New Release: Château Latour 2016
Bordeaux Index
17 March 2025
Sales Director, David Thomas, reflects on Bordeaux 2016 En Primeur, as well as the upcoming release of Château Latour 2016
I can very clearly remember returning from the Bordeaux 2016 en primeur tasting week with the very serious feeling that we had just experienced something very special indeed – having had a few almost ‘religious experience’ moments while tasting the wines at some of the Chateau during the week – VCC, Figeac, Mouton, Lafleur & Latour all produced wines that sit in the absolute vinous perfection category of wines – 2016 is the greatest vintage in Bordeaux in the last 30+ years – I statement I stand by to this day and although we have had some fantastic vintages since the 2016, nothing matches the consistency, purity, approachability and sheer brilliance of this vintage and the vinous highs of 2016’s are unlike any other vintage I have had the privilege to taste.
‘But the 2016 Latour, Mouton-Rothschild, Cos d’Estournel, Figeac and Vieux-Château-Certan form a quintet that I cannot imagine being improved in any way, shape or form, which is why they deserve perfect scores.’ Neal Martin
March the 17th 2025 is a very significant day in the vinous calendar of this year – Chateau Latour 2016 release day..
Given that this is the first time the 100 point Latour 2016 will be offered out from the Chateau it is very possible that global demand will be extremely high, even in the current market, and securing stocks might not be that easy – therefore I would highly recommend placing a pre-order on this wine prior to the release date allowing us to hunt the stocks in the market on the day.
Vintage Comparison
Chateau Latour 2009 – 99 points NM - £8400ib/12
Chateau Latour 2010 – 98+ points NM - £9600ib/12
Chateau Latour 2016 – 100 points NM - £6200-6600ib/12 (predicted price range)
Chateau Latour 2016
100pts Neal Martin Vinous.com “The 2016 Latour is a vintage that I have tasted a couple of times post-bottling. On one occasion, it warranted a perfect score, but that was then moot since this vintage had not been released. Now that it is due to hit the shelves this coming March, does the wine still merit that three-digit accolade? Without question, yes. Deep lucid deep purple in color, it seems to shimmer in the glass. The bouquet plays with you, a bit of a femme fatale, distant for the first few minutes during which I chatted with the superstar of this First Growth, winemaker Hélène Genin. Then, it magically coalesces and gains incredible intensity with blackberry, pencil lead, background hints of oyster shell and notes of Japanese wakame. The aromatics announce exactly which château you are doing business with. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannins, again, as I found before, blessed with beguiling symmetry and ineffable poise. Residing firmly on the black side of the fruit spectrum, there is underlying mineralité. Veins of cassis run through the persistent finish. This is everything you could really wish for in a Latour. The 2016 can be uttered in the same breath as the 1900, 1924, 1959, 1961, 1982 and 2010. Magnificent.”
100pts Antonio Galloni Vinous.com “The 2016 Latour is magnificent. Regal and nuanced, with tons of energy, the 2016 is immediately captivating. The bouquet announces an important wine, a feeling that builds through the wine's mid-palate. There's a real feeling of exuberance in 2016, and yet the wine remains quite classic in its structural composition. Beams of supporting tannin extend the effortless, beautifully persistent finish. Unforgettable.”
100pts Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux “Impressively precise and muscular, no question that this needs longer in the bottle before really being ready to drink, but everything is in place for decades of pleasure. Smart timing of this release, a vintage that underlines without question just why Latour is so revered, and why there is a clear logic to holding it back at the estate for almost a decade, allowing the first part of its ageing cycle to take place under fully controlled conditions. Very much a classic Pauillac, with confidence and character, waves of mint leaf, coffee bean, cola, crushed rocks, crayon and liqourice root, opening up to show fragrant nuances of rose petals and peony. 100% new oak for ageing. Hélène Genin technical director, Eric Boissenot consultant, and at this point Latour was farming entirely organically and biodynamically, with organic certification coming in 2018.”
100pts Georgina Hindle Decanter.com “A monumental wine from Latour. This isn't yet ready to drink but offers an impactful and promising palate full of muscle, tension and length. A complex nose filled with pencil lead, crayon, cola, mint, dried herbs, violets, and tobacco, layered with cocoa powder and espresso nuances. On the palate, it is both generous and controlled, suave and slick, with an effortless texture that fills the mouth with bright red fruits and cool, stony elements. The wine expands beautifully, with a powdery, fleshy grip leading to a long, mineral-driven finish marked by wet stones, graphite, and cola. Still compact and somewhat caged, the tannins remain firm and structured, almost austere in their tension. It carries a sense of power and poise, but still with supreme charm. 3.7pH.”
100pts James Sucking jamessuckling.com “I am dreaming as I smell this wine, perfectly ripe cabernet sauvignon with currants, tobacco and fresh mint. Orange blossoms too. This amazing nose is so complex. Medium- to full-bodied, this has has perfectly integrated tannins that you don't feel but know are there, elevating the wine to another level. It's very drinkable because of its stellar balance, yet the tannic tension gives it energy and seamless texture. A benchmark Latour that reminds me of the 1982 in many ways.”