The 1995 Latour-à-Pomerol initially seems mundane on the nose. However, it unfurls to reveal lovely tobacco and cedar notes that evoke more Pessac-Léognan rather than Pomerol. The palate is very well balanced and structured for a 1995, clearly demonstrating more substance than the 1996. There are fleeting touches of iodine toward the finish that once again make you think of Pessac-Léognan. Overall, this is an excellent Pomerol that should continue to improve in bottle. Tasted at the Latour à Pomerol dinner at Taillevent in London.

Deep red-ruby color. Aromas of raspberry, cassis, cigar tobacco, maple syrup, tar, pepper and smoky oak. Juicy and youthful in the mouth, with moderate flesh but insinuating, sweet flavor. Finishes with slightly dusty tannins and intriguing Indian spices. A serious, rather backward wine that requires at least five or six years of bottle aging.

The 1995 Latour a Pomerol should develop into an outstanding wine, but it was revealing considerable grip and structure following bottling. It possesses a dark ruby/purple color, as well as a distinctive nose of smoked herbs, black fruits, iron, mulberries, and spice. The wine is generous, ripe, and mouthfilling, with medium to full body, and excellent richness and purity, but the wine's tannic clout and slight bitterness kept it from receiving an outstanding score. Several years in the bottle could result in an excellent, perhaps outstanding Latour a Pomerol. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2020.

Vigorous, light and lively. Punchy fruit. Unashamedly fruitburst. Brought to heel by a dry finish with sufficient acidity. (JR)