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1966 Château Latour Grand Vin Pauillac Bordeaux France Wine Tasting Note

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1966
Château Latour Grand Vin  (Pauillac)
95
Masculine, chewy, rustic, dense, and charming, the wine is packed with spicy, cassis, earth, leafy herbs, and crispness to the fruits on the palate in the finish. Full-developed, it is perfect for a Latour of its era. Drink from 2023-2030.

Masculine, chewy, rustic, dense, and charming, the wine is packed with spicy, cassis, earth, leafy herbs, and crispness to the fruits on the palate in the finish. Full-developed, it is perfect for a Latour of its era. Drink from 2023-2030.

2,813 Views   Tasted
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Lots of power here. The tobacco, herbs, spice, crushed rock, leaf, red currant, cigar box and cedar notes are strong here. The wine is full-bodied, concentrated and still shows a lot of intensity. There is a wealth of ripe, tobacco infused, spicy, cedary fruit on the palate, but the tannins are a bit gruff, giving the wine a rustic, old-school, long, classic finish.

Lots of power here. The tobacco, herbs, spice, crushed rock, leaf, red currant, cigar box and cedar notes are strong here. The wine is full-bodied, concentrated and still shows a lot of intensity. There is a wealth of ripe, tobacco infused, spicy, cedary fruit on the palate, but the tannins are a bit gruff, giving the wine a rustic, old-school, long, classic finish.

4,329 Views   Tasted
Much better than the previous bottle from last year. Full bodied, concentrated, a bit rustic with loads of cassis, hints of cranberry, tobacco and cedar. Someplace between brawny, chewy and refined, this is at peak, showing what great classic Pauillac is all about.

Much better than the previous bottle from last year. Full bodied, concentrated, a bit rustic with loads of cassis, hints of cranberry, tobacco and cedar. Someplace between brawny, chewy and refined, this is at peak, showing what great classic Pauillac is all about.

3,889 Views   Tasted
Not the best bottle of this I have ever had. Still, the tobacco, earth, herb, cassis, and cigar box notes were divine. It was the pyrazine notes that intruded. With this bottle, on the palate, the wine showed a distinctive green pepper note that some folks, longing for the days of unclean, peppery notes in the Bordeaux are going to love. The brawny finish was long, with more peppery notes.

Not the best bottle of this I have ever had. Still, the tobacco, earth, herb, cassis, and cigar box notes were divine. It was the pyrazine notes that intruded. With this bottle, on the palate, the wine showed a distinctive green pepper note that some folks, longing for the days of unclean, peppery notes in the Bordeaux are going to love. The brawny finish was long, with more peppery notes.

4,551 Views   Tasted
Classic in style, but in a good way, the wine combines rustic masculinity with cedar, tobacco, cassis, cigar wrapper, smoke and spice. Full bodied, long and with intensity, this bottle was very good, but perhaps not as good as other examples I've been fortunate to taste.

Classic in style, but in a good way, the wine combines rustic masculinity with cedar, tobacco, cassis, cigar wrapper, smoke and spice. Full bodied, long and with intensity, this bottle was very good, but perhaps not as good as other examples I've been fortunate to taste.

3,909 Views   Tasted
Full bodied, powerful, concentrated, regal, in an old school classic manner, with a blast of cassis, tobacco, cedar chest, forest floor and blackberry. Mascuiline, with complexities and vibrancy, this bottle seemed immortal and might have deserved an extra point. Clearly, this is mature, but well-stored bottles should be great for another few decades or longer.

Full bodied, powerful, concentrated, regal, in an old school classic manner, with a blast of cassis, tobacco, cedar chest, forest floor and blackberry. Mascuiline, with complexities and vibrancy, this bottle seemed immortal and might have deserved an extra point. Clearly, this is mature, but well-stored bottles should be great for another few decades or longer.

4,170 Views   Tasted
There is a reason why people covet, cellar and pay for great, mature Bordeaux. If you want to know why this has been going on for centuries, 1966 Latour could be the wine to explain it. The incredible nose, with its tobacco, cigar box, cedar chest, pipe tobacco and dark cherry perfume really lights you up. The wine is deep, full bodied, concentrated, long and complex, with a fresh, spicy cassis driven that is hard to forget. This is the perfect combination of regal and masculine in a mature Bordeaux.

There is a reason why people covet, cellar and pay for great, mature Bordeaux. If you want to know why this has been going on for centuries, 1966 Latour could be the wine to explain it. The incredible nose, with its tobacco, cigar box, cedar chest, pipe tobacco and dark cherry perfume really lights you up. The wine is deep, full bodied, concentrated, long and complex, with a fresh, spicy cassis driven that is hard to forget. This is the perfect combination of regal and masculine in a mature Bordeaux.

5,474 Views   Tasted
This is all about the cassis, leather, cigar box, cedar wood and smokey, truffle scented nose. Powerful, regal, but not exactly refined, the wine has character, style and class. Fully mature, perfectly stored bottles can last for at least another 10, 15 or 20 years, but I doubt they will get better.

This is all about the cassis, leather, cigar box, cedar wood and smokey, truffle scented nose. Powerful, regal, but not exactly refined, the wine has character, style and class. Fully mature, perfectly stored bottles can last for at least another 10, 15 or 20 years, but I doubt they will get better.

6,305 Views   Tasted
Still young as it approaches its 50th birthday, the perfume is loaded with truffles, Cuban cigar, cassis, cedar chest, walnuts, spice, damp forest floor and tobacco. Concentrated with fruit and still tannin, the wine fills your mouth with a long, powerful, spicy, cassis filled finish.

Still young as it approaches its 50th birthday, the perfume is loaded with truffles, Cuban cigar, cassis, cedar chest, walnuts, spice, damp forest floor and tobacco. Concentrated with fruit and still tannin, the wine fills your mouth with a long, powerful, spicy, cassis filled finish.

7,163 Views   Tasted
Deeply colored, massive and concentrated, this was loaded with ripe cassis, black fruits, tar, smoke and cedar. This wine perfectly marries power with grace in an old school style.

Deeply colored, massive and concentrated, this was loaded with ripe cassis, black fruits, tar, smoke and cedar. This wine perfectly marries power with grace in an old school style.

7,778 Views   Tasted
66 Latour offers cedar, truffle, cassis, walnuts, forest floor and tobacco notes. This powerful, structured wine is a little on the rustic side with slightly rough tannins. The wine ends in a long cassis filled finish that is slightly marred by some tart sensations. I've had better examples of this wine. But you know what they say about bottles with more than two decades of life... There's no such thing as a great wine, only great bottles.

66 Latour offers cedar, truffle, cassis, walnuts, forest floor and tobacco notes. This powerful, structured wine is a little on the rustic side with slightly rough tannins. The wine ends in a long cassis filled finish that is slightly marred by some tart sensations. I've had better examples of this wine. But you know what they say about bottles with more than two decades of life... There's no such thing as a great wine, only great bottles.

11,049 Views   Tasted
A bit austere in style. Almost a bruiser for Latour. Cassis, lead pencil and earthy tones on the nose. Very full bodied. The finish was a bit clipped. I liked the finish as it still showed fruit, but, its shortness bothered all of us.

A bit austere in style. Almost a bruiser for Latour. Cassis, lead pencil and earthy tones on the nose. Very full bodied. The finish was a bit clipped. I liked the finish as it still showed fruit, but, its shortness bothered all of us.

8,153 Views   Tasted
The wine sports a deep, ruby color with a nose screaming old Bordeaux! Wet forest smells with exotic spice, leather, black fruit, tobacco, truffle and cassis fill the air. And that’s without swirling! This dense, full-bodied, old school styled wine is still not fully mature.

The wine sports a deep, ruby color with a nose screaming old Bordeaux! Wet forest smells with exotic spice, leather, black fruit, tobacco, truffle and cassis fill the air. And that’s without swirling! This dense, full-bodied, old school styled wine is still not fully mature.

4,898 Views   Tasted

When to Drink Chateau Latour, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Chateau Latour is not a wine to drink on the young side. The wine is usually far too tannic, powerful and reserved during its youth. Young vintages can be decanted for an average of 3-6 hours, give or take. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.

Chateau Latour is usually better with at least 15 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character. Chateau Latour offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 18 and 60 years of age after the vintage.

Serving Chateau Latour with Wine and Food Pairings

Chateau Latour is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.

Chateau Latour is best paired with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised and grilled dishes. Chateau Latour is also good when matched with Asian dishes, rich fish courses like tuna, mushrooms and pasta.

In 2011, Chateau Latour added to their holdings in Pauillac when they purchased the 4-hectare vineyard of Chateau La Becasse from the Fonteneau family. The vines are used for the production of Forts de Latour.

Chateau Latour became one of the first major Bordeaux chateaus to embrace anti-counterfeiting measures with the use of the Prooftag system which is in place on the label, bottle and capsule of all future and current releases.

In 2015, Chateau Latour completed renovations which included new offices, tasting rooms and cellars. In fact, Chateau Latour became the first estate in the Medoc to maintain a cellar solely devoted to keeping magnums and other large-format bottling's dating back to 1900. The new cellars were a necessity as they allowed Latour to retain vast stocks of wines, for later releases.

The Pinault family also own other wineries through their holding company the Artemis Group. In Burgundy, they own Domaine d’Eugenie, previously known as Domaine Rene Engel. The vines are located in the Vosne Romanee appellation in the Cote de Nuits. Late 2017, marked another addition to their holdings in Burgundy when they purchased Clos de Tart for a record-setting price of more than 30 Million Euros per hectare!

In the Northern Rhone Valley, they own Chateau Grillet, which prior to their recent sale had been owned by the same family since 1830!

In July 2013, the family added to their list of vineyards with the purchase of Araujo Estate wines, in the Napa Valley. Araujo has since been renamed Eisele Vineyards. The following year, in 2014, The Artemis Group made their first purchase in the Right Bank, when they invested in Chateau Vray Croix de Gay, Pomerol, Chateau Siaurac, which is located in the Lalande de Pomerol appellation and Chateau Le Prieure in St. Emilion. They sold all their Right Bank vineyards, September 2020 to Suravenir Insurance, the owner of Chateau Calon Segur.

www.chateau-latour.com