothschild, scents of blackberry, bilberry, iris, cigar humidor and cold wet stone that all surge from the glass. This is beautifully defined. The palate is medium-bodied with firm in tannin, a light marine influence infusing the black fruit, a little spice towards the finish with superb persistency. It is an authorative Latour as usual, one now beginning to enter its stride although naturally it will last for two or three decades with ease. (Tasted at BI Wine & Spirit’s annual 10-Year On tasting.) - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

The brilliant 2008 Château Latour has the classic stature and regal style of the estate front and center. A blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc, it’s still purple-colored and brilliantly concentrated, offering medium to full-bodied aromas and flavors of blackcurrants, tobacco, lead pencil, and graphite. Dense, perfectly balanced, with ripe tannins, it’s a few years away from prime time (although it certainly offers pleasure) but will drink well for another 2-3 decades. - Jeb Dunnuck

Expressive fruit aromas and wood perfumes announce this wine. With 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, this is a complex wine marked by purity of black fruits, berries, toast and tannins. It has power, richness and a lovely edge of spice to go with the acidity. The wine is firmly structured, while bursting with fruit and freshness. - Wine Enthusiast

Gorgeous aromas. Sandalwood and flowers, so perfumed and beautiful. Spices and currants with cassis too. Amazing nose. Such beauty and density with an iron and pure fruit character. Solid and racy. Best after 2015. - James Suckling

Great stuff and gorgeous and so Cabernet and glamorous. Polished. Medicinal. Classic. - Jancis Robinson