Of the three 1961 wines tasted over an incredible lunch in Hong Kong, Latour remains the youngest and most identifiably Pauillac in character, despite being in a half bottle. Gorgeous deep plum colour, subdued on the first nose as the fruits remain concentrated and intense, if you can believe it, and need a good few moments to begin to uncurl. Expect waves of cocoa bean, black truffle and grilled earth, with turmeric spice and cigar box, reflecting the tiny yield and concentration that was evident, so we are told, from the first years of its life. Not as joyful perhaps as the Mouton, but seriously impressive, just an absolute lesson in how great Bordeaux can age and why we fall in love with it. 20th century Bordeaux legends Edmund Penning-Rowsell and Michael Broadbent both believed Latour 1961 to be the wine of the vintage (in 2000 Broadbent believed it still had half a century of life ahead of it, and he might just be right). A fascinating history also, as this was last year when Latour was entirely owned by descendants of the famous 18th century 'prince of vines' Nicolas-Alexandre de Segur before selling up to Lord Cowdray the following year. Am now obsessed with trying it out of bottle again rather than half bottle to recapture that extra point that I have awarded with every other tasting of this legendary wine...

Full red, with a hint of amber; I've had bottles of this that are still ruby. Ineffable aromas of game, smoky oak, herbs and vanilla, with a distinctly wild quality. Extremely powerful and structured, with bracing acidity giving it great grip and buns of steel. Still very tight and young, but less thick than the last bottle I tasted of this wine, which I scored 100 points. Finishes very long and firm. This is one of the Bordeaux monuments of the century, along with wines like the '61 and '47 Latour a Pomerol and the '47 and '21 Cheval Blanc. Drink now to 2030.

It’s hard not to be intimidated by a wine of this reputation but the Latour ’61 welcomed us into the glass with open arms - a year older and yet considerably more generous than the ’62, this was a wine of sensational Latour character. Again, those hallmark gravel and crushed oyster notes were complimented by a remarkably intense, red and black fruit palate with a sensational richness and yet lightness of touch. What can I say? If you can find it, buy it.

Port-like, with an unctuous texture, and a dark garnet color with considerable amber at the edge, the 1961 Latour possesses a viscosity and thickness. One of the three bottles served at the Chateau's tasting revealed a surprisingly aggressive, minty, herbaceous nose, but the other two bottles were liquid perfection, exhibiting fragrant, cedary, truffle, leather, mineral, and sweet, jammy aromatics, full-bodied, voluptuous textures, exquisite purity and concentration, and a layered, highly-nuanced finish that represents the essence of compellingly great wine. The 1961 has been fully mature for over 15 years, but it seems to get richer, holding onto its succulence and fat, and developing more aromatic nuances without losing any sweetness or concentration. An extraordinary wine, it is unquestionably one of the Bordeaux legends of the century! Anticipated maturity: now-2025