Really starting to show that class and breeding now: as we move further back in time, the Latour character comes to the fore with grilled, peppery meat, gravel, a touch of toasted nuts and that opulent blackcurrant style. It’s hard to describe a wine that combines the intensity of a massively reduced, cooked-down meat broth, the featherlight touch of a perfect blackcurrant sorbet and a finish that ebbs and flows through strawberry and cigar smoke for over 40 seconds – well, I suppose that does it.

A spectacular Latour, the 1996 may be the modern day clone of the 1966, only riper. This vintage, which is so variable in Pomerol, St.-Emilion, and Graves, was fabulous for the late-harvested Cabernet Sauvignon of the northern Medoc because of splendid weather in late September and early October. An opaque purple color is followed by phenomenally sweet, pure aromas of cassis infused with subtle minerals. This massive offering possesses unreal levels of extract, full body, intensely ripe, but abundant tannin, and a finish that lasts for nearly a minute. Classic and dense, it displays the potential for 50-75 years of longevity. Although still an infant, it would be educational to taste a bottle.

Anticipated maturity: 2015-2050.

Robert M. Parker, Jr., The Wine Advocate (June 2000)

A hot, dry August produced very concentrated grapes in 1996. However, it turned a bit rainy in mid-September through early October, making the vintage less consistent on the Right Bank and in Graves. But as the weather turned glorious from early October on, it was an amazing year for later-harvested Cabernet in the Médoc. There was new ownership at Latour by this time, and a new vat room was completed just prior to the harvest this year. The 1996 Latour is medium to deep garnet in color with a profound earthy, meaty, gamey nose with hints of blueberry preserves, crème de cassis and pencil shavings. The palate is full-bodied, concentrated and packed with muscular fruit, with a firm, ripe, grainy backbone and epically long finish. Showing much more youthfully than the 2000 tasted on the same day and still possessing bags of youthful fruit in the mid-palate, this beauty is going to go on and on!

Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate (February 2019)

Power with elegance is the name of the game here. Concentrated, full-bodied, rich, intense, long and fulfilling. This gorgeous wine starts off strong and keeps on going. The finish is packed with multiple layers of spicy, lively, refined, stately blackberries and cassis that build, linger and expand.

Drink from 2025-2055.

Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider (July 2025)

Inky black even at 25 years old. A hugely impressive wine, with plenty of chewy tannins still in play, ripples of cassis, bilberry and blackberry fruits, set against olive paste, charcoal and eucalyptus. Things have softened around the edges no question, this is still full of life with decades ahead of it, but this is a great moment to start enjoying its promise. Textbook Latour in many ways, for its austerity and power, and its serious character that is underlaid by concentrated pleasure showcasing 'the gift of sub-gravel clays'. 56% of overall production in the first wine. 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Last released in 2014 as an ex-château wine.

Drinking Window: 2023 - 2040

Jane Anson, Decanter (January 2021)

The 1996 Latour is a wine that I often find overrated and did not achieve everything that might have been possible in this favourable growing season. That said, this might well be the best of around two dozen bottles I have encountered over the years. As usual, the 1996 is decidedly austere at first, standoffish, looks down its nose at you. Yet it coalesces with time and develops engaging cedar-scented black fruit tinged with pencil box and a touch of iris with time. The palate (again) is a little muted at first but it soon found its voice and evolved very fine tannin allied with a crisp line of acidity. It is not quite as demonstrative as it was even just a couple of years ago, gained some detail and perhaps it will continue to meliorate. Very fine, very fine indeed - but not a patch of say, the Château Margaux or perhaps even Léoville Las Cases. Tasted at the International Business & Wine Latour dinner at Ten Trinity.

Drinking Window 2018 - 2040

Neal Martin, Vinous (February 2018)

Dark, brick-rimmed red, not the saturation of 1996 Lafite; crisp, closed, finely gravel-backed Cabernet Sauvigon to smell, persistent and aromatic; very elegantly balanced concentrated middleweight with a fine textured, dry tannin; crisp, ripe, refined and beautifully acute, still dry in texture but with a lovely, finely gravel infused Cabernet flavour; very long and very subtle across the palate, all elegance and understatement, but with no lack of power there either, richer and firmer, and almost bigger in taste than the Margaux, but every bit as long and complex; even more gravelly. More scent and scope here than in the 1996 Lafite, but every bit as long; wonderful definition, energy, character, and then great length too. A most splendid Latour, without needing to be super-concentrated or super-tannic or super-extracted. Here is purity, definition, scent, length, inner energy and individuality, without anything sticking out or getting in the way! So harmonious as to be a great pleasure now, but best leave till its 18th birthday at least. Drink 2014-40