Château Latour Winery

• October 2009

  I'll take a layman's / "non-expert" / blogger's crack at answering the original ... or is not better than a 1996 Chateau Latour - the average person (including me) will never get there - so that information is meaningless to me. What is more valuable to me is getting a note from a... Read moreI'll take a layman's / "non-expert" / blogger's crack at answering the original ... or is not better than a 1996 Chateau Latour - the average person (including me) will never get there - so that information is meaningless to me. What is more valuable to me is getting a note from a fellow Snoother saying - "Hey T, I was reading some of your blogs, and read the types of wine you like - if you havent tried "Woop Woop Shiraz" yet, give it a go. I think you might like it". That's what makes a site like this fun and interesting for me.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic What makes a good wine blog? by TL NJ

  
  
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  October 2009

  Chateau Latour Martillac 1999

  Snoothrank: Starting at $38^.99

  I was anticipating some signs of age however the body on this wine was violet trailing ever so slightly to its edges. So much for thinking this one was on the decline! The nose was presenting hints of barnyard and caramel with plums / prunes being the primary fruit aromas. It also... Read moreI was anticipating some signs of age however the body on this wine was violet trailing ever so slightly to its edges. So much for thinking this one was on the decline! The nose was presenting hints of barnyard and caramel with plums / prunes being the primary fruit aromas. It also had characteristics of torched earth and tar. We tested a little bit and decided to decant to allow it to open further. On the palate, the wine was out of this world, showing off complex layers of elegant, dark red fruit flavors with smooth dark tannins on a epically long finish. Overall, the entire experience was very old world in its style with the nuances and intricacies being the highlights rather than over extracted fruit. The wine evolved considerably over the one or so hours it was decanted, and after about 30 minutes, the tannins had softened considerably which added to the experience. 91 Points    (hide)

  Wine review by abryksa

  
  

• October 2009

  I can answer that. NO Mouton in particular - NO. It's has not performed consistantly enough to warrant it's lofty price. I used to buy some first growths. Keep in mind that when the 2000's were soaring on the futures market the 1999's were being discounted on retailers shelves. I... Read moreI can answer that. NO Mouton in particular - NO. It's has not performed consistantly enough to warrant it's lofty price. I used to buy some first growths. Keep in mind that when the 2000's were soaring on the futures market the 1999's were being discounted on retailers shelves. I picked up several bottle of Lafite, Latour and Margaux for under $100 each. I know many people who will say that was foolish since those wines don't represent the heights to which those wines can reach and therefore are too pedestrian to warrant even the $100 tariff. Whatever. They still reflect the style of the Chateau. I think there are so many wines that offer better value. for me, that I don't even think about buying first growths anymore. In fact I really don't even buy Bordeaux anymore since i drink very little of it and when I do drink it I want something mature, looking forward to a few 1983's i just pulled from the cellar.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Best wine ever? by Gregory Dal Piaz

  
  
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  October 2009

  Chateau Latour-Martillac Pessac-Leognan Blanc 2002

  Snoothrank:

  A delightful and surprising wine, with subtle and distinctive flavours that last long after the first taste

  Wine review by da5idk

  
  
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  August 2009

  Chateau Latour Pauillac 1995

  Snoothrank:

  I have tasted this wine after one hour of decanting. Dark Ruby colour. Shy on ... I am convince this Chateau Latour will have much more to say in the next 5 years. (tasted in August 2008) QC http://www.questionofwine.blogspot.co Read moreI have tasted this wine after one hour of decanting. Dark Ruby colour. Shy on ... I am convince this Chateau Latour will have much more to say in the next 5 years. (tasted in August 2008) QC http://www.questionofwine.blogspot.co    (hide)

  Wine review by Quentin4

  
  

• August 2009

  An interesting read regarding the oft-underestimated Virginia vino and some good stuff from Cali- against the French. Of course: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/08/18/ST2009081802401.html Glass Acts In Our Wine Tasting, Virginia Shows It Can Compete With... Read moreAn interesting read regarding the oft-underestimated Virginia vino and some good stuff from Cali- against the French. Of course: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/08/18/ST2009081802401.html Glass Acts In Our Wine Tasting, Virginia Shows It Can Compete With France and Napa Valley By Dave McIntyre Special to The Washington Post Wednesday, August 19, 2009 The "Judgment of Paris" transformed the world of wine, marking California on the map in big, bold letters that could not be ignored. That May 1976 tasting galvanized an upstart American wine industry that had struggled in the decades since Prohibition and helped overcome a consumer perception here and abroad that American wines were inferior to their French counterparts. The Paris tasting was immortalized in the 2005 book "Judgment of Paris" by George M. Taber and the 2008 movie "Bottle Shock." It has provided a model for countless wine tastings and parties in the decades since, setting the standard that wines should be evaluated based solely on what's in the glass, not on the label. Where California was in the 1970s -- underappreciated for its quality -- Virginia is today. So when we decided to hold our own Judgment of Washington, it wasn't just to see whether the United States would best France today. It was to see whether local wines might surprise the judges now as much as Napa Valley bottles did more than three decades ago. We invited six area wine professionals -- three retailers, three sommeliers -- to blind-taste a dozen chardonnays and a dozen red Bordeaux-style wines, telling them only that we were pitting the United States vs. France in a sort of oenological grudge match. Then we slipped in five Virginia wines and one from Maryland without telling anyone. Could the locals hold their own against the more established competition from Napa Valley, Bordeaux and Burgundy? Could they overcome a market perception that they are expensive novelties that don't offer value to match their price? Or would they fall flat as overreaching pretenders? When the scores were totaled and the wines unveiled, a California wine narrowly edged out a French rival for the top spot in each category. But Virginia was nipping at their heels. "Wow, you're really swinging for the fences right away with this one," John Wabeck said as he sniffed the first red wine. Wabeck, a former chef who is now sommelier at Inox restaurant in Tysons Corner and a third-level master sommelier candidate, scribbled "classic Bordeaux structure . . . merlot-based? . . . cocoa powder" and scored it 90 points out of 100. Elli Benchimol, beverage director for the Stir Food Group, which includes Zola and Potenza restaurants and their affiliated wine stores, also noted cocoa powder and scored the wine 90, lauding its "beautiful structure." Brian Cook, sommelier at Sonoma and Blue Ridge in the District and Redwood in Bethesda, praised its "cured meat, savory cassis, mint, mocha" flavors and its "dusty tannins," awarding the wine 92 points. The wine was Barboursville Vineyards' 2006 Octagon, a merlot-based blend of Bordeaux grape varieties that retails for about $40. Four of the six judges mistook it for a Bordeaux. Ultimately, the Octagon trailed the Newton Vineyards 2005 Unfiltered Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, a $60 monster that wowed the judges with its unmistakably jammy fruit, velvety texture and spicy complexity. Second place went to Chateau Larrivet-Haut Brion 2005, from the Pessac-Leognan region of Bordeaux, every bit as French as the Newton was American. Like the Octagon, it retails for about $40. Napa Valley scored points for value, with cabernet sauvignon from Sterling Vineyards ($25) and Beaulieu Vineyard's Rutherford bottling ($20) impressing the judges. But Virginia came in big again, in a fifth-place tie between the Michael Shaps 2007 Cabernet Franc ($35) and the Gordon Brothers 2003 Tradition from Washington state ($45). California also scored for value with the white wines. Our top finisher -- by a hair -- was the Chappellet 2007 Napa Valley Chardonnay, a $32 charmer that fooled the judges into thinking it was French. Only Vanessa Moore, owner of Unwined retail store in Alexandria, identified it as a Napa wine. (Wine Spectator magazine loved it, too, rating it 91 points, about what our judges gave it.) The Chappellet was in a virtual dead heat with the $50 Louis Latour Chateau de Blagny 2006 Meursault-Blagny Premier Cru. Our judges were unanimous that this was French. Two of them, Dominque Landragin, co-owner of the Cork & Fork stores in Gainesville and Bethesda, and Christian Bonny, wine buyer at Circle Wine & Liquor in Northwest Washington, even guessed the correct appellation. Bonny was so excited about this wine that he got tangled in similes, saying that "it keeps coming around, like a snowball rolling downhill," and after the next sip, "like a ferris wheel of stone fruit and cream." Right behind the first two, though, came two Virginia chardonnays: Linden Vineyards 2006 Hardscrabble, which retails for about $26, and the Michael Shaps 2007 ($35). Fewer than 1.25 points separated the first four chardonnays, two of them from Virginia. The judges were unanimous in thinking the Shaps was from Burgundy. "Montrachet!" Landragin wrote, while Benchimol, Moore and Wabeck suspected Puligny-Montrachet. The Linden was mistaken for French by three of the judges, while the others suspected the West Coast. What conclusions can we draw from our exercise? That U.S. wines are the equal of the French is no longer the surprise it was in 1976. Yet it is worth noting that when our judges were asked where they thought a wine was from, they tended to believe the wines they liked most were French. France still holds pride of place in our minds as the benchmark for fine wine. But we cannot ignore that wines produced within a two-hour drive of Washington stood toe-to-toe with highly touted competitors from California and France. This result is a snapshot of what six judges thought about two dozen wines one July afternoon, yet it should send a signal to retailers, sommeliers and consumers that local wines can match the best in the world -- and they are beginning to do so. It's time to put our preconceptions aside and focus on the quality of these wines. Dave McIntyre can be reached through his Web site, http://www.dmwineline.com, or at food@washpost.com. !http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2009/08/17/PH2009081702211.jpg! Quick note: I'm fortunate enough to have tasted both the Chappellet '07 as well as the Shaps '06... still got a bottle of the Shaps in the cooler over there, with the former waiting for me at verk to buy & try again. Also of note & irony; I too thought immediately about white burgundy, but more along the lines of "Meursault" when I tried the Shaps back at the Wineworks a year ago. I'm sure I was just bieased from hearing where Shaps was trained. Be a great little blind tasting ;).    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic "Glass Acts" (Washington... by ChipDWood

  
  
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  August 2009

  Louis Latour Mersault 1. Cru Chateau de Blagny 2006

  Snoothrank:

  No written review

  Wine review by wabisabi

  
  
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  July 2009

  Puligny Montrachet Premiere Cru les Referts Louis Latour 2004

  Snoothrank:

  No written review

  Wine review by gmgeorge

  
  

• July 2009

  So DIS, is your interest coincidental, or was Philip asking in the first place as your proxy? I also like Bordeaux reds, very much, and have stored them, and California reds, and the odd dessert white (sauternes and trockenbeerenausleses) and fortified wines (ports and madeiras) for... Read moreSo DIS, is your interest coincidental, or was Philip asking in the first place as your proxy? I also like Bordeaux reds, very much, and have stored them, and California reds, and the odd dessert white (sauternes and trockenbeerenausleses) and fortified wines (ports and madeiras) for my daughters. I didn't have access to enough knowledge about Italian reds from Tuscany and the Piedmont back then, or I would've laid some of them down, too. Going for the top rank for your 2002s, I have had greater longterm success storing Latours and La Mission Haut Brions and maybe Lafites from multiple vintages than with Moutons and especially Haut Brions, though I'm talking about wines from the '50s through the '80s and styles and approaches have changed at some of those places (esp. Haut Brion) since then. Margauxs in my cellar have gone both ways regarding aging reliability. Amongst their second labels I'd go first with Les Forts de Latour then Pavillon Rouge, then the rest. These will last 20 years, too (especially if the 2005 vintage). If you're really looking to buy in this range than you should decide which chateau's wine you like best, I suppose. Palmer could definitely be included in this grouping, as well. I had a '57 Palmer last year that surprised me with its sophisticated finesse and remaining power, though I'd had very little expectation going into the tasting. Regarding the 2005s, for which prices are generally obscene, I'd be looking more at alternatives beyond even the whole 1855 classification. For example: --Chateau Poujeaux, which GregDP likes, so I'll leave descriptions, etc. to him ;-); --Chateau Chasse-Spleen, also (like Poujeaux) from the often overlooked Moulis district; --Chateau Potensac, a Cru Bourgeous from the Medoc that far outclasses many of the traditional Grand Crus; --Chateau Sociando-Mallet, ditto as for Potensac, made by one of Bordeaux's true 'characters'; --Chateau Pontet-Canet, Pauillac, a 5th Growth in the old Grand Cru classification that is much better than *many* of the higher-ranked growths--its vines grow next to some of the first growths; --Domaine de Chevalier, in Pessac Leognan, Graves (near Chateau Haut Brion and La Mission Haut Brion), which also produces a most excellent white (which white I wouldn't lay down for 20 years, though I did have an excellent bottle from '93 this past Christmas...). --And for an often-economical higher growth I've always enjoyed Chateau Cos d'Estournel, and this also, I believe, has the GregDP seal of approval. These have been my more-economical-yet-quite-reliably-good-to-excellent go-to Bordeauxs over the past couple of decades. Meyney almost makes the cut in this grouping for me, too. You can buy a lot more of them for the same price and have more festive future festivities, while also having bottles to 'sample' in the interim to ensure everything's going according to plan... ;-) Depending on your cellar capacity, budget and desires, why not also lay down some Californians? I've kept a range of Napa cabs for my daughters, a few pinot noirs (back then Chalone was the only California pinot I wanted to lay down but now I'd look at those from the Sonoma Coast, particularly, but other areas as well). And maybe some from the Columbia Valley in eastern Washington, too? I've stored Woodward Canyon cabs for more than 20 years that have been excellent, though I initially got interested in the vineyard because of their chardonnays. That was nearly 30 years ago, and now there are many other interesting options in the area, too. If you are interested in California recommendations I've got plenty of them, too, but will stop here and allow others to step in.... GregT, the friend who shopped the '82s for the acquaintance who hit the rocks a year or two ago isn't a typical wine merchant, if there is such an animal. He also is in the jewelry business, and other things I may or may not be aware of. He put the bottles up on the net almost in auction style off his own site, only releasing a few bottles at a time to test the waters. Response was huge from Hong Kong and Shanghai, and he ended up selling the last case of each chateau for two to three times the price of the first case. Good for my friend the merchant, but small consolation, I imagine, for the dashing of decades-old dreams for the acquaintance...    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Recommendation for a 2006... by dmcker

  
  

• July 2009

  I'm Chad Carns, author of The Gourmet Bachelor - Global Flavor, Local Ingredients cookbook. I've been studying food and wine for years but I'm not a wine expert or a chef. I try to bring global food and expert wine knowledge to the home cook in a simple way. Enjoy my tasting... Read moreI'm Chad Carns, author of The Gourmet Bachelor - Global Flavor, Local Ingredients cookbook. I've been studying food and wine for years but I'm not a wine expert or a chef. I try to bring global food and expert wine knowledge to the home cook in a simple way. Enjoy my tasting notes from Aureole Wine Weekend Las Vegas..... The Gourmet Bachelor Wine Review Tasting Notes by Chad Carns 1 - 10 Rating Scale 8 - 10 Special 5 - 7 Recommend 1 - 4 Pass Special: Wines exhibit several layers of flavor, something unique, perfect balance or a long finish. Recommend: Wines exhibit depth, interest or amazing value. Pass: Wines taste extracted, plastic, flat or just bad. Descriptive words refer to the initial aromas released from the bouquet, flavors that roll around your mouth while tasting the wine or with great wine, flavors that linger 10, 20 and occasionally 60 seconds after you consume the wine. ___________ Aureole, Las Vegas Wine Weekend, June 12 - 14, 2009 Tasting Notes by Chad Carns, author of The Gourmet Bachelor - Global Flavor, Local Ingredients Cookbook ___________ Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc 7 Sancerre, Domaine Vacheron, Les Romains 2006 Honey Suckle, Mineral, Saffron 6 Pouilly Fume, Didier Dagueneau, Silex 2002 Grape Fruit, Lavender 7 Savennieres, Coulee de Serrant, Nicolas Joly 2004 Hibiscus, Chai Tea, 6 Savennieres, Coulee de Serrant, Nicolas Joly 2004 Dandelion, Citrus, Light Ash 8 Savennieres, Baumard 1988 Cream Corn, Black Pepper 7 Vouvray, Huet, "Clos du Bourg," Demi-Sec 1962 7 Vouvray, Huet, "Clos du Bourg," Moelleux 1995 Baked Apricot, Chai Tea, Coriander ___________ Northern Rhone, France White: Marsanne, Rousanne, Viognier 7 Hermitage Blanc, Bette & Scholl 2001 Subtle bouquet, Red Pepper Flakes, long finish 7 Hermitage Blanc, Chapoutier, Cuvee de L'Oree" 1991 7 Chateau Grillet, Neyret-Gachet 2001 Exotic Fruit, White Cherry, Floral 8 Condrieu, Guigal, "La Doriane" 1996 Expressive Bouquet, Bacon 7 Condrieu, Gangloff 2002 Slightly Oxidized, Mineral 7 Condrieu, Guigal 2006 Balanced ___________ Northern Rhone, France Red: Syrah 7 Cornas, Auguste Clape 2004 Dirt, Stem, Raspberry, Sea Mist 7 Cornas, Alain Voge, "Cuvee Vieilles Fontaines" 1999 7 Cornas, Thierry Allemand "Reynardt" 2004 Elegant 7 Cornas, Noel Verset 1995 ___________ 7 Cote Rotie, Chapoutier, La Mordoree" 1996 Strawberry 8 Cote Rotie, Jamet 1997 Granit, Black Pepper, Special 7 Cote Rotie, Jean-Michel "Les Grandes Places" 2001 8 Cote Rotie, Rostaing, "La Landonne" 2004 Special ___________ 7 Cote Rotie, Delas Freres "Maugiron" 2004 7 Cote Rotie, Cuilleron, "Bassenon" 2005 Sea Mist 8 Cote Rotie, Pierre Gaillard, Rose Pourpe" 2001 Rustic, Cinnamon, 7 Cote Rotie, Gangloff 2002 ___________ 7 Hermitage, Chapoutier, La Sizeranne 1997 8 Hermitage, JL Chave 2001 8 Hermitage, Jaboulet, "La Chapelle" 1990 (100 pt Parker) Cassis, Espresso 8 Hermitage, Chapoutier, "La Pavillon" 1994 ___________ 7 Hermitage, Delas Freres, "Les Bessards" 2003 Classic 7 Hermitage, Guigal, "Ex Voto" 2001 Driftwood, Sage 8 Hermitage, Betts & Scholl 2004 7 Hermitage, Guigal 1998 ___________ Aromatic White Wines of the World 7 Weissburgunder, Heidle Schenkenbichl, "Maximum," Kamptal, Austria 200 Cantaloupe, Honey Suckle, Fresh Basil 8 Riesling, Breuer, "Montosa Charta" Rhiengau, Germany 1997 Spice, Chalk, Full-bodied, Crisp, Special 7 Albarino, Iberian Remix, Edna Valley 2008 Tarragon 7 Chablis, Francois Raveneau, "Montee de Tonnerre," France 2004 Lime, Chalk, Crisp 6 Gruner Veltliner, Huber, "Berg," Traisental, Austria 2004 Lychee 7 Chardonnay, ISC, Arroyo Grande 2007 Cucumber, Citrus ___________ California Syrah 7 Syrah, Arnot-Roberts, Griffins Lair," Marin 2005 Spearmint, Cranberry, Pomegranate, Old-World style 7 Syrah, Copain, "Hawks Butte," Mendocino 2004 Big Mouth Feel 7 Syrah, Miner Family, "La Diligence," Napa 2005 Old-World style ___________ Washington Syrah 8 Syrah, Columbia, "Red Willow," Columbia Valley 1998 Cinnamon, Currant, Eucalyptus, Floral 8 Syrah, Mathews, "Hedges Vineyards," Columbia Valley 2002 Deep Black Tar, Venison 7 Syrah, McCrea, "Amerique," Columbia Valley 2000 Cherry, Sea Breeze ___________ California Cabernet 7 Cabernet Sauvignon, Seavey, Napa 2003 Cassis, Violet, Sea Breeze 7 Cabernet Sauvignon, Martin Estates, Reserve, Napa 2001 Italian Sausage, Fennel, Green Peppers, Onions 7 Cabernet Sauvignon, Laurel Glen, Sonoma Mountains, 2002 Violet, Vanilla 7 Cabernet Sauvignon, Abreu, "Madronna Ranch," Napa 2002 7 Cabernet Sauvignon, Vineyard 29, "Grace Family," Napa 1994 Lavender, Raspberry, Pine 8 R.T.W. Colgin, "Cariad," 2001 Napa Quince, Unique 8 Cabernet Sauvignon, Joseph Phelps, "Eisele," Napa 1984 8 Cabernet Sauvignon, Beaulieu Vineyards, "Georges de Latour" 1976 Old World, Special 8 Cabernet Sauvignon, Mayacamas, Napa 1970 Special ___________ Washington Cabernets 7 Cabernet Sauvignon, Chateau St Michele, Columbia Dried Rose Pedals 7 R.T.W. Woodward Canyon, "Charbonneau," Columbia 1987 Black Tea, Molasses 7 R.T.W.Hedges, "Red Mountain Reserve," Columbia 1988    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic 1990 Hermitage, 1976 Cabernet... by The Gourmet Bachelor

  
  

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